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SOUTHWEST ASIA: Airmen will teach the first Iraqi air force college pilot-training course beginning in March with Iraq's new T-6A trainer. The tandem-cockpit aircraft, that began arriving in Tikrit, Iraq, Dec. 16, is the platform Iraqi airmen will use to transform the college into a cornerstone of Iraqi air sovereignty. Its also the same aircraft U.S. Airmen [...]

Airmen to train Iraqi air force college students is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Washington: The US Defense Department on Tuesday defended its bidding practices as fair after Europe and some US lawmakers charged that contract rules threw a major military deal to Boeing. "One would not expect us to apologize with respect to getting the taxpayer the best aircraft for the capabilities that the air force has asked for," [...]

Pentagon defends under-fire tanker bid is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

ISLAMABAD:Pilots and aircrews from the U.S. and Pakistan air forces participated in a joint aerial refueling information exchange as part of an on-going effort to enhance cooperation and develop the air refueling capabilities of both nations in early March at Pakistan air force base Chaklala. Pilots and aircrews from the 22nd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron arrived [...]

US, Pakistan air forces conduct air refueling information exchange is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The EU has warned against US protectionism, after European aerospace giant EADS said it was dropping out of a multi-billion dollar contract bid process. American rival Boeing is now the only bidder. The EU has warned Washington of negative consequences for future defense deals between the US and Europe if a recent contract for Air Force [...]

EU Warns Against Protectionism In Air Force Contract is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

LEIDEN, Netherlands: EADS confirms that the Northrop Grumman/EADS team will not bid for the US Air Force Tanker replacement program, following the announcement by its partner Northrop Grumman that they decided not to bid. Five years ago EADS had partnered with Northrop Grumman, as prime contractor, to pursue the US Air Force KC-135 modernization program. In [...]

Northrop-EADS Team Will Not Bid for the US Tanker is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The following is a statement from Wes Bush, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation, concerning the U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker program. "After a comprehensive analysis of the final RFP, Northrop Grumman has determined that it will not submit a bid to the Department of Defense for the KC-X program. [...]

Statement from Northrop on USAF Aerial Refueling Tanker Program is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Taipei: China now has better fighter jets than Taiwan, according to a military report by the island's defence ministry as the air force Monday renewed its bid to obtain new F-16s from the United States. Of the three types of fighter jets in Taiwan's air force, only the F-16A/Bs have a slight edge over the Chinese [...]

Taiwan says China now has edge in air power is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

27 Afghan Aircrew are being trained in Wiltshire as part of a two year programme run by the UK Joint Helicopter Command (JHC), supported throughout by QinetiQ. Training of the Afghan Pilots and flight engineers began in February 2008 at Boscombe Down under PROJECT CURIUM. The aircrew have been trained on fixed wing and rotary [...]

Afghan ‘Top Gun’ Aircrews take to UK Skies is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

NEWTOWN, Conn: Boeing announced plans to offer the KC-767 in the competition to supply the U.S. Air Force with a new tanker under the long-delayed KC-X tanker program. The selection of the KC-767 for the job over a potential entry based on the larger Boeing 777 was expected after the Air Force released its final [...]

Boeing to Go with KC-767 in Tanker Contest is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

WASHINGTON: Boeing is poised to win a 35-billion-dollar US Air Force aerial refueling tanker plane contract after rival partners Northrop Grumman and European partner EADS bowed out. Northrop Grumman said that it had decided not to bid to build the new planes because the US Air Force's requirements for the KC-X tanker program, published last month, [...]

Boeing sole air tanker bidder as competitors exit is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

When the main clearance phase of Op MOSHTARAK was launched from Camp Bastion Airfield three weeks ago, the RAF completed 167 air moves and coordinated 90 aircraft in just four hours. But the RAF's involvement in the operation didn't begin and end there. They have been integral to the planning and conducting of all aspects of [...]

RAF support to Op MOSHTARAK is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

WASHINGTON, DC: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' recent firing of the F-35 Program Manager has heightened concerns in the policy community that the plane is failing to meet its economic and military objectives. But in a new report, CNAS Non-Resident Senior Fellow Ethan Kapstein suggests that the multinational F-35 exemplifies the complexity of the Pentagon's [...]

New Report on F-35 and Global Defense Industry is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

ST. LOUIS: The Boeing Company today announced that it will offer the Boeing NewGen Tanker in the competition to supply the U.S. Air Force with a multi-mission aerial refueling aircraft that will meet all the warfighter's mission requirements for the next several decades. Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said the [...]

Boeing to Offer NewGen Tanker to US Air Force is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Islamabad: Ambreen made Pakistani history by becoming one of the country's first female fighter pilots, but on Sunday she was due to swap her flight schedule in one of the world's most dangerous countries for an arranged marriage with a stranger. "It's all set and planned, but I haven't talked to him," she admits, her face [...]

Sky’s the limit for Pakistan women fighter pilots is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam: More than 240 Airmen from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., arrived here in late February to support the deployment of B-2 Spirits as part of the continuous bomber presence here. The Airmen and aircraft replaced the service-members and the B-52 Stratofortresses deployed here from Barksdale AFB, La. Andersen AFB has had bombers [...]

B-2 Bombers arrive at Andersen AFB is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

LEIDEN, Netherlands: The Customer Nations and EADS have come to a principle agreement regarding the A400M military transport aircraft with the intention to amend the original contract accordingly in the coming weeks. In this principle agreement, the Customer Nations agree to: Increase the price of the contract by EUR 2 billion; Waive all liquidated damages related [...]

Customers and EADS Come to Principle Agreement on A400M is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

SOUTHWEST ASIA: A C-130 Hercules aircrew conducted a new method of airdrop that makes deliveries more accurate and flexible for resupply of small, mobile forces Feb. 6, in Afghanistan. The C-130 aircrew from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, performed the first-ever low-cost, low-altitude combat airdrop to re-supply soldiers at a forward operating base in Afghanistan. The airdrop concept [...]

C-130 Low-Cost, Low-Altitude Combat Airdrops Now Operational is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The Malaysian government has announced that it will continue to operate 10 of its 16 MiG-29N interceptors until 2015, reversing plans to decommission the aircraft by the end of 2010. A plan to replace the MiG-29s with a new fighter aircraft has been delayed by the economic downturn. However, maintaining the aircraft will [...]

Malaysia Reverses Plans to Mothball MiG-29 Fleet is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

FORT WORTH, Texas: The U.S. government has awarded an initial $213 million to Lockheed Martin for long-lead tasks for the production of 20 new Advanced Block 52 F-16 aircraft for Egypt. "This is a great day for Lockheed Martin and a testament to the enduring partnership and commitment we have made to the government of Egypt. [...]

New F-16 Aircraft for Egyptian Air Force is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2010 - Defense Department leaders and Lockheed Martin executives explained to international partners changes that have been made in the Joint Strike Fighter program. Ashton B. Carter, the department's undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, and Robert Stevens, chief operating officer for Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the program, explained what measures [...]

Lockheed to Speed Development of Joint Strike Fighter is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons