After ejecting a 500-pound bomb from F-35B test aircraft BF-3, the test team took a collective breath, and watched as it hurtled toward the concrete deck. Coming to rest in the foam covering the pit floor, the March 29 “pit drop” marked the end of two weeks of testing nine different w...
Apparently the Navy has strict safety regulations that prohibit the use of electrically-primed weapons aboard ship. The M230LF operates like a more traditional machine gun and includes a new linked ammunition feeding system. The Apache’s M230 features a link-less feeding system that r...
Here you have it, one of the coolest pictures of today’s flyover of Washington, DC, by the space shuttle Discovery riding piggyback aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Transport 747. This pic was taken from inside one of NASA’s T-38 Talon jets that were escorting the shuttle on its trip from ...
“We’ve been asked to carry more packages on-board the aircraft, we’ve been asked for more endurance especially in high-hot environments, and so because of that we got an urgent requirement to upgrade the aircraft to give us greater endurance,” said Rear Adm. William Shannon III, progr...
“We’ve had a statement of need from the Navy that was validated by the joint staff for UCLASS about three weeks ago … and we expect to get a memo that tells us to essentially streamline the acquisition on that program and move more quickly,” said Rear Adm. William Shannon III, program...
The intent of this research is to solicit Industry inputs on candidate solutions for CVN based aircraft to provide multi-role capability in an A2AD operational environment. Primary missions include, but are not limited to, air warfare (AW), strike warfare (STW), surface warfare (SUW),...
Yup, you read that correctly. With the help of spare parts scavenged from Britain’s old GR9 Harriers that the Marine Corps just bought from the UK, the Marines could keep their AV-8B Harrier jump jets flying until 2030. Yes, the Harriers could serve alongside, F-35 Joint Strike Fighte...
While we’re on the topics of new Boeing jets, let’s take a look at the latest evolution of Boeing’s concept for a 6th-generation manned, carrier-launched strike fighter dubbed F/A-XX.
I just took this picture, showing a drawing of an advanced looking-drone under the UCLASS name, at Boeing’s booth at the Navy League’s annual Sea, Air, Space conference in National Harbor, Md. This was the first I’d seen of anything hinting at Boeing’s planned bid for the Navy’s UCLAS...
So, what’s this thing that looks like a digicam’d torpedo? It’s what the Navy is hoping will be it’s next-gen anti-mine robot called the Knifefish. Yup, the Knifefish is going to be a 20-foot, 3,000-pound robot that will go on 16-hour missions snooping around for sea mines using low-f...
Well, the Army wants to replace its 117-strong fleet of C-12 Huron twin turboprop planes that it uses for everything from ISR to light cargo hauling. Wait a second, you say; didn’t the Army just pass a big effort to buy a fleet of twin turboprop transport planes to the Air Force only ...
Here’s our quick mention of the North Korean Rocket fail — that made everyone angry — yesterday. Yup, the big, what turned out to be an almost non-event that everyone’s been obsessing over and will now promptly forget. (but, wait, you know someone’s going to start raising whether the ...
The current situation makes it impossible, but what is to keep us from getting stuff drawn up? The Air Force lost its drive from back in the days of the cold war where we were cutting edge in every aspect of aerospace development. They are trying to regain that cutting edge factor, an...
Air Force Global Strike Command will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the B-52 Stratofortress on April 15, 1952. This flight was made by the YB-52 prototype in Seattle. Air Force Global Strike Command will commemorate the airframe’s anniversary with events cente...
A Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey went down in southern Morocco earlier today killing two and injuring two American troops, Reuters is reporting.
Current and former military sources have said power demands are straining the two quad-engine jetliners due to the aircraft’s extensive communications equipment and other systems. Newer Boeing aircraft feature engines with thousands of pounds of more thrust than those on the current A...
People are still wondering why the Army hasn’t expended that much in resources to get him back? It might be that the truth is sadder then people know. I was based out of FOB Airborne in the Wardak Provence when this kid vanished in 2009, we had a lot of our soldiers directly involved ...
The grounding comes after a Firescout went down on March 30 in the ocean off the coast of West Africa. The little chopper made multple landing approaches to the ship it was flying from but was unable to get aboard so it ditched, according to the Navy. Apparently the little chopper was...
Here you have it. This photo shows the last MRAP to be shipped home after serving in the Iraq war. This particular MRAP is a Caiman PLus model and it drove out of Iraq on Dec. 18, 2011 as the last U.S. troops were leaving the country. She’s now en route back to the states after being ...
Well, it’s Monday. To start things off nice and easy, let’s start with this video of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter refueling from a KC-135 at night for the first time. Welcome back to work, everyone.
No, this picture doesn’t show a black and white image of the rebel base on the ice planet Hoth. It’s part of a secret, nuclear-powered U.S. Army base that was built under the Greenland ice cap only 800 miles from the North Pole. The base was officially built to conduct scientific rese...
No, this picture doesn’t show a black and white image of the rebel base on the ice planet Hoth. It’s part of a secret, nuclear-powered U.S. Army base that was built under the Greenland ice cap only 800 miles from the North Pole. The base was officially built to conduct scientific rese...
In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the video of the Coast Guard yesterday sinking a derelict Japanese fishing trawler that’s been adrift since the tsunami that devastated Japan last year. The 164-foot long Ryou Un Maru was sitting in a Japanese port waiting to be scrapped last ye...
Want to see something cool? Watch the video below. As a tipster wrote us, “Your pic of Zumwalt being built is nice, but I have better.” We couldn’t agree more. The video below shows one of the USS Zuwalt’s massive hull sections leaving the Ultra Hall at Bath Iron Works in Maine and be...
Like it or not, the U.S. is dependent on oil and other resources than can only be delivered by sea. Potential adversaries don't require "blue water navies" to interdict those supply lines, but we certainly need one to protect them. We also need a strong navy if we intend to honor our ...
Here’s question we’ve heard several times in the months since last summer’s downing of a CH-47 Chinook in Afghanistan that killed 30 U.S. troops, including 17 Navy SEALs, and eight Afghan Commandos; would those men still be alive if they were traveling aboard an aircraft belonging to ...
For a Aircraft that doesn't work as advertised. That would be Corporate Welfare with the US's security at stake. Canada looks like they are going to want a Fly Off competition which will be interesting. The Eurofighter, Rafael, F-18 SH, F-15SE and the Gripen NG are all flying, shootin...
Easy fix either buy CH-53Es from the marines and upgraded them and they can also just buy new U-60M from the Army add some USAF upgrades and fixed. With every dollar going to save the F-35 I doubt they will be a any new new helicopter. I know the trolls here will Bo me for saying that...
Well, it looks like the J-20 stealth fighter we showed you yesterday is indeed China’s second stealth jet. The pic above shows a new serial number ending in 02 for the plane, identifying it as the second J-20. The first — unveiled in late 2010 — has the serial number of 2001 written o...
The AAS-72X or AAS-72X+ could be built and delivered at a cost competitive with the upgrades planned for the Vietnam-era OH-58 Kiowa Warrior and fielded to Army units as early as 2016. This variant is based on the commercial EC-145T2 aircraft which incorporates the more powerful Turbo...
