Tag: military aviation

Japanese Authorities Hand Over Pieces of Wreckage from USAF Osprey Crash

The AP reported, “Japanese authorities handed over pieces of the wreckage from an U.S. Air Force Osprey that crashed off southwestern Japan to the U.S. military on Sunday, as the search continued for seven missing servicemembers.” The wreckage “had been collected by a ship from the regional coast guard headquarters and by fishers from the town of Yakushima since the CV-22 aircraft crashed into the water near the town Wednesday during a training mission to Okinawa.”
Full Story (The AP)

Pentagon Set to Move Forward with Replicator Drone Program to Counter China

Bloomberg reports the Pentagon “is likely to decide by mid-December what drones will make up the initial phase of its new Replicator program intended to deploy thousands of pilotless aircraft in 2025 to counter China’s numeric superiority in weapons systems such as ships, according to the Defense Department’s No. 2 official.” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks “said Tuesday that the choices may not be announced publicly ‘because part of the program’s intent is to create operational dilemmas for China’ as to how best to counter the new capability.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)

USAF Wants Early CCA to Have Range Equal to or Beyond That of Fighter Aircraft

Aviation Week reported that the US Air Force “wants its early Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to have range equal to or beyond that of fighter aircraft, with potentially aerial refueling capacity in the first increment.” Thomas Lawhead, the acting head of Air Force Futures and Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements, said on November 15 that the first increment of CCA will have range “relatively the same as the current fighter fleet, potentially a little bit longer.” The USAF is “now working through concepts of employment based on that range, and the uncrewed systems’ ability to provide missions such as electronic warfare, off-board sensing and additional munitions. While future tranches will be aerial refuelable, Lawhead said, there is potential for the first aircraft to have refueling capability ‘depending on the offer.’” The USAF is also “working to keep the costs of CCAs and related mission systems down as much as it can while still meeting operational needs. Kendall has said the cost would be about one-third to one-quarter of an F-35.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)

Northrop Grumman Remains on Track to Fly B-21 Raider Before End of 2023

FlightGlobal reports Northrop Grumman said that it “remains on track to fly the secretive B-21 Raider stealth bomber before the end of 2023, with the US Air Force expected to issue the company a low-rate initial production contract for the type shortly after that milestone.” Defense Daily reports that this week, the USAF said in a statement that “the B-21 is conducting ground taxi activities.” The USAF said, “Rigorous testing is a critical step in the B-21 flight test program. … Extensive testing evaluates systems, components, and functionalities. This testing allows us to mitigate risks, optimize design, and enhance operational effectiveness.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal); More Info (Defense Daily)

Only 55% of US F-35s Ready to Fly

FlightGlobal reports that an analysis from auditors at the GAO found only 55% of the US military’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets were able to carry out assigned missions during the period in which the auditors conducted their examination. The report was released by the GAO on Thursday and examined the approximately 450 F-35s operated by the military in March 2023. Auditors “said the 55% readiness rate from that the time is ‘far below programme goals,’ citing an array of maintenance issues with the type.” These maintenance issues “include a lack of spare parts, inadequate maintenance training for military personnel and a heavy reliance on contractors for depot-level maintenance – where the most involved or complex repairs take place.” The report states, “The Department of Defense (DOD) relies heavily on its contractors to lead and manage F-35 sustainment. However, as DOD seeks expanded government control, it has neither determined the desired mix of government and contractor roles, nor identified and obtained the technical data needed to support its desired mix.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)

Norwegian Air Force F-35A JSF Demonstrates Ability to Takeoff, Land from Highway

The Drive reports that “Norway has become the first country to demonstrate the ability of the conventional takeoff and landing F-35A Joint Strike Fighter to operate from a highway as part of an exercise in Finland.” Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, said in a press release, “This is a milestone, not only for the Norwegian Air Force, but also for the Nordic countries and for NATO. … This demonstrates our ability to execute a concept of dispersal. Fighter jets are vulnerable on the ground, so by being able to use small airfields – and now motorways – [we can] increase our survivability in war.” Norway’s F-35As “have been training to conduct highway operations in Finland this week as part of the latest iteration of that country’s annual Baana road base exercise, which kicked off on Monday.”
Full Story (The Drive)

Austria to Replace Retiring C-130 Fleet with Embraer’s C-390 Aircraft

Reuters reports Austrian Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner said on Wednesday that the country “plans to replace its retiring C-130 Hercules fleet with Embraer’s C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft.” Tanner said the country is “aiming to buy about four aircrafts and is negotiating with the Netherlands on a potential joint order.” Tanner added that a “contract for an order should be signed in the first half of next year.”
Full Story (Reuters)

USMC to Conduct Safety Review Following MV-22 Crash

Aviation Week reports that the new acting head of the US Marine Corps “will elevate the head of safety role to a general officer by next summer as the service conducts a review of its operations with a long-term look to improving its overall focus on safety.” The announcement “comes after a Bell Boeing MV-22 crash.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)