US Air Force - USAF

Rappel du premier message :

l´USAF plane de retirer +300 jets,dont:

-137 F-15
-177 F-16
-9 A-10s

11 ans avant leur date,pour epargner 3,4B$ et accelerer ainsi les F-22/35

mais ca doit dabord passer le congress et le futur president doit signer!

Citation :

US Air Force eyes fighter cuts to boost modernization
Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:51pm EDT



WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force is seeking to retire early more than 300 fighter aircraft next year to save $3.4 billion in the hope of funding advanced Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) fighters and other modernization efforts, a published report said on Wednesday, citing internal Pentagon documents.

The plan would retire 137 F-15 and 177 F-16 fighters plus nine A-10 close air support attack aircraft as much as 11 years before the end of their scheduled useful lives, InsideDefense.com, an online news service, reported.

"Without accelerating these retirements, we are left with a larger, less-capable force unable to penetrate anti-access environments," the Air Force was quoted as telling John Young, the Pentagon's top arms buyer, in defense of a fiscal 2010 spending plan it submitted in August.

"Anti-access" is Pentagon jargon for spots defended by advanced surface-to-air missiles and state-of-the-art fighters such as those used or planned by Russia and China.

A key Air Force concern is what it calls a potential fighter gap until Lockheed's radar-evading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is produced in large numbers.

An Air Force spokesman said it would be inappropriate to discuss an internal working document that will continue to change until it is incorporated into the next president's fiscal 2010 budget submission.

The document was quoted as saying an Air Force analysis showed a "smaller but modernized fighter force, when coupled with a robust bomber fleet, can effectively bridge the gap until the F-35 can be produced in required numbers (ramping to 110) and the F-22 can be modified to a common configuration."

Air Force officials have said they plan to increase F-35 production over the next five years to address the fighter gap, InsideDefense.com said.

Two F-35s have entered flight test, two are in ground test and 17 are in various stages of assembly, including the first two production-model jets scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Air Force in 2010, Lockheed said last month.

The president of the Air Force Association, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Dunn, said it remained to be seen if Congress would let the Air Force get rid of so many aircraft so early and if Pentagon leaders would grab the savings to fund competing priorities within other armed services.

"There will have to be a lot of dialogue inside the Pentagon between the Air Force and the office of the secretary of defense, probably the secretary himself, before a decision is made," Dunn, a former president of the Pentagon's National Defense University, said in a telephone interview.

Old warplanes typically involve high maintenance costs and may require big outlays for structural upgrades. Still, lawmakers often have blocked Air Force attempts to retire aging warplanes early, partly to preserve jobs -- in their voting districts -- at bases from which they are flown.

In the fiscal 2010 budget request being readied at the Pentagon for the next president, the Defense Department is seeking ways to continue production of Lockheed Martin's F-22, the top U.S. dog fighter, while boosting F-35 output to capture economies of scale quickly, Pentagon officials have said.

The final say on whether to go on building the F-22 is being left to the next president, who is to be elected Nov. 4 and take office Jan. 20 -- only weeks before the administration's budget request normally is sent to Congress.

The proposed early retirements represent accelerations of seven years in the case of the F-15, six years for the F-16 and 11 years for the A-10, according to the document cited by InsideDefense.com.

The savings would fuel a push to modernize the Air Force's bombers, late-date fighters and go toward a new "nuclear-specific" B-52 bomber rotational squadron and Northrop Grumman Corp'a (NOC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial system expansion, the document was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Jim Wolf; editing by Carol Bishopric, Gary Hill)

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1531730620081015?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Citation :

Joint Statement of Sierra Nevada Corporation and Embraer Defense and Security on Decision of Beechcraft Corporation to Protest LAS Contract Award


(Source: Sierra Nevada Corporation and Embraer Defense and Security; issued March 8, 2013)



SPARKS, Nev. --- The following is a joint statement by Sierra Nevada Corporation and Embraer Defense and Security:

The USAF for a second time has selected the A-29 for the LAS mission. In announcing the award, the Air Force stated, “this award is the result of a full and open competition” and Lt. Gen. C.R. Davis, military deputy for acquisition in Air Force headquarters said, "I am confident that the source selection process was disciplined and meticulous."

Even Beechcraft’s CEO, Bill Boisture commented on the care and professionalism of the USAF’s selection process. In fact, this was a completely new evaluation process, conducted by a new team and overseen by a three-star general.

In evaluating the competitors, the U.S. Air Force looked at three criteria, in priority order: mission capability, past performance and pricing in order to determine overall best value.

The A-29 received an exceptional rating on technical capability and low-risk in all other categories. Only the A-29 Super Tucano is operational and performing light air support missions today. Its capabilities and long track record are fully known and demonstrated. The past performances of SNC and Embraer are equally strong and proven. Based on these factors we are confident the Air Force selected the A-29 as the lowest risk solution for the U.S. and its partner nations and overall best value.

In accordance with the RFP, the U.S. Air Force selected the A-29 based on three factors stated above, not just a single factor. The U.S. Air Force determined that the price they are paying for the superior A-29 aircraft was part of the “overall best value.” We look forward to a rapid Government Accounting Office decision on Beechcraft’s protest.

The A-29 aircraft for the LAS program will be built in Jacksonville, Fla. An important aspect about our approach is the "in-sourcing" of jobs to Jacksonville. We feel it establishes an exciting future model of bringing high tech aerospace manufacturing jobs back to the United States to stem the recent tide of moving jobs offshore.

The SNC award will support more than 1,400 American jobs, reflecting both the large U.S. supplier base – more than 100 companies will supply parts and services for the A-29 Super Tucano – and new jobs that will be created by SNC and Embraer. Embraer will create new high-tech jobs at its production facility in Jacksonville, adding to the 1,200 people Embraer currently employs in the United States, and new jobs at SNC will add to its U.S. workforce of 2,500 people.

The A-29 Super Tucano is the right choice for the mission, the warfighter, the U.S. taxpayer, the American workers and our partner nations. Given the strength of our proposal and the thoroughness of the U.S. Air Force’s evaluation process, it is unfortunate that Beechcraft is now protesting the Light Air Support (LAS) contract award once again.

The need for this aircraft was critical a year ago and more so today. SNC and Embraer are moving forward and preparing to begin operations in Jacksonville.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/143322/snc%2C-embraer-defend-las-win.html

Citation :

USAF to evaluate Scorpion helmet display on F-22 Raptor

US Air Force operational testers at Nellis AFB, Nevada, are preparing to evaluate the Visionix Scorpion helmet-mounted cueing system (HMCS) on the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor later this year.

"We absolutely hope to have the Scorpion helmet [on the Raptor]," says Col Robert Novotny, commander of the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group (53rd TEG), which investigates new technologies and tactics for the service. "We think we'll get into that business this summer."

Novotny cautions that while work is underway to investigate adding the new helmet -mounted display, a test plan has not been formally approved just yet. "We're figuring out what's required, what are the issues," he says.

Even so, the new full-colour lightweight paddle-shaped display has made a very positive impression on the Raptor community. "Everybody really likes the Scorpion," Novotny says. "Everybody wants the helmet and we're trying to work our way forward."

The integration of the Scorpion onto the Raptor will pave the way for the fifth-generation air-superiority fighter to take full advantage of the Raytheon AIM-9X high off-boresight (HOBS) dogfighting missile. "So if we can get that in the jet, and then we can get them an off-boresight heat-seeking missile like the AIM-9X," Novotny says. "[Adding the AIM-9X is a] little bit further off. We want to get this done because we'll bring some great capability to the pilot, as all helmets do, and give them the off-boresight later."

The Raptor is expected to receive a "rudimentary" capability to use the weapon in 2015. Full integration of the AIM-9X is expected in 2017 when the Raptor's Increment 3.2B upgrade is fielded.

The F-22 community considers the addition of a HMCS and the AIM-9X to the Raptor to be vital. Even though the jet grossly outperforms other aircraft at the "merge", the Raptor can be at a disadvantage once it transitions into the visual arena against a threat aircraft equipped with a HMCS and HOBS missile.

The addition of the Scorpion and AIM-9X will also allow for "heads out" multi-targeting of enemy aircraft while approaching the merge, which will help the Raptor in scenarios where it is outnumbered, says one highly experienced F-22 pilot. Given the small size of the F-22 fleet, that "will be about all the time these days," the pilot says.

Generally speaking, Novotny-who has had years of experience flying as an aggressor against the Raptor--says one is usually not aware of being attacked by a F-22 until it is too late. That is because even at the merge, a pilot flying against a Raptor does not know where the F-22 is coming from due to its stealth capabilities.

However, once engaged in a classic dogfight, "I have a chance," Novotny says. The outcome of visual range encounters is largely dependent on individual pilot skill, he notes.

The addition of the Scorpion and AIM-9X would ensure the USAF's small Raptor fleet, which only numbers 184, retains its advantage even during a within visual range encounter.

http://www.flightglobal.com

mise a niveau pour le B2
http://www.opex360.com/2013/03/12/northrop-grumman-se-prepare-a-moderniser-les-bombardiers-b2/

Phantom Eye....by Boeing

Citation :

That’s No Train! Air Force Eyes Subway for Nuclear Missiles


The Air Force wants to upgrade its aging nuclear missiles and the hundreds of underground silos that hold them. One idea it’s exploring: the construction of a sprawling network of underground subway tunnels to shuttle the missiles around like a mobile doomsday train. As one does.

As first reported by Inside Defense, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center will award several study contracts next month worth up to $3 million each to research the idea. A broad agency announcement from the Air Force describes the hair-raising concept, intended to keep the weapons secure through 2075, as a system of tunnels where nuclear missiles are shuttled around on rails or some undefined “trackless” system.

The advantage of the world’s deadliest subway: During an atomic holocaust, mobile missiles are harder for an adversary to target than a static silo. Missiles could be positioned at launch holes placed at “regular intervals” along the length of the tunnels.

“The tunnel concept mode operates similar to a subway system but with only a single transporter/launcher and missile dedicated to a given tunnel,” stated the notice. “The tunnel is long enough to improve survivability but leaving enough room to permit adequate ‘rattle space’ in the event of an enemy attack.”


The Air Force hasn’t given specifics on where the tunnels could be built, or how long they’d need to be. But they’ll probably have to be jumbo-sized to “minimize impact from attack during all phases of missions/operations,” the notice stated. The Air Force requires that all research proposals address ways to “minimize likelihood” that unauthorized persons could sneak in, while keeping the system working safely and not sacrificing the doomsday train’s ability to “conduct world-wide operations.”

The project would likely be gigantic, expensive and take decades to build — all things that cut against cut against these relatively lean times at the Pentagon. But the U.S.’ silo-launched nuclear arsenal of 420 Minuteman III ballistic missiles are some of the oldest weapons still in service with the military, and they’re only getting older. (Not to mention the upkeep the military has to perform on the other two legs of the nuclear triad, submarine-launched Trident II missiles and the air-dropped B61 nuclear weapon.)

The Air Force has spent billions upgrading the Minuteman’s guidance systems, rocket motors and power systems to keep them serviceable through 2030. In a March 5 posture statement (.pdf) to the House Armed Services Committee, U.S. Strategic Command chief General Robert Kehler said the Minuteman IIIs are “sustainable through 2030 and potentially beyond with additional modernization investment.” But to sustain the missiles until 2075, the service has to come up with new ideas.

The subway of doom isn’t the Air Force’s only option for revamping its silos. Others include “super-hardened” silos, or ground-based “transporter erector launchers” — really large trucks that can haul nuclear missiles around the country, including on public roads and even off-road. The trucks have their downsides: who knows how well they can cross bridges; people would freak out if they encountered nuclear missiles on their morning commute; and they’re way more expensive than silos.

Last year, nuclear analyst and Danger Room pal Jeffrey Lewis estimated that building a fleet of 500 such mobile launchers would cost about $52 billion. “Apparently, building a 200,000 pound truck with rad-hard electronics and capable of withstanding nuclear blast effects is expensive,” he blogged. Lewis also noted that the mobile nuclear launchers were too expensive during the Cold War when, y’know, full-scale nuclear war was a big threat.

Hans Kristensen, a nuclear analyst at the Federation of American Scientists, thinks the Air Force is stuck with plain old static silos. “The nuclear subway ICBM is, I think, a pie in the sky and more included to have a review process entertain a range of options so it can land on the most sensible,” Kristensen tells Danger Room. “The costs associated with developing and operating such a system would be enormous and completely out of sync with the fiscal realities of this nation. Even a mobile system is probably unrealistic. I think the most likely, and probably only realistic option short of scrapping the land-based leg of the deterrent, is to simply extend the life of the existing Minuteman III ICBM.”

Then again, maybe the Air Force defies logic and builds the death tunnels that it says it wants. Tomorrow’s Armageddon could ride to work on rails.

http://www.wired.com

Citation :

Strategic U.S. bombers fly practice nuclear strikes in Korea

United States B-52 bombers carried out simulated nuclear bombing raids on North Korea as part of ongoing U.S.-South Korean military exercises, Pentagon officials said on Monday.

Pentagon press secretary George Little told reporters that B-52 bombers from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, conducted a training mission over South Korea March 8 during war games known as Exercise Foal Eagle.

“It’s not any secret that we are in the midst of sending a very strong signal that we have a firm commitment to the alliance with our South Korean allies,” Little said.

Deputy defense secretary Ashton Carter said during a visit to South Korea on Monday that the bomber flights are part of the U.S. “extended deterrence”—the use of U.S. nuclear forces to deter North Korea, which conducted its third underground nuclear test Feb. 12.

“I should note the presence of strategic bombers taking place in flight training in the Korea peninsula area in particular, for example, but this is routine. There will be a B-52 flight tomorrow,” Carter said in Seoul.

The bomber flights are part of increased training efforts that seek to show U.S. resolve in protecting South Korea, Little said.

The B-52 flights are part of the U.S. Pacific Command program called Continuous Bomber Presence.

Little said the Guam base has been used since 2004 for strategic bomber rotational deployments. “The B-52 Stratofortress can perform a variety of missions including carrying precision-guided conventional or nuclear ordnance,” Little said. “We will continue to fly these training missions as part of our ongoing actions to enhance our strategic posture in the Asia-Pacific region.”

It is unusual for the Pentagon to make such overt statements about the use of strategic nuclear forces in Asia Pacific.

The Foal Eagle maneuvers will highlight both nuclear and conventional capabilities of the B-52s, Little said, adding that the flights were routine.

“Despite challenges with fiscal constraints, training opportunities remain important to ensure U.S. and [South Korean] forces are battle-ready and trained to employ airpower to deter aggression, defend South Korea, and defeat any attack against the alliance,” he said.

The U.S. military until the early 1990s stored nuclear bombs and missiles in Guam but moved the bombs and missiles to the continental United States.

Two Russian strategic nuclear bombers identified as Tu-95 Bear Hs, were recently intercepted as they circled Guam in what analysts say was saber-rattling on the part of the Russians, who several years ago set up an anti-U.S. alliance with China called the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that includes several Asian and Southwest Asia states.

South Korean news reports last week also stated that U.S. nuclear missile submarines would remain near South Korean waters to provide another sign of U.S. nuclear deterrence.

The combined nuclear and conventional forces exercises began in early March as part of maneuvers called Key Resolve that involved around 13,000 U.S. and South Korean troops. A second round of exercises known as Foal Eagle will extend through the end of April.

South Korean forces remain on heightened alert over concerns that North Korean military forces will attempt a new military provocation, as occurred several years ago when a North Korean submarine sank a South Korean coastal patrol ship and then fired artillery on a South Korean island near the Northern Limit Line delineating North and South Korea waters even with the 38th parallel.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye has said any further military provocation would trigger a South Korean military response, which analysts fear could trigger a new Korea war.

North Korea, angered over a new United Nations resolution condemning its latest underground nuclear test, announced it was pulling out of the 1953 armistice agreement ending hostilities during the Korean War.

Intelligence sources said they do not expect North Korea to conduct a provocation during the military exercises in South Korea when troops and forces are ready to conduct large-scale operations.

However, a future military provocation by Pyongyang could take place in May, after the war games end.

North Korea’s communist government also has stepped up harsh rhetoric with threats to use nuclear missile attacks against both South Korea and the United States.

Propaganda organs recently issued videos on YouTube showing nuclear missile attacks on New York City and U.S. troops in flames from a nuclear strike.

A North Korean general also said recently that the military has missiles equipped with nuclear warheads ready for launch.

The Pentagon on Friday announced it would increase the number of ground-based missile defense interceptors in Alaska and California based on new intelligence indicating North Korea has deployed a road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile called the KN-08.

The missile has not been flight-tested, but U.S. intelligence agencies believe it is in the process of being fielded and has enough range to reach the United States with a compact nuclear warhead.

Carter, the deputy defense secretary, said he met with senior South Korean officials and is confident the alliance remains strong.

“The key topic of our discussions today was North Korea and its continued pattern of provocative actions that pose a serious threat to the United States and Republic of Korea as well as to regional and global stability,” Carter said.

“The United States is working with friends and allies around the world and is employing an integrated response to these unacceptable provocations: The United Nations Security Council resolutions with unprecedentedly strong sanctions, additional unilateral sanctions of great effect, and all together the progressive isolation of North Korea.”

The additional missile defense deployments, Carter said, are aimed at bolstering missile defenses as part of “our determination to keep ahead of the progression of the North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile development.”

Carter also said he would observe the military exercises.

“In the United States, our commitment to the alliance is part of our Asia-Pacific rebalance, and we will ensure that all the pieces of our defense relationship continue to move forward, and I should say this will occur despite the budgetary pressures in the United States,” Carter said.

“The Asia-Pacific rebalance is a priority. It’s a historic priority. We have the resources to accomplish it and no matter what happens in the budget debates that go on in the United States, our commitment to the Asia-Pacific rebalance and our commitment to the United States-ROK Alliance will remain firm.”

http://freebeacon.com/practice-run/

Citation :

USAF A-10 crews evaluate Scorpion HMCS
By Jamie Hunter
3/25/2013
Pilots from the 23rd Fighter Group's 74th Fighter Squadron (FS) at Moody Air Force Base (AFB) in Georgia used Exercise 'Red Flag 13-3' to evaluate the new Scorpion off-boresight, helmet-mounted cueing system (HMCS) for the Fairchild-Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft.

Deployed to Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) for the exercise in late February to mid-March, the crews put the new Gentex Visionix and Lockheed Martin-developed helmet through its paces.

The Scorpion helmet has been developed as a lower-cost alternative to the popular Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS). It features a full-colour helmet display system, optical motion tracking, head-steered weapons, 24-hour day and night capability, and integrates with older-style USAF HGU-55 flight helmets to avoid replacement costs.

Captain Ian Whiteman, a 74th FS A-10 pilot, told IHS Jane's: "If you're down-range looking at a convoy and an improvised explosive device goes off, you can look to that area and automatically see the symbology for it in your monocle. Then you press a button and all the data you had will slew to your targeting pod, allowing new grids to be created. This minimises the additional time it takes to find what it is you're looking for outside."

http://www.janes.com/products/janes/defence-security-report.aspx?ID=1065977474&channel=defence

Citation :

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen from the 82nd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron (ERQS), prepare to land in the Grand Bara Desert after jumping from an MC-130P Combat Shadow 81st ERQS, during a March 5, 2013, training exercise in Djibouti. This jump was part of regular proficiency training for pararescue members





A U.S. Air Force MC-130P Combat Shadow from the 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron (ERQS) flies over the Grand Bara Desert during a training exercise in Djibouti, March 5, 2013. The 81st ERQS conducts regular training exercises in support of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.

U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds

Citation :

Northrop lands USAF Global Hawk support deal

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract worth about $433 million to provide logistics support services for the US Air Force's fleet of RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned air vehicles.
Outlined in a notification published by the US Department of Defense on 25 March, the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract will run until 30 September 2014. The deal covers "contractor logistics support for the RQ-4 Global Hawk fielded weapon system", the DoD says.

US Air Force

The USAF has an active inventory of about 20 of the high-altitude, long-endurance surveillance aircraft, a variant of which is also being developed for operations with the US Navy.

http://www.flightglobal.com

In Air Force One

Citation :

Improvements Extend C-5 Life
By Air Force News Agency on Monday, April 1st, 2013

Using Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, Airmen here improved the reliability and life expectancy of the C-5M Super Galaxy.

AFSO21 is the Air Force’s dedicated effort to maximize value and minimize waste in all of our processes.

“We identified the whole process with our Dewars (tank) and fire suppression system of the aircraft as being one of the leading causes of downtime for the aircraft,” said Master Sgt. Jay Haller, 512th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron electro-environment systems technician. “Sometimes it was taking three weeks to get an airplane back in the sky because of some of the defects.”

In August 2008, Airmen from AMXS, fuel, front line and back line came together to see what they could do to make the system better.

They came up with a lot of ideas, but soon realized they weren’t going to be able to implement a lot of the fixes at the field level.

In April 2009, they went to a product improvement working group at Robbins Air Force Base, Ga., and developed lines of communication with the engineers.

In May 2009, they put together a Dover Dewar Conference at Dover AFB that included two engineers from Robbins AFB, seven engineers from Lockheed Martin, C-5 community maintainers, and people from Parker Hannifin, the manufacturer.

“For two days we had the best and the brightest in one room talking about the system and what we needed to upgrade it,” Haller said .

The new system is putting liquid nitrogen, which is negative 320 degrees, into the Dewar tank. This not only helps with aircraft fires, but also puts a positive pressure on top of the wings and the fuel systems.

The Dewar and fire suppression system works by opening up the valves and letting the nitrogen flow through the plumbing into the non-manned areas of the aircraft. Oxygen is pushed out allowing the nitrogen to put out the fire. Also by placing nitrogen into the fuel itself there is no oxygen so there is less chance of having a fire inside the fuel tank.

What has been developed and improved through the AFSO21 process are re-designed valves, a universal wiring harness, an upgraded FSS control panel, and better seals and plumbing.

The first jet with the upgraded system is on Dover AFB in the isochronal maintenance dock.

“The team’s work has come to fruition and 100 percent of C-5M aircraft are being retrofitted with the new system,” said Chief Master Sgt. Chris Ford, the 512th Maintenance Squadron superintendent.

Ford said the system is an improvement that came about through an enterprising teamwork effort spanning across multiple Air Force and Department of Defense agencies.

“The Dewar system augments the congressionally authorized C-5M Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program modernization program and enables an aged aircraft to operate beyond the year 2040 while simultaneously fostering an increase in C-5 reliability, something that has plagued the aircraft over its 40+ year lifespan,” Ford said



Read more: http://www.defencetalk.com/improvements-extend-c-5-life-47297/#ixzz2PCcLiq6B

Citation :

U.S. F-22 fighters join S. Korea war games



SEOUL, April 1 (UPI) -- Advanced U.S. F-22 stealth jet fighters were poised in South Korea for war games Monday as North Korea said its nuclear-weapons program was non-negotiable.

The U.S. military command in South Korea said it flew the single-seat, twin-engine fighter aircraft, known as the Raptor, to Osan Air Base, 40 miles south of Seoul, from Japan's Kadena Air Base near Okinawa, to showcase its most potent weaponry to North Korea.

The jets -- among the most expensive and advanced in the U.S. Air Force's arsenal -- have never been used in combat, but would likely be the first aircraft used in a conflict with North Korea, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The super-maneuverable fighters -- which can evade radar and air-defense systems -- could be sent in to take out air-defense missiles and radars before bombers target missile launch sites or other targets, the newspaper said.

They also could be used to escort nuclear-capable B-2 stealth bombers if those jet fighters, designed to penetrate dense anti-aircraft defenses, are used in a strike, it said.

Use of the F-22 in the military training exercises shows that "despite challenges with fiscal constraints," U.S. forces "are battle-ready and trained to employ air power to deter aggression, defend [South Korea] and defeat any attack against the alliance," the U.S. military command said in a statement.

North Korea "will achieve nothing by threats or provocations, which will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia," the statement said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, meanwhile, was quoted by the official Korean Central News Agency as saying he was unfazed by U.S. threats.

"The enemies are using both blackmail, telling us that we cannot achieve economic development unless we give up nuclear weapons, and appeasement, saying that they will help us live well if we choose a different path," Kim was quoted as saying Sunday during the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party.

But North Korea must expand its nuclear arsenal both "in quality and quantity, as long as the United States' nuclear threat continues," he said.

He said his country's nuclear weapons were "neither a political bargaining chip nor a thing for economic dealings."

President Barack Obama and National Security Adviser Thomas E. Donilon have urged Kim to learn from Myanmar, where political changes have led to billions in debt forgiveness, sweeping development assistance and a an influx of foreign investment.

They said North Korea would face more sanctions and deeper isolation if it continues on its current path.

http://www.upi.com

annabi,de grace pas de pics-timbres ici,on veille a ce que ca soit en bon format.
p.s: les 2 petites sont deja postés en grand

Citation :

A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet, center, lands on the runway during a military exercise at the Osan U.S. Air Base in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, April 2, 2013. (AP Photo/Bae Jung-hyun, Yonhap)

Citation :

A-10 fires its first laser-guided rocket


4/3/2013 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- The 40th Flight Test Squadron completed another first in February when an A-10 Thunderbolt II fired a guided rocket that impacted only inches away from its intended target.

The 2.75 diameter, 35-pound, laser-guided rocket is known as the fixed-wing Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II. Before the Thunderbolt test, the rocket had proved effective in Afghanistan combat operations when fired from Marine helicopters.

"Rockets are a staple close-air support weapon, but their weakness has always been their poor accuracy when shot at range," said Maj. Travis Burton, the 40th FTS A-10 pilot who performed the APKWS tests. "In improving rocket accuracy by several orders of magnitude, the APKWS makes the rocket a better weapon for today's low intensity conflicts, where minimizing collateral damage is a top priority."

The test squadron performed three sorties to demonstrate the capability and ensure the rocket could be fired safely from a fixed wing aircraft - a test that had never been accomplished before.

The first sortie tested whether aircraft flight would be impacted by carrying the rocket and launcher. During the second sortie, the A-10 fired an unguided inert rocket to ensure the weapon would separate from the aircraft without any issues. For the final sortie, two armed, guided rockets were fired at a surface target at altitudes of 10,000 and 15,000 feet. The last APKWS shot was fired into a 70-knot headwind and impacted the target within the two-meter requirement specifications.

"The 70-knot headwind didn't allow us to accomplish the second guided shot using the planned delivery parameters, so the test team (myself, the chase pilot, the controllers and engineers) worked real-time to adjust those parameters in a manner that would still accomplish the test objective," Burton said. "In any scenario other than test, we would have adjusted the run-in direction to change the headwind to tailwind, or a crosswind."

Both shots were considered successful, but the accuracy of the APKWS made a real impression on the project manager, Joe Stromsness.

"We watched real-time video of the test at the central control facility when the rocket hit within inches of the laser spot," he said. "Everyone was ecstatic and high-fived each other. Many hours of work from the Navy, Air Force and the BAE contractor team went into the success of this test. This was a major milestone in moving forward to the next phase. "

With the developmental test stage completed, the project will move to operational testing at China Lake Test Range, Calif., with the Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command Test Center. In May, Air Force pilots will fire 22 APKWSs from the A-10 and F-16 Fighting Falcon at both moving and stationary targets.

With another positive outcome in May, Stromsness sees huge potential for the APKWS.

"This is a lighter weapon with a smaller warhead that can potentially minimize collateral damage," he said. "We've added precision guidance; and based on our tests, we're within inches of the intended target. We don't have a precision weapon out there now that can do that."

According to BAE Systems, the weapon's manufacturer, the APKWS is one-third the weight and cost of other precision rockets in the DOD inventory. The aircraft could potentially transport seven rockets per launcher and carry two launchers due to the APKWS's relatively small size and weight.

Burton agrees with Stromsness about APKWS's potential benefit to the warfighter.

"By improving rocket accuracy, the APKWS II gives the pilot the capability to achieve the desired weapons effect with a single rocket," Burton said. "Not only does this increase the lethality of any aircraft carrying rockets on a given day, it also allows the aircraft to do so at a greater range. This keeps the aircraft farther away from the surface-to-air threats typically found in a target area."

Moving the APKWS to a fixed-wing aircraft began as an urgent operational need project for the Navy and Air Force in 2009. The tasking, called a joint concept technology demonstration, was to take the rotary-wing version of the rocket and modify it for fast-moving aircraft. The goal for the Air Force was to demonstrate it on the A-10 and the F-16 if possible, according to Stromsness. The Navy would test it on the AV-8B Harrier II and F/A-18 Hornet.

Eglin AFB's 96th Seek Eagle office worked with the APKWS team to obtain flight clearance for both aircraft so the developmental testing could begin.

An initial hurdle Stromsness and the test team discovered was the guidance section added 18 inches to the rocket. This addition caused it to be too long for the standard LAU-131 launcher. The Navy already had a modified launcher to fit the increased length of the rocket, so Stromsness brought those in to perform the tests.

"The great thing about the modified launchers is they can fire the guided and unguided rockets with no problems," Stromsness said. "If this project moves forward and becomes operational, the better modified launchers will replace the legacy ones on an attrition basis."

More Air Force testing and assessment will take place throughout 2013. The Navy is just behind the Air Force, successfully firing two APKWSs from an AV-8B, March 27. Once testing is complete, U.S. Central Command will submit a final report and endorsement to the Air Force and Navy program offices. According to Stromsness, if all goes smoothly, the APKWS could be ready for operational use by 2015.

www.af.mi

Citation :

US Air Force Grounds Combat Aircraft Due to Budget Cuts

WASHINGTON, April 9 (RIA Novosti) – The US Air Force has begun curtailing operations of about one-third of the active-duty combat aircraft following recent budget cuts, the Air Combat Command (ACC) said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The stand down is the result of cuts to Air Combat Command's operations and maintenance account, which must be implemented in part by flying approximately 45,000 fewer training hours between now and October 1,” the statement said.

The move affects aircraft assigned to fighter, bomber, aggressor and airborne warning and control squadrons stationed in the United States, Europe and the Pacific.

"Units will stand down on a rotating basis so our limited resources can be focused on fulfilling critical missions," said Gen. Mike Hostage, the ACC commander.

The Air Force's budget for the fiscal year ending in October has been reduced by $591 million as part of the series of deficit reduction measures that took effect on March 1 after the US politicians failed to agree an alternative to sweeping federal budget
cuts totaling $85 billion this year.

"The current situation means we're accepting the risk that combat airpower may not be ready to respond immediately to new contingencies as they occur," Gen. Hostage warned.

According to the statement, on average aircrews lose currency to fly combat missions within 90 to 120 days of not flying and it generally takes 60 to 90 days to conduct the training needed to return aircrews to mission-ready status.

RIAN

un avertissement a peine voilé aux politiciens surtout au pacifique c´est pas evident en ces temps ci

Citation :

KC-46 progress on track
By Air Force News Agency on Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
The top acquisition priority in the Air Force – acquiring a new aerial refueling capability – is proceeding “on track,” Maj. Gen. John Thompson, the program executive officer for Tankers, said.

Two years and several key milestones after the contract was awarded, a great deal of progress has been made. The preliminary design review completed last year ensured the basic design would meet the key performance parameters required by the Air Force. Now, the program is steaming toward the completion of the critical design review later this year setting the stage to build and fly the first KC-46A Tanker in 2015.

Initial concerns that sequestration could force a contract renegotiation appear to be allayed based on increased flexibility afforded by the recent continuing resolution.

“There is no final assessment yet, but it appears positive,” Thompson said.

The Air Force contracted with Boeing in February 2011 to acquire 179 KC-46 tankers to begin recapitalizing the KC-135 Stratotanker fleet. The initial delivery target is for 18 tankers by 2017. Production will then ramp up to deliver all 179 tankers by 2028.

“When the final KC-46s are delivered in 2028, they will replace KC-135s that are on the order of 80 years old,” Thompson said, emphasizing the criticality of meeting program milestones.

The KC-46 contract has been widely cited as a model for future programs. Characterized as “fair to both parties” by Thompson, financial risk for the Air Force is limited to $4.9 billion for the development program, which includes the initial four aircraft.

The general is quick to add that Boeing has the contract, which is “worth about $32 billion in then-year dollars, goes from about two years ago out into the 2020s and is something that they will be able to leverage into a very important weapon system for the U.S. Air Force for decades to come. Absolutely, it is a win-win.”

The KC-46 is a commercial derivative based on the Boeing 767-200, said Col. Shaun Morris, the KC-46 System program manager. When a new 767-2C is completed in the Boeing factory in Everett, Wash., it will be flown to Boeing facility in Puget Sound to complete the military modification that turns it into a KC-46.

The aircraft brings a wide range of new capabilities to the warfighter. It is 15 to 20 percent larger than the KC-135 and can carry 58 passengers, 54 aeromedical patients and 18 cargo pallets — all substantially more than the legacy aircraft. Performance is also improved with the ability to perform boom and drogue refueling operations on the same sortie, though not simultaneously, using the 1200 gallon-per-minute fly-by-wire centerline boom or the 400 gallon-per-minute centerline drogue system. In addition, the KC-46 can be equipped with two 400 gallon-per-minute wing air refueling pods which can be used to refuel two aircraft simultaneously.

The new tanker will be fully capable of day and night operations and also be a receiver itself meaning it can be refueled in flight, which will improve loiter time — all important characteristics offering increased flexibility for mission planners.

Inside the digital glass cockpit, pilots will find complete flight and weather data on 15-inch displays. Immediately behind at the boom operator station, 24-inch displays will offer a three-dimensional view just below multiple monitors that show a panoramic 185-degree field of view. Pilots will also be able to bring up refueling operations on cockpit displays.

On the near horizon, the program office is looking to award a contract for the Aircrew Training System, which includes a KC-46 simulator. In 2014, the program office, in concert with Air Mobility Command officials, will begin serious initial requirements work on the second phase, known as KC-Y, of the three-phase program to replace more of the aging tanker fleet.



Read more: http://www.defencetalk.com/kc-46-progress-on-track-47423/#ixzz2Q3Vl3yuM

Yakuza a écrit:

annabi,de grace pas de pics-timbres ici,on veille a ce que ca soit en bon format.
p.s: les 2 petites sont deja postés en grand

ok yak je veillerai