Guest editorial by Senator David Fawcett – Modern airpower and the Peace of Westphalia (signed in 1648) may be centuries apart, but they share a common link – the concept of sovereignty. For a nation state to be sovereign, it needs to be capable of choosing a course of action that is in the best
The first production Airbus Military A400M airlifter for the Turkish Air Force has been painted and flown for the first time in its new markings. The aircraft is the first of 10 ordered by Turkey and will be delivered in September. The aircraft, MSN9, made its first flight on August 9.
Boeing and Northrop Grumman have demonstrated that improvements to the Super Hornet have halved the aircraft’s visibility on radar and have significantly extended its combat range. After three week of flight testing of the Advanced Super Hornet, the F/A-18 program partners tested conformal fuel tanks (CFT), an enclosed weapons pod and radar signature enhancements. Improvements to the
Qantas has announced the sale of its wholely owned subsidiary Qantas Defence Services (QDS) to Northrop Grumman Australia as part of its full-year results. The $80 million sale includes the business and other related assets. QDS provides maintenance and engineering services on aircraft and engines to government and military customers and engineering consultancy services to
The Defence Materiel Organisation has accepted the delivery of the first of two MRH90 helicopter simulators for the Army Aviation Training Centre in Oakey, Queensland. The MRH90 simulator is accredited to level D standard, meaning an hour in the simulator equates to an hour in the real helicopter. Army and Navy pilots will train on the
The US will sell eight new AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to Indonesia in a deal that aims to further strengthen military relations between the countries. During a recent visit to Indonesia, US defense secretary Chuck Hagel said the US$500 million deal would include pilot training, maintenance and radars. A delivery schedule for the eight helicopters
