The famous RAF 617 Squadron, better known as the ‘Dambusters’ will soon be disbanded after the unit completed its latest deployment to Afghanistan. 617 became famous after the unit, equipped with modified Lancaster bombers successfully breached a number of dams in the Ruhr Valley in 1943, thus severely impacting Germany’s war effort. Now flying Tornado
The UK MoD has awarded several contracts to AgustaWestland totalling £760m (A$1.24bn) for the maintenance, conversion and upgrade of its Apache AH1 attack helicopters and Merlin transport helicopters. The Apache force Integrated Operational Support (IOS) contract will see AW provide support and maintenance services to the UK’s Apache fleet from April 1 2014 to March
Airbus Helicopters says it has overcome development and industrialisation issues with the NH90 helicopter program and plans to ramp up production of the program this year. Speaking at the company’s 2013 results conference on January 28, company CEO Guillaume Faury said NH Industries “has now overcome the difficulties of the beginning of the program” and
Northrop Grumman has delivered the 100th set of airborne electronic attack (AEA) components to the US Navy for installation on in-production EA-18G Growlers. The AEA kit features wing tip pods and gun bay pallets, specialised antennas and receivers, the AN/ALQ-218 antenna/tactical jamming system receiver, and the AN/ALQ-227 communication countermeasures set/electronic attack unit. “This delivery milestone
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has advised Congress that Iraq has requested the sale of 24 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and associated sensors, weapons, communications, and support equipment at a package cost of about US$4.8 billion. The request also includes training packages and support, technical, maintenance and logistics support, and facilities design and
New Zealand Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced that the RNZAF will acquire 11 Beechcraft T-6C turboprop trainers as part of a NZ$154 million training package. The announcement says the aircraft are part of a larger training system. “This modern, safe and reliable pilot training system will enable our military pilots to be trained to
