The Department of Defence, Virgin Australia and Qantas have formed a new partnership to co-ordinate strategic aviation issues of national interest. During the first meeting of the new forum, Defence shared issues of common interest with the commercial partners, focusing on future national aviation developments, emerging technologies, crisis planning and security. Vice Chief of the
The Indian government has formally announced the selection of the Airbus Military A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) as the Indian Air Force’s (IAF’s) new tanker aircraft. The announcement followed a lengthy selection process which included flight demonstrations in India by an A330 MRTT during which the aircraft refuelled multiple types of IAF fighters and
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a US$3.68bn modification to the previously awarded low rate initial production lot 6 advance acquisition contract (LRIP 6) for the procurement of 31 F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The 31 aircraft comprise 18 F-35A conventional take-off and landing aircraft; six F-35B short take-off vertical landing aircraft; and seven F-35C carrier variant
Thirty F-35 Joint Strike Fighters were delivered during 2012, Lockheed Martin has announced. The 30 jets comprised 11 conventional takeoff and landing F-35As, 18 short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs and one F-35C carrier variant. Two of the F-35Bs were the first F-35s delivered to an international customer (the UK). The F-35C (CF-5) is being used
Lockheed Martin is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Lockheed Company, which was originally incorporated on December 19 1912, in San Francisco, California. “It took the Lockheed brothers two years of hard work to get their first plane airborne, and they faced innumerable technical and operational challenges along the way,” said Bob Stevens,
The Williams Foundation think tank has questioned the government’s decision to further delay a decision on Australia’s air combat capability transition plan and to submit an LOR to the US government for 24 more Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets. In a December 17 release, the foundation laid out the four options which government considered before announcing
