A USAF F-22A Raptor based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson near Anchorage in Alaska crashed whilst on a training mission late on November 16. The aircraft, from the 3rd Fighter Wing and flying as ‘Rocky Three’, was preparing to return to base with another F-22 when contact was lost at 7.40pm local time. A search was
Boeing has announced that the Vigilare Network Centric Command and Control System (NC3S) it is delivering to the RAAF has passed its final factory and tactical datalink (TADIL) acceptance tests. The company says the final tests were performed at its Systems Integration Laboratory (SAL) in Brisbane to prepare the system for its integration into the
Two F-35B STOVL test aircraft based at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland have evaluated the type’s close proximity handling qualities. The flights were conducted at 20,000ft and 30,000ft, and the accompanying image shows BF-1 and BF-3 in formation. Interestingly, the image also shows BF-1 sporting what appears to be an unpainted auxiliary inlet door, possibly
Boeing has delivered the seventh and final C-17 airlifter to the RAF at a ceremony at the company’s Long Beach plant. “The addition of a seventh C-17 to our fleet is a significant milestone that strengthens our support of operations worldwide, especially in Afghanistan,” said Peter Luff, the UK’s Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and
The Lockheed Martin JASSM-ER has completed two more successful test flights, making it 10 successes from 11 launches for the 1000km range development of the AGM-158 JASSM. The two test missiles were released from B-1B bombers and flew to targets at the White Sands missile range in New Mexico. The tests focused on the weapon’s
Airbus CEO Tomas Enders has bailed out of the troubled A400M, literally! Enders, a champion skydiver, was one of 10 parachutists along with A400M program manager, Bruno Delannoy, who jumped out of the third A400M development aircraft near Seville in Spain as part of the aircraft’s development program. “It was an enormous pleasure for me
