The UK’s Royal Air Force will take delivery of an eighth C-17 airlifter later this year, Boeing has announced. “The tremendous teamwork of Boeing and US government officials has made it possible to announce this acquisition so quickly after we determined the need for this additional C-17,” said UK Ministry of Defence Head of Commercial
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has ticked off another first, with US Air Force test pilots completing a night refuelling mission last week at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Test aircraft AF-4, an F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variant, successfully rendezvoused with a KC-135 tanker during the three hour test mission, F-35 manufacturer Lockheed
The international partners in the JSF program – including Australia – really need to come together to lobby the US government to recognise the disproportionate share of the early production costs of the F-35 they will be forced to pay in the next five years. The combined partner nation JSF requirement is about 750 aircraft,
After doing some additional reading overnight, I just wanted to clarify yesterday’s opinion post, especially regarding the proposed FMS sale. With the cancellation of the US’s C-27J program, the RAAF would not have the benefit of being linked into a ‘parent service’ such as the USAF/ANG for software, electronic warfare and other systems upgrades and
Japanese military aircraft have not always been so welcome in Australia, but a visit by one of the country’s C-130H airlifters to RAAF Base Richmond last week was billed as an historic symbol of strengthening military ties between the two nations. The transport aircraft arrived at Richmond on Wednesday for a three day visit aimed
Australia has finalised a deal to buy a sixth Boeing C-17A Globemaster for about $280 million, the government announced yesterday. The aircraft, purchased through the US Foreign Military Sales program, is expected to arrive in Australia early next year. In a joint statement, Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Material Jason Clare said
