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The F-35 unable to meet South Korea’s fighter competition requirements?

February 8, 2012, 6:22 am
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On Jan. 30, South Korea released a request for proposal for a next generation fighter plane that the ROKAF (Republic of Korea Air Force) is going to procure within the so-called F-X stage III. Given the recent reports (later denied by the company), according to which Boeing has stopped development of the modifications for the [...]
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Italy buys its first three F-35s. With a shocking announcement: “a JSF will cost less than a Eurofighter Typhoon”

February 8, 2012, 8:00 am
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On Feb. 7, 2012, Gen. Claudio Debertolis, head of the agency that is responsible for the procurement of new armaments, has announced that Italy has already ordered the first three Lockheed Martin F-35s. Unit price: 80 million USD. Talking to the lower house’s defense commitee, Debertolis explained that these first planes will cost more than [...]
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Future Drone’s World capital? Sigonella, Italy

February 8, 2012, 3:02 pm
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On Feb. 3, 2012, NATO has finally agreed to implement the AGS (Alliance Ground Surveillance) a project that is based on high-altitude long range UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems), a main operating base and several command and control stations. The cooperative defense project involves 13 nations: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, [...]
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That’s a low level strike: Iranian Air Force F-4 Phantom

February 9, 2012, 6:32 am
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This series of photos found on the internet, shows what appears to be an ultra low level attack on a unknown location probably dating back to at least 20 years ago. The silhouette is clearly that of an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force F-4 Phantom striking Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988). Although [...]
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Tornado fighter bomber very low take off from Malta.

February 9, 2012, 3:17 pm
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On Feb. 8, 2012, Malta celebrated the 20th anniversary since the inauguration of Malta International Airport’s Air Terminal. The event was celebrated with a series of aircraft flybys, including those of a U.S. Navy P-3 Orion and a USMC C-130. Four Italian Tornado IDSs belonging to the 6° Stormo, based at Ghedi, performed two flypasts [...]
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F-15E Strike Eagle that destroyed a flying Iraqi Mi-24 reaches 10,000 logged flying hours. Over Afghanistan.

February 9, 2012, 3:52 pm
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On Jan. 13, 2012, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, the F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 became the only Strike Eagle to have had a successful air-to-air kill and the only F-15 to have logged more than 10,000 hours of flying time. In fact, in Jan. 1993, the same plane piloted by Capt. Tim Bennet and WSO Capt. [...]
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More fancy Nellis’s Aggressors color schemes: “Blizzard” and “Arctic” F-16C

February 10, 2012, 6:21 am
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We have already published some pictures, taken by The Aviationist’s contributor Tony Lovelock at Nellis AFB, Nevada, of the F-15C of the 65th AGRS (Aggressor Squadron) with a new “splinter” camouflage probably inspired to the one of the Su-35S and PAK-FA. Here are more pictures depicting 64th AGRS F-16s taking part to the Red Flag [...]
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Photo: Libyan Air Force Mirage F1 engine run produces backfire

February 10, 2012, 12:19 pm
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The two Libyan Air Force Mirage F1s that  had landed in Malta International Airport on Feb. 21, 2011, after refusing to attack unarmed civilian protesters at Benghazi at the beginning of the uprising that led to the war, are about to return home. The aircraft had taken off from Okba Ben Nafi airbase near Tripoli [...]
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U.S. Stealthy RQ-170 model on display at Tehran in Feb.11 Rallies. With extracted landing gear.

February 11, 2012, 5:36 am
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On Feb.11, a model of the U.S. stealthy RQ-170 drone captured on Dec. 4, 2011, was displayed at Tehran during the pro-government rallies marking the 33rd anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. According to the Fars news agency that has released a very small image taken by the Iranian ralliers, the spy robot [...]
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Iranian indigenous aircraft and micro-drones: Mach 2.5 stealth plane and scale models (with no military significance)

February 11, 2012, 12:17 pm
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It is no secret that the sanctions held against Iran are crippling the influx of military equipment forcing Iran to make its own aircraft to replace ageing U.S. types as the F-4 and the F-14 recently seen escorting the Russian Knights display team. In 2002, the idea of a light weight stealth fighter came to [...]
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USAF to get upgraded Bunker Buster (while developing new tactics to reach buried nuke sites)

February 12, 2012, 2:28 pm
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The U.S. congress has given permission to the $81 million finances to update the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb. The funding is thought to be needed to upgrade the fusing and the tail fins to give the weapon even greater ground penetration. The MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) itself is a 30,000lb weapon that can only be [...]
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Don’t get on a Sukhoi Su-27 without wearing this: Russian (and China’s Air Force) long range underwear

February 13, 2012, 6:00 am
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Long range flights can be extremely critical for combat pilots. What makes these missions particularly uncomfortable is not only the complexity of the navigation but the lack of restrooms. The use of urine collection devices called “piddle packs” in small cockpit compels the pilots to disrobe, adjust the ejection seat and distract them from handling [...]
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Russian strategic bombers, reconnaissance planes and AWACS skirt Japanese islands (and get photographed) during long range patrol flights.

February 13, 2012, 1:28 pm
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On Feb. 8, the Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) had to scramble fighter jets to intercept multiple Russian military planes flying near Japan. Five Russian planes flew over the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan off Hokkaido and the Tohoku region in northeast Japan: two Tu-95 Bear, two Su-24 Fencer (Fencer E according to [...]
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Drones to gain greater freedom in US airspace (and become a safety nightmare)

February 14, 2012, 7:09 am
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The US Congress has approved legislation that will allow drones greater freedom over US airspace. The bill will give guidance to the Federal Aviation Administration over the next 4 years and give it the authority to open up greater areas to UAS (unmanned aerial systems). Worth some $63.4 billion, the bill includes some $11 billion [...]
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Italy has decided: F-35s to be cut by more than 30 percent.

February 15, 2012, 1:05 am
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More technology, less personnel and only 90 F-35s: this is the outcome Italian Defense spending review. On Feb. 15, the long awaited Italian Defense spending review was finally presented to the Parliament by the Minister of Defense Giampaolo Paola. “Long awaited” because the review was supposed to shed some light on the future of the [...]
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Albacete’s NATO Tactical Leadership Program 12-1 photo file

February 15, 2012, 10:00 am
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Since Jul. 2009 Albacete – Los Lanos, in Spain, has become the permanent base of the NATO Tactical Leadership Program, once headquartered at Florennes, Belgium. Through the photographs of The Aviationist’s contributor Tony Lovelock see which aircraft were hosted by the Spanish airport during TLP 2012-1, from Jan. 16 to Feb. 10. Among the participating [...]
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Royal Air Force Hawks visit to Malta, the aircraft spotter’s paradise

February 15, 2012, 3:16 pm
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More less one year after becoming the hub of the various rescue missions that preceded the beginning of the Air War in Libya, Malta is still one of the most interesting airports for enthusiasts and spotters. The airport, that has just celebrated the 20th anniversary of the inauguration with some interesting flybys, is often visited [...]
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F-35 unaffordable? No problem, here’s your Plan B: the (unstealthy) F-16V

February 16, 2012, 6:49 am
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Lockheed Martin took the opportunity to wow the crowds at the Singapore Air Show and unwrapped its latest version of the legendary F-16 Fighting Falcon: the F-16V variant. The upgrades include a new glass cockpit, a new mission computer and data-link architecture, as well as a brand new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. The [...]
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Italy to provide Israeli Air Force with the M-346, an advanced training plane that “already looks on to the F-35″.

February 16, 2012, 9:20 am
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On Feb. 16, Israel’s Ministry of Defense has announced the selection of the Italian M-346 Master as replacement of the ageing Air Force’s fleet of A-4 Skyhawks, used as advanced trainers for combat pilots designated for fighter jets. A deal worth 1 billion USD for 30 M-346s to be delivered from 2014. As pointed out [...]
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Video: inside view of military helicopter crash in Bosnia

February 16, 2012, 2:07 pm
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On Feb. 10, 2012, at 10:45LT a Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces helicopter Mil Mi-8TV-1, crashed near the village of Bukovica Kalinovik, 40 kilometers south of Sarajevo, during a humanitarian mission to deliver food, medicines and fuel. Someone was filming from inside as the helicopter approached the ground (for landing?). Suddenly something happens (01:57 of [...]
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