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USAF to issue contract to Sikorsky for rescue helicopter


The US Air Force's combat rescue helicopter programme is moving forward.

The service announces on 4 March that it intends to issue a contract by the end of June to Sikorsky for the 14-year, $7 billion programme, which calls for up to 112 aircraft.

Sikorsky, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, was the only company to bid on the project with its proposed CRH-60, a modified version of its UH-60M Black Hawk.



Rendering of Sikorsky's CRH-60 combat rescue helicopter. Sikorsky.

The USAF says it will move $430 million from other programmes to the CRH programme though fiscal year 2019 due to "the criticality" of the combat rescue mission.

The project also received an injection of more than $300 million in the fiscal year 2014 budget.

The service warns, however, that the programme may need to be "reevaluated" should additional defense budget cuts take effect in fiscal year 2016.

"The competitive price and the funding provided by Congress will allow us to award the CRH contract, but we could still face significant challenges to keeping this effort on track," says USAF secretary Deborah Lee James in a statement. "We will need to work with Congress throughout 2015 budget deliberations."

The CRH is intended to replace the USAF's aging HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, which are also a Sikorsky product.

"Sikorsky and our teammate Lockheed Martin thank the USAF for enabling us to build a modern and affordable combat rescue helicopter that will replace the service’s rapidly aging HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet," says Sikorsky in a statement. "We look forward to working with the USAF to deliver CRH-60 aircraft in the prescribed timeframe."

http://www.flightglobal.com

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StandardAero to upgrade USAF's C-130H T-56-A-15 engines

The United States Air Force has awarded StandardAero a contract to upgrade Rolls-Royce T56-A-15 engines powering its fleet of C-130H aircraft. The upgrade involves the overhaul and repair of engine compressor and turbine modules and the installation of the Series 3.5 engine upgrade hardware.





http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

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Goldfein Emerges in Lead for US Air Force Chief Spot
Aaron Mehta, Defense News 7 p.m. EDT April 13, 2016


WASHINGTON — There is a growing sense that the next Air Force Chief of Staff will be Gen. David Goldfein, currently the Air Force Vice Chief.

A pair of sources with knowledge of the situation tell Defense News that Goldfein appears to be in pole position to replace Gen. Mark Welsh, who will retire come July 1. One source said the Pentagon’s recommendation has been delivered to the White House for consideration, but both sources cautioned that nothing is finalized until President Barack Obama signs off on the final choice.

As first reported by Air Force Magazine on Wednesday night, Goldfein’s combat experience appears to be a deciding factor. He has extensive experience in the Middle East and the Balkans.

If confirmed, Chief of Staff would represent the third job held by Goldfein in the last calendar year. He spent two years as the director of the Joint Staff until August 2015, when he was officially named Vice Chief. An F-16 pilot, Goldfein was famously shot down while flying over Serbia in 1999.


The support for Goldfein amongst Pentagon watchers grew rapidly, after months of rising and falling stocks for other candidates.

In 2015, there was significant churn around Gen. Lori Robinson, who was seen as a favorite of Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. Seen as a rising star in the Air Force, Robinson shot through the ranks, adding a star a year from 2012 through 2014. However, in March Robinson was named as the new head of US Northern Command, a joint position that removed her from the running for Chief.

Speculation had also swirled around Gen. Darren McDew, who heads US Transportation Command and would have the opportunity to make history as the first African-American chief for the service. However, the wind around McDew seems to have quieted in recent months.


Instead, the momentum seemed to have formed behind Gen. John Hyten, the head of US Space Command, which would represent a dramatic cultural shift for the service given that he lacks piloting experience, often seen as a cultural prerequisite to lead the Air Force. However, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has shown a propensity for choosing out-of-the-box nominees in his choice for both Army and Navy leadership, and has emphasized the importance of space and cyber operations during his term as Secretary.

If Hyten indeed misses out on his chance to be the Chief, he would be a logical fit to replace Adm. Cecil Haney as head of US Strategic Command. Haney has been in place since Nov. 2013.

Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, the head of Air Combat Command, was seen as the most traditional nominee to take over as Chief. However, he never truly seemed to have develop tangible support for the job, and seems to have lost out to Goldfein as the fighter pilot nominee. As a result, he will likely retire out when his term is done.

Email: amehta@defensenews.com
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/air-force/2016/04/13/goldfein-emerges-lead-usaf-chief-spot/82993884/

Citation :

DARPA spaceplane enters Phase 2 development

Anika Torruella, Washington DC - IHS Jane's International Defence Review
13 April 2016



The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced on 7 April that it has commenced the next phase of its experimental spaceplane (XS-1) programme, which seeks to design and manufacture an unmanned fixed-wing spacecraft capable of on-demand, routine and recurring access to space.

Phase 2 will include final design, fabrication, and integration assembly and testing of a prototype. In Phase 1 DARPA awarded prime contracts to Boeing (working with Blue Origin, LLC), Masten Space Systems (working with XCOR Aerospace), and Northrop Grumman Corporation (working with Virgin Galactic) to "evaluate technical feasibility and methods". Phase 3 will include flight test campaigns that incorporate propulsion systems which will be flight ready by fiscal year 2020.

According to DARPA, the XS-1 is envisioned to employ "structures made of advanced materials, cryogenic tanks, durable thermal protection, and modular subsystems" and a reusable, reliable, unmanned propulsion or booster vehicle. The booster vehicle would launch, fly to hypersonic speeds at a suborbital altitude, "where one or more expendable upper stages would separate, boost, and deploy satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO)", then return to earth for another flight with rapid turnaround.

The programme has four primary technical goals. The craft must fly 10 times in a 10-day period (not including weather, range and emergency delays), demonstrate aircraft-like access to space, and eliminate concerns about the reliability of reusable launches; achieve flight velocity sufficiently high to enable the use of a small expendable upper stage; insert a representative payload of 408 kg to 680 kg to orbit with the goal that the same vehicle could eventually insert future 1360 kg or greater payloads by using a larger expendable upper stage; and finally, reduce the cost of access to space with a goal of approximately USD5 million per flight for the




http://www.janes.com/article/59511/darpa-spaceplane-enters-phase-2-development

Citation :

Feinstein Takes Aim at Nuclear Cruise Missile Funding
Aaron Mehta, Defense News 10:09 a.m. EDT April 14, 2016




WASHINGTON — Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Wednesday she would seek to block funding for the Air Force’s new nuclear-capable cruise missile program.

The ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on energy and water development, which has oversight over Department of Energy nuclear weapons funding, said she believes the long range standoff (LRSO) cruise missile "is affordable, and may well be unnecessary."

"Spending on this weapon, and the warhead, would crowd out other funding for higher national security priorities," she added.

If Democrats regain control of the Senate in November, Feinstein could find herself in charge of the subcommittee — where should would be in a strong position to strangle funding for the LRSO. A spokesman for the senator later confirmed that Feinstein will seek to block funding for the weapon, which could cost in the realm of $20-30 billion to develop and produce.

The LRSO program aims to replace the air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) program with 1,000 to 1,100 cruise missiles that represent the Air Force’s standoff nuclear delivery capability. The ALCM is set to expire around 2030.

The Pentagon has defended the need for the weapon as part of its strategic nuclear posture. The Pentagon plans to spend in the realm of $350 billion over the next decade to modernize its nuclear arsenal.

While department officials have stated the LRSO is a vital part of that strategic deterrent, those in the nonproliferation community have taken aim at the LRSO as a potential cut, citing its similarity to the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) non-nuclear cruise missile.

Feinstein echoed that argument Wednesday, saying: "We have non-nuclear options, which can achieve the same objectives, and that's my deep belief. So we need that discussion in this country, about the role of nuclear weapons in the nation's defense."

She also thanked Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chairman of the energy and water development subcommittee, for being open to holding a hearing specifically to debate the merits of the LRSO.

"You have been good enough to say we will have a hearing, we will have a full hearing, where the public can hear the pros and the cons of a nuclear standoff cruise missile," Feinstein told her colleague.




http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/strike/2016/04/14/feinstein-lrso-nuclear-cruise-missile-alcm-replacement/83003490/

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Quatre F-22 Raptor pour commémorer le centenaire de la création de l’escadrille La FayettePosté dans Forces aériennes par Laurent Lagneau Le 15-04-2016



Entrée dans l’ordre de bataille de l’armée française le 21 mars 1916, l’escadrille La Fayette sera déployée à Luxeuil, avec ses pilotes américains (placés sous le commandement du capitaine Georges Thenault) ses Nieuport XI un mois plus tard, avec la mission de protéger les bombardiers français. Pour rappel, les États-Unis entreront officiellement en guerre un an plus tard.

Pour commémorer le centenaire de la création de cette unité, une cérémonie sera organisée le 20 avril prochain, au mémorial de l’Escadrille La Fayette à Marne-La-Coquette, en présence de Jean-Marc Todeschini, le secrétaire d’État chargé des Anciens combattants et de la Mémoire, et de Jane D. Hartley, Mme l’ambassadeur des États-Unis en France.

Mais ce centenaire sera une occasion unique de voir voler, en France, quatre F-22 Raptor, l’avion le plus moderne de l’US Air Force. Ces appareils sont arrivés le 11 avril dernier au Royaume-Uni. Il s’agit de leur second déploiement en Europe en moins d’un an.

À noter que les traditions de cette escadrille perdurent encore aujourd’hui au sein de l’Escadron de Chasse 2/4 La Fayette et du 94th Fighter Squadron de l’US Air Force, qui, basé à Langley (Virginie), est doté de F-22 Raptor. Seulement, les avions de ce type qui ont été envoyés au Royaume-Uni appartiennent au 95th Fighter Squadron, de la base de Tyndall, en Floride.

Outre ces 4 F-22 Raptor, le défilé aérien mobilisera 3 Mirage 2000N (dont un arborera une superbe tête de Sioux sur la dérive) et un Rafale du 2/4 La Fayette. Un bombardier stratégique B-52 Stratofortress est également au programme, ainsi qu’un biplan dont le modèle n’a pas été précisé (un « bébé Nieuport »?). Deux vagues sont prévues : l’une à 11h10 et l’autre à 12h25. Les spotters ne devront pas être en retard…

Enfin, deux vétérans des Tuskegee Airmen, un groupe de pilotes afro-américains qui se distingua lors de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale au sein du 332nd Fighter Group, seront présents, de même que John Yellow Bird Steele, le président des tribus Sioux Oglala.


En savoir plus sur http://www.opex360.com/2016/04/15/quatre-f-22-raptor-pour-le-commemorer-le-centenaire-de-la-creation-de-lescadrille-la-fayette/#AkjGSiEMFvcRHxDy.99

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Hyten Defends Air Force Cost Estimate To End Reliance on Russian Rocket Engine
Lara Seligman, Defense News 7:53 p.m. EDT April 14, 2016



COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A day after the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee accused the US Air Force of misrepresenting the cost to end reliance on Russian rocket engines for military space launch, the chief of Air Force Space Command defended the service’s position.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., cited a $3.5 billion discrepancy between two separate cost estimates Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James provided to Congress for transitioning off the Russian RD-180, which powers United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V launch vehicle.

Replacing the Atlas V with a combination of ULA’s Delta IV heavy launch system and SpaceX’s newly-certified Falcon 9 could cost as much as $5 billion, James recently testified before the committee.

By contrast, James told the committee shortly before the hearing that splitting future launches between the two domestic vehicles would cost roughly $1.5 billion, McCain said in a Wednesday letter to the secretary.

But it is impossible to accurately predict the cost of launch vehicles by the end of the decade, the point at which McCain wants the Air Force to stop using the RD-180, Air Force Space Command chief Gen. John Hyten said Thursday during the Space Foundation’s annual National Space Symposium.

The Delta IV is much more expensive than the Atlas V — on that point Congress and the Air Force generally agree. But exactly how much more the Delta IV will cost in 2020 is difficult to calculate, Hyten said. It all depends on what assumptions the Air Force makes about the state of the launch industry in the next decade.

“The reason I don’t know how expensive that’s going to be is because I cant tell you what the industry is going to be in 2020, I can’t tell you what ULA’s business case is going to be in 2020,” Hyten said during a media briefing. “I can make certain assumptions that make the Delta IV very attractive, and I can make certain assumptions that make the Delta IV unbelievably expensive — it’s all based on the assumptions that you make of what you think the world is going to be like in 2020.”

The Air Force has consistently said the most cost-effective way to bridge the gap between now and 2019 when a domestic launch vehicle becomes available is to continue to use the RD-180, Hyten said.

“I don’t like giving the Russians one dollar on anything, I just don’t like that but we have to maintain assured access to space and we have to be very smart about how we use the taxpayers dollars,” Hyten said.



http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/show-daily/space-symposium/2016/04/14/hyten-defends-air-force-cost-estimate-end-reliance-russian-rocket-engine/83052630/

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USAF picks up C-130 winglet trials after Lockheed Martin abandoned them

Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's International Defence Review
20 April 2016




The US Air Force (USAF) is trialling the use of winglets on its MC-130J Commando II special mission aircraft, three years after Lockheed Martin abandoned the concept for the baseline transport variant.


Engineers from the 413th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida have modified an MC-130J with winglets and performed eight test flights to investigate their effect on fuel efficiency, it was announced on 19 April.

The USAF has not released findings from the experiment.

The USAF trial comes three years after Lockheed Martin abandoned its own efforts to integrate winglets onto the baseline C-130J, saying they had failed to deliver the substantial fuel savings it had hoped for.

Company officials said in 2013 that the technology didn't fit the geometry of the C-130's straight wing. "We have a design, but we have not convinced ourselves through wind tunnel testing that it provides enough economies to warrant the expense of modifying the aircraft," said Jack Crisler, Lockheed Martin's then vice-president for the C-130J programme.

Lockheed Martin had earlier anticipated winglets would cut fuel consumption by between 5% and 7%.

The company also examined the use of fuselage-mounted guide vanes and strakes to cut drag and save fuel. Tests of these on both a legacy C-130H and the C-130J had more positive results, according to Lockheed Martin.

Despite abandoning winglets after the unsuccessful trials, Lockheed Martin said at the time it would revisit the concept should the technology advance to become viable for the C-130.

http://www.janes.com/article/59651/usaf-picks-up-c-130-winglet-trials-after-lockheed-martin-abandoned-them

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House Lawmakers Want Air Force To Consider Buying More B-21 Bombers
Lara Seligman, Defense News 10:12 a.m. EDT April 20, 2016



WASHINGTON — As advocates call on the Pentagon to buy as many as 200 next-generation bombers to counter growing threats, House legislation released this week urged the Air Force to take another look at how many B-21s commanders really need.

Both top military officials and experts outside the Pentagon have recommended the Air Force buy more than the 100 planned Northrop Grumman B-21 bombers to ensure enough aircraft are available to meet combatant commander requirements, according to the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee’s markup of the 2017 defense policy bill, released Tuesday.

The sweet spot is between 174 and 205 B-21s, independent experts told the committee, according to the legislation. Meanwhile, Air Force Global Strike Commander Gen. Robin Rand said the 100-bomber number should be treated as the lower limit of the requirement, lawmakers noted.




http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/2016/04/20/house-lawmakers-want-air-force-consider-buying-more-b-21-bombers/83272706/

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Des élus américains demandent une étude sur la reprise de la production du F-22 Raptor


Posté dans Amériques, Forces aériennes par Laurent Lagneau Le 20-04-2016



À première vue, la décision, prise en 2009, d’arrêter la production de l’avion dit de 5e génération F-22 Raptor pouvait sembler sage. En effet, le coût de cet appareil était alors élevé, au point que le président Obama parla de « gaspillage d’argent inexcusable ». Et cela d’autant plus que certains estimèrent, à l’époque, qu’il appartenait à une autre époque, celle de la Guerre Froide alors qu’il fallait financer le programme F-35 Lightning II.

Seulement, à la lumière des faits récents, ce choix ne s’est pas révélé des plus pertinents. Et, aujourd’hui, des responsables de l’US Air Force rêveraient de disposer davantage de F-22 Raptor.

Les besoins initiaux avaient été évalués à 750 exemplaires. Puis, avec la chute de l’Union soviétique et la fin de la Guerre froide, la cible fut réduite de moitié. Mais finalement, avec la décision prise il y a sept ans, l’US Air Force ne compte qu’un peu plus de 180 unités de cet avion de supériorité aérienne.

Or, avec les tensions géopolitiques actuelles et la modernisation de forces aériennes potentiellement hostiles qui développent, elles aussi, des avions de 5e génération (c’est à dire furtif), l’US Air Force craint de perdre son avantage technologique.

Qui plus est, le F-22 Raptor a connu son baptême du feu en septembre 2014, lors des premiers raids aériens contre l’État islamique (EI ou Daesh) et le groupe Khorasan en Syrie. En outre, quand il est question de prendre des mesures de « réassurance » au profit d’alliés, l’US Air Force fait appel à cet appareil, comme cela fut le cas pour le Japon après le 4e essai nucléaire nord-coréen, ou encore pour les pays baltes et la Pologne.

Actuellement, dans le cadre de ces mêmes mesures de réassurance, 12 F-22 Raptor ont été envoyés au Royaume-Uni en plusieurs vagues.

Aussi, des voix ont demandé, outre-Atlantique, s’il n’était pas opportun de relancer la production de cet appareil, conçu par Lockheed-Martin. Et cela alors que le F-35, appelé à constituer l’épine dorsale de l’aviation américaine, ne pourra pas sortir sans être accompagné de F-22…

En janvier dernier, l’administration Obama a voulu mettre un terme à ce débat. « Un ensemble de circonstances regrettables et de dépassements de budgets ont provoqué la fin anticipée du programme F-22. La ligne de fabrication est maintenant fermée, de sorte que la perspective même de sa réouverture est presque vouée à l’échec », avait en effet expliqué Deborah Lee James, la secrétaire à l’US Air Force.

Pour autant, certains élus du Congrès ne désarment pas. Du moins est-ce le cas de ceux du sous-comité des forces tactiques aériennes et terrestres de la Chambre des Représentants, lesquels ont demandé à l’US Air Force de lui remettre un rapport, d’ici janvier 2017, sur ce qu’il en coûterait de produire 194 du F-22 Raptor supplémentaires.

Techniquement, une relance de la production est possible dans la mesure où Lockheed-Martin a mis ses chaînes d’assemblage ainsi que tout l’outillage nécessaire sous cocon.

Mais financièrement, c’est une toute autre histoire. Du moins si l’on se fie à une étude de la Rand Corporation, qui avait estimé le coût de production de 75 F-22 Raptor à 17 milliards de dollars. Et comme il faut financer le F-35, le futur bombardier stratégique B-21 et les avions ravitailleurs KC-46, cela semble compliqué.

http://www.opex360.com/2016/04/20/des-elus-americains-demandent-etude-sur-la-reprise-de-la-production-du-f-22-raptor/

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Lawmakers Protest Sole-Source Huey Replacement
Lara Seligman, Defense News 8:52 a.m. EDT April 21, 2016


WASHINGTON — As the US Air Force looks to replace the aging Huey helicopters that guard the nation’s nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, a group of lawmakers is protesting the service’s plan to sole-source the contract to one manufacturer.

The Air Force needs a total of 72 aircraft to replace the outdated UH-1Ns that entered service over 40 years ago. Forty-one of those would be equipped for the nuclear mission, while the rest would be used primarily for VIP transport, Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, the service’s military deputy for acquisition, testified recently.

The Air Force has been trying to replace the Hueys since the mid-2000s. But this year, top service officials have stressed a new urgency in fielding the capability, contemplating a strategy that would bypass a competition altogether and instead involve buying Sikorsky’s UH-60 Black Hawks for the mission.

But the rotorcraft industrial base is pushing back. A group of a dozen House lawmakers wrote a letter last week to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, urging him to direct the Air Force to conduct “a fair and open competition.”

“Had the USAF held a competition when the requirement was first identified, those aircraft would be operating today,” according to the letter, from Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., and several other members. “It is our collective view that a terrible precedent would be set if services were allowed to justify sole-source acquisitions by citing a sense of urgency due in part to a failure to properly plan and execute against known requirements. The House Armed Services Committee has been a champion for competition and it should continue to be.”

A sole-source Huey contract award would send the wrong message to the rotorcraft industrial base and could have a “devastating” impact on companies investing in independent risk-reduction and research and development, the lawmakers wrote.






http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/2016/04/21/lawmakers-protest-sole-source-huey-replacement/83326552/

Citation :

Friday, 22 April 2016

Lockheed Martin lands a $116mn contract from USAF for JASSM-ER missiles production

Lockheed Martin received a $116.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for continued production of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER), the US-based defense giant announced Thursday April 21, 2016.








http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

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AIR FAN a ajouté 6 photos.

LES AILES D'HERCULES
L'USAF a expérimenté des winglets sur l'un de ses nouveaux MC-130J Commando II affecté au 413e Flight Test Sqn basé à Eglin AFB.
L'appareil, le SerNo 11-5729 livré en 2013 au 67e SOS de l'USAF a reçu quelques transformations, dont l'ajout de ces winglets destinés à
évaluer l'impact sur la consommation de carburant.Huit vols ont été effectués sous cette configuration, qui n'est pas sans rappeler le
concept testé sur le C-295 d'Airbus.

PHOTOS:

Citation :

Les Etats-Unis s'impliquent d'avantage aux Philippines


Dans Actualité Défense, Actualité Focus
Publié le 25/04/2016 à 11h43, par Guillaume Belan


Un A-10C décolle de la base de Clark aux Philippines © US DoD/USAF


Ils n'en sont vraiment jamais réellement partis, mais la présence américaine s'intensifie de manière importante dans l'archipel des Philippines, sur fond de montée de tensions avec des velléités chinoises de plus en plus pressantes.

Cinq A10-C Thunderbolt II du 51st Fighter Wing d'Osan air base en Corée du Sud et trois hélicoptères HH-60G Pave Hawk du 18th Air Wing, basés normalement au Japon (Kadena Air Base), accompagnés de plus 200 soldats issus de divers endroits du Pacifique, se sont installés aux philippines sur Clark Air base.

Un redéploiement qui fait suite aux annonces philipino-américaines d'un "renforcement de la coopération militaire" entre les deux pays.

Aucune indication sur la durée de ce déploiement n'a été révélée, mais d'ors et déjà, des rotations seraient prévues, pour maintenir ce haut niveau de déploiement dans l'archipel. C'est ainsi un redéploiement des forces américaines du pacifique vers la mer de chine qui se profile. En parallèle, ce 22 avril, les forces américaines ont conduit un vaste exercice militaire avec l'armée des Philippines impliquant deux hélicoptères CH-47 Chinook et 4 UH60 Black Hawk et de nombreux soldats, qui ont simulé une opération amphibie pour la reprise d'une île...

Sur la base de Clark, des P-8 Poséidon de la Navy sont déjà déployés. Les Etats-Unis disposent dorénavant de moyens offensifs conséquents aux Philippines, au plus proche de la mer de Chine méridionale...

http://www.air-cosmos.com/les-etats-unis-s-impliquent-d-avantage-aux-philippines-70575

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F-22 fighter jets are in Romania to keep tabs on Russia's Black Sea antics
Oriana Pawlyk, Air Force Times 4:44 p.m. EDT April 25, 2016



The U.S. sent its most sophisticated aircraft to Romania on Monday for exercises aimed to enhance training with other Europe-based aircraft.

Two F-22 Raptors and approximately 20 supporting airmen from the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, landed at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base along with a KC-135 aircraft from the 916th Air Refueling Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, officials with U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa said.

The largest deployment of the multirole fighter to the continent, officials said, is meant to "bolster the security of NATO allies and partners in Europe" while showcasing its flexibility to fly throughout the region.

The deployment near the Black Sea comes as U.S. commanders re-evaluate the military's role, reach and responsibilities in Europe. Russia's resurgence has forced Washington to rethink troop levels in Europe, eyeing a larger, permanent force that would help deter an unexpected fight against Russian forces.



http://www.defensenews.com/story/military/2016/04/25/f-22s-continue-training-europe-land-romania/83489748/

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U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa

Of the 12 F-22s deployed to England, two of them forward deployed to Romania today. Warning! Cool plane photos ahead. U.S. European Command (EUCOM)

PHOTOS:

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Battle-tested general tapped to be next Air Force chief of staff
Stephen Losey and Phillip Swarts, Air Force Times 5:29 p.m. EDT April 26, 2016




Gen. David Goldfein, a battle-tested command pilot who flew combat missions in the Gulf War, the Afghanistan War, and in NATO's 1999 air war to force the president of the former Yugoslavia to end his campaign of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, has been nominated to be the service's next chief of staff, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

If approved, Goldfein will succeed Gen. Mark Welsh, who is retiring July 1. He has been the Air Force's vice chief of staff since August 2015.

"I'm extremely humbled by the nomination to serve as the Air Force's 21st chief of staff," Goldfein said in an Air Force release. "If confirmed, I pledge to serve our airmen and their families unwaveringly and honor our remarkable heritage and legacy of integrity, service and excellence."

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Welsh also lauded Goldfein's selection in the release.

"Gen. Goldfein possesses the experience and vision needed to address dynamic global challenges and increasing military demand," James said. "He knows how to build and sustain key partnerships, has important warfighting experience, and will exercise the critical judgment required to balance our manpower and resources as we shape tomorrow's Air Force. There is not a better person to lead our airmen into the next century of airpower dominance."

"Dave Goldfein is an airman who epitomizes warrior leadership, and that's exactly what our Air Force deserves," Welsh said. "He connects deeply with airmen, he supports their families relentlessly, and he absolutely recognizes the criticality of our service's mission. Most importantly, he and [his wife] Dawn understand the remarkable privilege they've been afforded in serving the nation."

Goldfein has more than 4,200 hours flying the C and D variants of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, the stealth F-117A Nighthawk and the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper, as well as the T-37, T-38 and MC-12W.

While flying a combat mission over Serbia in 1999, Goldfein was shot down when his F-16 was hit by a surface-air-missile.

Goldfein ejected, and trekked across farm fields, evading enemy patrols until a rescue helicopter was able to pick him up. But as the pararescuemen landed in a field to get him on board, it started to take incoming fire. Five bulletholes were later discovered in the fuselage of that helicopter.

In 2007, he told the El Paso Times that he sends the pararescuemen who rescued him a bottle of Scotch — "single malt, good quality" — every year to show his appreciation.

"We never know when some young airman is going to risk everything to come pull us out," Goldfein told the Times.





http://www.defensenews.com/story/military/2016/04/26/goldfein-nominated-next-chief-staff/83542108/

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Pentagon budget 2017: HASC draft policy bill would stall A-10 retirement

Marina Malenic, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
27 April 2016





The US House Armed Services Committee (HASC) on 26 April released a draft of its fiscal year 2017 (FY 2017) defence policy legislation containing language that would restrict funds for the US Air Force (USAF) to continue retirement of the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft.


If enacted, the bill would prohibit the air force from using FY 2017 funds to retire or store any A-10 aircraft. It also calls on the USAF to maintain a minimum of the heavily armoured platforms designated as primary mission aircraft inventory.

Further, the language also forbids any significant reductions to A-10 manpower levels until the USAF and the Pentagon's chief equipment tester complete comparative tests against the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and brief lawmakers on results. That testing would evaluate each aircraft's ability to conduct close air support (CAS), combat search and rescue, and forward air controller airborne missions.

The USAF unveiled its latest A-10 retirement plan with its FY 2017 budget request and delays final divestment until FY 2022, but would begin some activities in 2017. The USAF postponed A-10 retirement due to its continued need on the battlefield. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said that retirement would be deferred because of the A-10's "devastating" performance against the Islamic State in the Middle East.

http://www.janes.com/article/59820/pentagon-budget-2017-hasc-draft-policy-bill-would-stall-a-10-retirement

Citation :

Fourth KC-46 test aircraft completes initial flight

Marina Malenic, Washington, DC - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
27 April 2016




A fourth and final test aircraft for the US Air Force's (USAF's) Boeing KC-46 Pegasus aerial refuelling tanker programme made its first flight on 25 April, the company announced.

Test pilots performed operational engine checks, flight controls, and environmental systems checks on the 767-2C known as EMD-3 and flew it at a maximum altitude of 39,000 ft prior to landing at Boeing Field, south of Seattle, according to the company. The 767-2C is a KC-46 without the aerial refuelling system installed. EMD-3 will be used to conduct environmental control system testing, including hot day/cold day testing and smoke penetration testing.

EMD-1, the first 767-2C test aircraft, has completed more than 315 flight test hours since its first flight in December 2014, according to Boeing. EMD-2, the first KC-46 tanker, made its first flight in September 2015 and has completed more than 240 flight test hours, including refuelling F-16, F/A-18, and AV-8B aircraft. It also has been refuelled by a KC-10 tanker. EMD-4, the second tanker, first flew in March 2016 and has completed 25 flight hours.

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US F-22 fighter jets land in Lithuania amid Russia tensions
Apr 27, 2016







Two American stealth F-22 fighter jets landed in Lithuania on Wednesday in an apparent show of force, after tensions with Moscow flared this month when a Russian aircraft buzzed an American warship in the Baltic Sea.

The US air force’s most advanced planes landed at the Siauliai air base which currently also hosts Spanish jets from NATO’s air policing mission, created to help small Baltic members protect their borders with Russia.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said the planes’ brief visit from their base in Britain demonstrated US commitment to defend the region, which keeps a wary eye on the Kremlin’s territorial ambitions.

“It is a signal that the alliance is ready and capable to respond to any kind of threats,” she said at the air base, standing in front of Lithuanian, US and NATO flags.

Asked if that was a message to Russia, the outspoken president responded: “Everyone should abstain from sticking his nose into things here.”

Lithuania and other NATO members formerly behind the Iron Curtain have been rattled by Russia’s actions in Ukraine, where it annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 before pro-Moscow separatists began fighting Kiev’s forces in the country’s east.

Earlier this month, Russian warplanes flew within metres of an American missile destroyer in the Baltic Sea in what the United States called a “simulated attack”.

Days later, a US reconnaissance plane was intercepted by a Russian fighter, prompting NATO to accuse Russia’s military of “unprofessional and unsafe behaviour”.

Russia has denied the actions were provocative and blamed NATO for increasing the risk of conflict by building up its troops in eastern European countries.






http://defence-blog.com/news/us-f-22-fighter-jets-land-in-lithuania-amid-russia-tensions.html

Citation :

28-04-2016
Le développement du futur avion-ravitailleur de l’US Air Force cause (encore) des soucis à Boeing
Posté dans Amériques, Forces aériennes, Industrie par Laurent Lagneau Le 28-04-2016




En 2011, le Pentagone sélectionnait l’avion ravitailleur KC-46 Pegasus de Boeing, au dépens de l’A-330 MRTT présenté par Airbus et Northrop-Grumman. Cette décision mettait ainsi un terme à long feuilleton, l’appel d’offres visant à remplacer les KC-135 de l’US Air Force ayant connu une multitudes de rebondissements.

Pour remporter ce contrat, portant sur la livraison de 179 appareils pour environ 35 milliards de dollars, Boeing avait proposé un appareil basé sur le B-767. Seulement, il restait à le mettre au point. Pour cela, le Pentagone avait prévu une enveloppe de 4,4 milliards de dollars. Ce montant pouvait éventuellement être porté à 4,9 milliards. Mais il était hors de question pour l’US Air Force de dépenser un cent de plus.

Or, ce budget ayant été rapidement englouti, Boeing a été contraint, en 2014, de mettre la main à la poche, à hauteur de 425 millions de dollars. Et cela afin revoir le câblage électrique du KC-46, ce dernier ne répondant pas aux normes fixées par l’US Air Force. Du coup, cette histoire a retardé le premier vol d’essai de l’appareil.

Un an plus tard, bis repetita. Mais cette fois avec une somme nettement plus importante, Boeing ayant dû inscrire dans ses comptes une charge de 835 millions de dollars, afin de régler un problème plus sérieux concernant le système de distribution du carburant.

Enfin, le 27 avril, et alors que les premiers test de ravitaillement en vol de son appareil ont été concluants, Boeing a annoncé qu’il fallait encore 243 millions de dollars (avant impôts) pour lui permettre de respecter le calendrier entre la dernière phase des tests de développement et l’entrée en phase de production du KC-46.

« Nous procédons aux investissements nécessaires pour honorer nos engagements envers notre client, livrer le premier avion de série conformément au calendrier et nous préparer à lancer la phase de production », a expliqué Dennis Muilenburg, le patron de Boeing.

Au total, le coût du développement du KC-46 Pegasus a donc atteint les 6,4 milliards de dollars.

Le premier KC-46 Pegasus doit être livré à l’US Air Force en août 2017. Mais une agence du Pentagone, la Defense Contract Management Agency, a dit avoir « peu de confiance dans la capacité de Boeing » à respecter cette date butoir. Un rapport du Governement Accountability Office (GAO) a estimé probable un retard d’au moins 4 mois.

Quoi qu’il en soit, l’activité « Défense » de Boeing, en difficulté depuis quelques années, a redressé la barre, avec une progression de son chiffre d’affaires de 18,6%. Même s’il a perdu le contrat du futur bombardier stratégique de l’US Air Force (au profit de Northrop Grumman), le constructeur américain voit plusieurs opportunités à l’exportation, notamment pour ses avions de combat F-15 et F-18. En outre, son appareil de patrouille P-8 Poseidon lui offre également de bonnes perspectives.




http://www.opex360.com/2016/04/28/le-developpement-du-futur-avion-ravitailleur-de-lus-air-force-cause-encore-des-soucis-boeing/

This Awesome Footage shows U.S. F-22s flying at low altitude through the famous Mach Loop for the first time

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USAF orders Raytheon's next-gen Multi-Spectral Targeting System

The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon a $90 million first-lot production contract for the next-generation Multi-Spectral Targeting System. The AN/DAS-4, the latest variant of the MTS family of sensors, incorporates greater fire control and Target Location Accuracy technology for precise coordinates.








http://worlddefencenews.blogspot.com/

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McSally Wants To Tie A-10 Retirement To F-35 Flyoff
Lara Seligman, Defense News 2:08 p.m. EDT May 2, 2016




WASHINGTON — Rep. Martha McSally is renewing her fight to keep the A-10 out of the boneyard, this time pushing to make retirement of the legacy attack plane contingent on a flyoff with the fifth-generation F-35.

The US Air Force and Congress have been at odds for years over the A-10, with lawmakers repeatedly thwarting the service’s attempts to retire the Warthog. But McSally’s latest move reflects a strategy shift in the effort to keep the A-10 alive, pitting a proven close-air support plane against the controversy-plagued joint strike fighter.

McSally, a retired Air Force colonel with hundreds of hours flying the A-10 in Iraq and Afghanistan, recently spearheaded language in the House’s version of the fiscal 2017 defense policy bill that would tie the service’s A-10 retirement plan to a side-by-side comparison test with the F-35. The legislation still needs to clear a series of hurdles before it becomes law: a House floor vote and a conference with the Senate version of the bill before it faces a vote by the full Congress and the president's signature.

“The official part of our proposal is to actually do a test, not just sit around drinking coffee saying: ‘This is what we think,’ ” McSally, R-Ariz., said in a recent interview. “This is an important part of the official evaluation so that we can have a data-based, assessment-based discussion as to what to do next.”





http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/air-force/2016/05/02/a-10-air-force-f-35-replacement-mcsally-congress/83824780/

Citation :

Xponential 2016: USAF not expecting 'MQ-X', but may seek auto landing tech

Daniel Wasserbly, New Orleans - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
04 May 2016



The US Air Force (USAF) is not currently considering a next-generation replacement for its MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, dubbed MQ-X by some, as too many other major programmes make this unfeasible in the near term, but may soon pursue auto take-off and landing technology.

"The reality of the situation with the budgets and unknown future of [supplemental Overseas Contingency Operations] OCO dollars … that's a real struggle for the air force to plan for anything long term," Colonel Travis Burdine, division chief for remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) operations, said during a 3 May briefing at AUVSI's annual Xponential conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.

"We need to look at a 'new start' for a large weapon system to go for the next unmanned thing," he said, but noted that too many other major platforms are now being procured by the USAF so there is not much appetite for a big new programme.

Rather, he said the service is focused on smaller unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and on upgrading its legacy platforms.

Col Burdine said the USAF is "seriously looking at how we can integrate auto take-off and landing" onto its General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper platforms, which would allow for easier and faster landing operations.