DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First East Coast Flight of X-47B Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First East Coast Flight of X-47B Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 31, 2012: The first Pax River flight of the X-47B UCAS validated the performance of the aircraft demonstrated during its initial flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base. 

It also proved that the U.S. Navy/Northrop Grumman team has successfully implemented the command and control structure required to operate the X-47B safely from Pax River.

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-defense-news-northrop-grumman.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First East Coast Flight of X-47B Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Conduct First East Coast Flight of X-47B Autonomous Unmanned Aircraft

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 31, 2012: The U.S. Navy/Northrop Grumman-developed X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System made its debut flight from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., on Sunday, July 29.

The 36-minute flight marks the first time an autonomous, carrier-capable unmanned system has flown at Pax River. The flight is also a major milestone on the path to beginning carrier suitability testing this fall.

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-defense-news-northrop-grumman.html

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing P-8I Begins Flight Test Program / Boeing P-8I Aircraft For India Successfully Tested

DTN News - INDIA DEFENSE NEWS: Boeing P-8I Begins Flight Test Program /  Boeing P-8I Aircraft For India Successfully Tested

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 11, 2012: Boeing's [NYSE: BA] first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy began its official flight test program July 7, taking off from Boeing Field in Seattle at 9:15 a.m. and landing three hours and 49 minutes later after demonstrating flying qualities and handling characteristics. The flight went as planned with all test objectives met.

The P-8I is one of eight long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft Boeing is building for India as part of a contract awarded in January 2009. During the coming months, Boeing test pilots will put the P-8I, a Next-Generation 737-800 derivative, through its paces over a U.S. Navy test range west of Neah Bay, Wash., and a joint U.S./Canadian test range in the Strait of Georgia.

"Today's flight is another on-time milestone for the program," said Leland Wight, Boeing P-8I program manager. "We'll start out testing the P-8I's mission system, which includes its sensors and communication systems. The team then will transition to 'stores' tests during which the P-8I will carry inert weapon shapes under its wings to demonstrate that the aircraft is capable of carrying all the weapons the Indian Navy will use during regular missions."

The stores the P-8I will carry will have the identical shape and size of real weapons, including the Harpoon anti-ship missile, depth bombs and torpedoes.

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-india-defense-news-boeing-p-8i.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: India-Built Sub-Assembly On US Navy's Combat Planes

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: India-Built Sub-Assembly On US Navy's Combat Planes

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 1, 2012:  An India-built electronic sub-assembly will be part of the US Navy's combat planes, a statement said Wednesday as Indian companies step up efforts to be part of the global defence supply chain.

The sub-assembly provides the cockpit flood lighting compatible with the aircraft's night vision imaging system (NVIS).

American aerospace major Boeing has delivered the first EA-18G Growler aircraft fitted with a cockpit sub-assembly produced by Indian public sector defence electronics major Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to the US Navy on May 3, a statement from the firm said.

Boeing has also extended a contract signed with BEL for another year for supplying the sub-assembly for Boeing military planes.

Boeing had awarded BEL an initial contract in March 2011 for work on F/A-18 Super Hornet combat plane cockpit sub-assemblies.

That contract included options to renew annually for up to four years. "As a result of BEL's demonstrated performance, Boeing recently exercised an option to renew the contract for another year," it said.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/06/dtn-news-defense-news-india-built-sub.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program Remains The Centerpiece Of Future Tactical Aviation

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program Remains The Centerpiece Of Future Tactical Aviation

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 10, 2012: Senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy affirmed yesterday that the F-35 joint strike fighter remains the centerpiece of the tactical aircraft program and will play a large part in the services’ ongoing modernization plans.

Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, F-35 Lightning II program executive officer, told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s airland subcommittee that the F-35’s basic engine designs were deemed sound and deliverable after a battery of tests and observations over the past year.

“While there is still risk in the program, it is risk-balanced,” Venlet said. “I have confidence in the resilience of the plan to absorb further learning discovery and stay on track.”

Still, Venlet said, the program will “not execute itself,” and will require resources, tools and processes to enable disciplined decisions on development and incremental capability delivery. (Read complete strory on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/05/dtn-news-defense-news-f-35-lightning-ii.html

DTN News - PENTAGON NEWS: Panetta Hosts Chinese Minister Of National Defense At Pentagon

DTN News - PENTAGON NEWS: Panetta Hosts Chinese Minister Of National Defense At Pentagon

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 9, 2012: U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta hosts an honor cordon to welcome Chinese Minister of National Defense Gen. Liang Guanglie to the Pentagon, May 7, 2012. 

Liang has been visiting U.S. military bases and meeting with U.S. military leaders to discuss U.S.-Chinese cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

 

DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley. 

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Iran Warns Deployment Of F-22s In UAE Is Harmful And Destabilizing Regional Security

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Iran Warns Deployment Of F-22s In UAE Is Harmful And Destabilizing Regional Security


(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 1, 2012: Iran's Defence Minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, has warned that the basing of the US F-22 Raptor strike aircraft in the United Arab Emirates is "detrimental to regional security."


According to the FARS news agency Vahidi said today that "The deployment of F-22 fighters in a base in the UAE is a harmful move and undermines the security of the region.      


"We consider such (military) presence in the region as to be useless and harmful and more aimed at creating a psychological ploy and an insecure atmosphere in the region. We don't see it useful" Vahidi told Al Alam TV network, according to FARS.


Vahidi said that guaranteeing security in region is possible only through cooperation among all the regional states. 


The comments by the Iranian minister came after media reports revealed that the US has recently deployed its F-22 Raptors at the UAE Al Dafra Air Base.
In a comment, FARS said that Iranian officials have always cautioned about the devastating consequences of tension in the region, and called on certain regional states to be "watchful of the plots of some aliens who seek to stir tension in this sensitive region."


It said: "Tehran believes that deployment of trans-regional powers in the region impairs security and is a source of tension in the region, reiterating that regional peace and security will be established if all the regional countries grow united and stage all-out cooperation."


http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/05/dtn-news-defense-news-iran-warns.html

DTN News - MALABAR 2012: Delhi Scales Down US War Games - Air force Request To Join Exercise With American Navy Turned Down

DTN News - MALABAR 2012: Delhi Scales Down US War Games - Air force Request To Join Exercise With American Navy Turned Down

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 29, 2012: The Centre recently turned down an air force request to participate in the war games with the US navy in the Bay of Bengal that concluded last week.

The seven-day Malabar 2012 exercise involved the American and Indian navies.

The Centre’s move followed a quiet policy decision in the defence ministry to scale down — but not stop — the friendly military engagements with the US armed forces, which have gathered pace and increased in complexity over the past decade.

The defence ministry is wary of the “hype” that the US builds around joint military exercises with India.

Among the most important of the war games that the Indian and US forces conduct is the Malabar series involving the two navies. An air force component is integral to the exercises because the US deploys a carrier battle group.

The Malabar exercise in 2007 in the Bay of Bengal involved the armed forces of five countries and was easily the largest international war games that India has hosted. The exercise involved three aircraft carriers and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

That drill irritated the Chinese so much that Beijing asked New Delhi if it was forging a military alliance against it.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dtn-news-malabar-2012-delhi-scales-down.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman Upgrade Fire Scout Unmanned Helicopter For U.S. Navy

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Northrop Grumman Upgrade Fire Scout Unmanned Helicopter For U.S. Navy

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 25, 2012: The U.S. Navy has selected Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) to produce the next-generation Fire Scout unmanned helicopter using the Bell 407 airframe. The new variant provides greater range, endurance and payload capacity to ship commander's intelligence-gathering efforts.

According to a U.S. Department of Defense news release on contract awards released April 23, the company will produce a total of eight Fire Scouts within an amount not to exceed $262 million. The Navy plans to purchase a total of 28 aircraft under a rapid development effort.

The Fire Scout endurance upgrade has been designated as the MQ-8C.

"Through our company-funded Fire-X demonstration effort we proved that using the mature unmanned systems architecture developed for the MQ-8B Fire Scout paired with the Bell 407 helicopter would provide greater capability efficiently and affordably," said Duke Dufresne, vice president and general manager for unmanned systems. "By using systems that have many years of development already invested in them we can meet the Navy's needs quickly."

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the MQ-8C program. Major suppliers for new variant include Bell Helicopter and Rolls Royce.

Final assembly of the new Fire Scout variant will be completed at Northrop Grumman's Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dtn-news-defense-news-northrop-grumman.html