RAF pilots use US rules for secret missions

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

RAF pilots conducting secret Predator "killer drone" missions against Iraqi and Afghan insurgents are operating under American rules of engagement, the Ministry of Defence has admitted. A British team running remote-control sorties from a US air force base is understood to have engag...

New Gripen variants studied by Saab

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

Saab-led Gripen International is studying future development options for its Gripen multirole fighter, including the possible installation of a more powerful engine, increasing the type's overall size and maximum take-off weight, and the potential availability of a carrierborne strike variant.

CENTAF releases combined airpower summary for June 24 to 26

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- U.S. Central Command Air Forces officials have released the airpower summary for June 24 to 26. June 26 In Afghanistan June 25, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provided close-air support for coalition forces taking small-arms fire from Taliban ext...

Boeing-led Team Fires Surrogate Lasers from Airborne Laser Aircraft

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

A Boeing-led [NYSE: BA] industry team and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) took a major step toward demonstrating the capability of the Airborne Laser (ABL) by successfully firing surrogate lasers from inside the aircraft.

US seeks to lift export sales ban on F-22A

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

The US Congress is poised to lift a ban of almost nine years on export sales of the F-22A Raptor aircraft following a vote to lift the ban in the US House of Representatives on 20 June. US lawmakers approved an amendment to the 2007 defence appropriations bill that would allow F-22A ...

Pentagon: Faulty Data Likely Used To Save Lockheed C-130J Deal-WP

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld relied on potentially faulty data when he saved Lockheed Martin Corp.'s (LMT) C-130J Hercules from cancellation last year, the Pentagon inspector general said in a report Friday that partly blamed a poorly written contract for keeping ...

Wedgetail project faces delay

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

The RAAF's new Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft face delays in the latest problem to beset Australian Defence Force's high-tech procurement projects. The first two of six aircraft were initially scheduled for delivery in November, in what has been regularly billed as an exemp...

Eurofighter on Display this Summer at UK Air Shows

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

Typhoon season hits UK - One of the UK's most famous military aircraft, Typhoon, designed and developed by BAE Systems in the north-west, is set to be the star of flying displays all over the United Kingdom this summer.

SpaceShipOne plus two

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

Last week marked the second anniversary of SpaceShipOne's historic suborbital spaceflight, yet prospective tourists may have to wait two more years before they can make a similar flight. Jeff Foust examines the reasons behind the lag in the suborbital space tourism marketplace, and what hope there i...

Electronic Problem Shuts Hubble's Main Camera

Posted at: Mon Jun 26th, 2006

The main camera on the United States' Hubble space telescope has stopped working. Scientists with the U.S. space agency NASA said Saturday that the orbiting telescope's camera shut down earlier in the week after sensors reported problems with its power supply. The Hubbl...