Airbus Military’s second A400M development aircraft flew in to the northern Swedish city of Kiruna at the beginning of February, to conduct four days of cold weather testing. Airbus reports that tthe A400M (dubbed‘Grizzly 2’) experienced temperatures down to -21ºC and successfully achieved all planned test points during a program that focused on the aircraft’s
The Australian Army’s Timor Leste Aviation Group (TLAG) 14 has returned home to Australia after serving in East Timor for six months as part of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF). TLAG 14 personnel and S-70A-9 Black Hawk helicopters were replaced by TLAG 15, with the unit providing a troop lift and aero-medical evacuation capability to
The RAAF has begun trialling a new camouflage pattern for one of its Hawk 127 lead-in fighters, in a bid to reduce the risk of mid-air collision by increasing aircraft visibility. Air Force News’ FLTLT Skye Smith reports that HQ 78WG’s decision to go with a darker, two-tone gloss paint scheme for the Hawk (A27-30)
Boeing and EADS North America have both submitted their final bids for the US Air Force’s KC-X tanker competition. The Boeing proposal offers the 767 based NewGen tankers, which it asserted burns 24 per cent less fuel than EADS’s KC-45/A330 MRTT competitor. Boeing claims this will equate to “savings in tens of billions of dollars
The RAAF has suspended Pilatus PC-9/A flying after an engine fire on Monday night. The fire took place as a 2FTS PC-9 prepared for a training flight from RAAF Pearce in Western Australia. A Defence spokesperson said both crew members were unharmed, as they immediately aborted takeoff and began shutdown procedures once flames were observed from the aircraft’s
Australian Aerospace CEO Jens Goennemann has said he “welcomes” the announcement by Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare that the delayed MRH 90 helicopter program will undergo a ‘gate’ review. Goennemann, who stressed that the MRH program had not been placed on the Projects of Concern list, told media in Canberra
