Stevens calls for national UAV program to avoid costs

Posted at: Thu Mar 16th, 2006

Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), chairman of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee, criticized Pentagon leaders March 15 for seemingly devolving unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) efforts, such as turning over the Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) to the Navy while the...

Sign up for Joint Strike Fighter or Pay More Later, Says US company

Posted at: Thu Mar 16th, 2006

AUSTRALIA has been delivered an ultimatum to sign up for the troubled Joint Strike Fighter project or face financial penalties, and an influential US body has warned of huge cost blow-outs and of the aircraft's untested capability.

US budget watchdog calls for suspension of Northrop RQ-4B UAV full production

Posted at: Thu Mar 16th, 2006

The US federal government's expenditure investigation body is calling for the suspension of serial production of the Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle and for the programme to be massively reviewed.

Pakistan acquiring UAVs from Europe

Posted at: Thu Mar 16th, 2006

London, March 15 (PTI): Pakistan is acquiring two types of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles from Europe to enhance surveillance capabilities while continuing with its indegenous development efforts, a defence weekly reported today. The Pakistan army has finalised an order from Germany for th...

US says launches biggest air assault in Iraq

Posted at: Thu Mar 16th, 2006

Today the U.S. military announced it has launched its biggest air offensive in Iraq since the 2003 invasion to root out insurgents near the town of Samarra, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad. "Operation Swarmer", as the offensive is called, was launched on Thursday morning and is "ex...

GE exec asks Congress to spare fighter engine

Posted at: Thu Mar 16th, 2006

LYNN - River Works employees are keeping close watch over budget talks in Washington, D.C. where GE's top aviation executive Wednesday asked a Congressional panel not to eliminate the company's role in making a jet engine for the military's joint-strike fighter...

Potential flaw found in F-22A fighter jets

Posted at: Thu Mar 16th, 2006

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-22A fighter jet may have a structural flaw that would require redesign or major modifications to most of the planes delivered to date, says Bill Young, chairman of a House defense panel.