Military and Aviation News Thread (NO DISCUSSION)

[mvsgas]

What a disastrous couple of months for military aviation... :(

 

From the top of my head, we had 2 F-16s in the US (1 dead), 1 MiG-29, 1 MiG-29KUB, 1 Su-34, 1 Tu-95 (1 dead) and 1 Su-24 (2 dead) in Russia, plus that horrible Indonesian C-130B crash with 141 deaths.

 

It like that every year. Just look into the NTSB and similar websites.

 

We normally hear about it because it not "news" here are several CNN videos on on different events including the F-16 and small airplane collision.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/07/us/south-carolina-aircraft-incident/

Edited July 9, 2015 by mvsgas

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Maybe in the United States, but unless I missed some data the Russian Air Force has had more accidents these past two months than in the whole of 2014 despite having more and larger-scale exercises back then.

[StrongHarm]

Think you have challenges as a virtual DCS pilot?

 

Born without arms, record-setting pilot Jessica Cox

[Yurgon]

Think you have challenges as a virtual DCS pilot?

 

Born without arms, record-setting pilot Jessica Cox

 

Wow. Just wow! :thumbup:

[mvsgas]

Maybe in the United States, but unless I missed some data the Russian Air Force has had more accidents these past two months than in the whole of 2014 despite having more and larger-scale exercises back then.

 

Hard for me to tell. Is this the Russian equivalent to the NTSB?

http://www.favt.ru/favt_new/?q=dejatelnost/bezopasnost_poletov/prikazy_po_aviacionnym_sobytijam

 

It does not look updated, last report from 2012.

 

I think this is the agency in the UK

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/air-accidents-investigation-branch

Edited July 10, 2015 by mvsgas

[karambiatos]

Maybe in the United States, but unless I missed some data the Russian Air Force has had more accidents these past two months than in the whole of 2014 despite having more and larger-scale exercises back then.

Could have they ramped up day to day exercises?

 

And the deficiencies in the aircraft are starting to show?

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Msvegas, I honestly don't know what is the appropriate organization. I keep informed through online news channels and occasionally 1TV, sorry. But if you research Russian Air Force crashes and limit the results to 2014 you will not find many instances. A fun fact is that one of the MiG-29 crashes had the chief of the safety department at the commands, a general nonetheless. Needless to say, the fleet was grounded right after the incident, from which he and the backseater recovered already.

 

Karambiatos, the thing is last year's flying schedules were way tighter and involved much more complex operations and exercises. Plus, while I don't know the model of the Tu-95, Su-24 and one of the MiG-29 which crashed, two of the incidents included a MiG-29KUB and a Su-34. Both are fairly new aircraft. I will be waiting out for the preliminary investigation results, hopefully that should teach us more.

[StrongHarm]

Definitely.. there's been more Russian military activity this year than any since the cold war. There are currently large troop buildups at multiple border points. Putin actually had two flights of nuclear equipped Bears hug the borders of Alaska and California.. at the same instant he was calling Obama to say 'Happy 4th of July'. LOL.. the balls on that guy! I think he wanted to hear 'uh.. Mr. President, we have a situation' in the background while on the phone.. no kidding, it was in the news.

 

Trolling points: 1000.

 

Could have they ramped up day to day exercises?

 

And the deficiencies in the aircraft are starting to show?

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Politics aside (as per rules), activity has still been minimal on the air force's part if compared to last year's endless processions of snap drills. The navy, army and air defence elements are the busiest this year (particularly in the Arctic). Tu-95 activity has always been constant even when the climate is calm, I don't see why these flights are so newsworthy all of a sudden. Tons of good photos exist even back in the Tornado F days of NATO interceptions of Tu-95s, including even Alaskan F-22s.

 

That asides, today everyone is building up troops and making recce, SIGNIT and etc. flights. It's just not considered newsworthy. :)

[StrongHarm]

Thank you for pointing out the rules about politics.. really I mean that, people don't pay enough attention to them sometimes. Would you say however, if we were to be more realistic than politically correct (oops there's that word again), that referring to a politician is not the same as discussing politics?

[NineLine]

Thank you for pointing out the rules about politics.. really I mean that, people don't pay enough attention to them sometimes. Would you say however, if we were to be more realistic than politically correct (oops there's that word again), that referring to a politician is not the same as discussing politics?

 

Back on topic guys.

[karambiatos]

Politics aside (as per rules), activity has still been minimal on the air force's part if compared to last year's endless processions of snap drills.

 

But has there been an increase in day to day flights instead of large exercises, that is what i meant from the begining?

[Lucas_From_Hell]

My impression is that generally speaking there are far less flights including routine operations, but that's hard to check without insider's knowledge.

 

Anyhow, something for the Su-33 fans:

 

Three Su-25UTG aircraft and three Su-33 carrier-based fighters were redeployed from the Severomorsk-3 airfield of the Northern Fleet to the Saki airfield. The training sessions will take several weeks and include 10 flying shifts.

 

After the practice is completed the pilots will return to their deployment site. They will begin preparation for flights to the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.

(Source)

 

 

Good news for the Su-33, hopefully the arrival of the MiG-29K will motivate the VMS to really change its attitude considering the Adm. Kuznetsov's previous sea record.

[taps]

Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber crashes near Khabarovsk

[...]

The crew ejected from the aircraft before the crash

http://rt.com/news/273520-tu95-bomber-crash-russia/

[Python]

I'm sceptical about the numbers, but the Typhoon is getting some aerodynamic modifications to improve manoeuvrability.

 

"When compared to a standard Eurofighter Typhoon lacking the AMK retrofit, the enhanced Typhoon’s angle of attack (AoA) was 45% greater, with faster roll rates around 100% higher."

 

http://tacairnet.com/2015/07/15/improving-the-typhoons-aerodynamics/

[FoxHoundELite]

oh my....o_0

 

http://news.sky.com/story/1519423/missiles-fall-off-raf-combat-plane-as-it-lands

[Yurgon]

Solar Impulse trip delayed by months

 

Despite the hard work of the Solar Impulse team to repair the batteries which overheated in the record breaking oceanic flight from Nagoya to Hawaii, the solar powered airplane of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will stay in Hawaii until early spring 2016.

 

Following the longest and most difficult leg of the round-the-world journey which lasted 5 days and 5 nights (117 hours and 52 minutes), Solar Impulse will undergo maintenance repairs on the batteries due to damages brought about by overheating.

 

 

http://www.solarimpulse.com/leg-8-from-Nagoya-to-Hawaii

 

:(

[Emu]

Eurofighter: Typhoon To Be More Agile, Deadly

 

Airbus, part of the Eurofighter consortium alongside partners BAE Systems and Finmeccanica, said the modifications increased the maximum lift created by the wing by 25 percent, resulting in an increased turn rate, tighter turning radius and improved nose-pointing ability at low speed.

 

Test pilot Raffaele Beltrame said the program had exceeded expectations in some areas.

 

"We saw angle of attack values around 45 percent greater than on the standard aircraft, and roll rates up to 100 percent higher, all leading to increased agility. The handling qualities appeared to be markedly improved, providing more maneuverability, agility and precision," he said.

 

[Yurgon]

Incident: Lufthansa E195 at Warsaw on Jul 20th 2015, near collision with drone

 

A Lufthansa Embraer ERJ-195, registration D-AEBD performing flight LH-1614 from Munich (Germany) to Warsaw (Poland), was on final approach to Warsaw's runway 33 descending through 2500 feet at ILS DME 6.5nm when the crew reported in quite aggravated tone that they had just had a near collision with a drone, definitely a drone, at DME 6.5nm at 2500 feet, the drone passed in about 100 meters distance [...]

 

According to a Lufthansa spokesperson (Link in German), this was the first time a Lufthansa jet had a near-miss with a drone.

[Lucas_From_Hell]

Lockheed Martin to Acquire Sikorsky Aircraft and Conduct Strategic Review of IT and Technical Services Businesses

 

Full LM article here

[StrongHarm]

Full LM article here

 

I wonder if the LM/Sikorsky announcement has anything to do with:

http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/07/22/future-choppers-must-share-more-parts-officials-say/

 

First they put Boeing to shame in the Xplane competition, now they might be aiming for their AH-64 with a multi-service platform based upon current Sikorsky R&D (Comanche?). Not a bad move.

[NRG-Vampire]

pilot-landed-Spitfire-without-WHEELS

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3167226/Incredible-moment-pilot-landed-Spitfire-without-WHEELS-strong-winds-landing-gear-failed-release.html#ixzz3gQ6XfPXA

 

 

 

[Emu]

http://news.thomasnet.com/companystory/gen-3-high-energy-laser-completes-beam-quality-evaluation-20042920

 

HEL System Designed for Land, Sea, and Airborne Platforms

 

SAN DIEGO – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions, today announced that an independent measurement team contracted by the U.S. Government has completed beam quality and power measurements of GA-ASI's Gen 3 High Energy Laser System (HEL) using the Joint Technology Office (JTO) Government Diagnostic System (GDS).

 

"These measurements confirm the exceptional beam quality of the Gen 3 HEL, the next-generation leader in electrically-pumped lasers," said Claudio Pereida, executive vice president, Mission Systems, GA-ASI.

 

The new laser represents the third generation of technology originally developed under the High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System (HELLADS, Gen 1) program. The Gen 3 Laser employs a number of upgrades resulting in improved beam quality, increased electrical to optical efficiency, and reduced size and weight. The recently certified Gen 3 laser assembly is very compact at only 1.3 x 0.4 x 0.5 meters. The system is powered by a compact Lithium-ion battery supply designed to demonstrate a deployable architecture for tactical platforms.

 

The Gen 3 HEL tested is a unit cell for the Tactical Laser Weapon Module (TLWM) currently under development. Featuring a flexible, deployable architecture, the TLWM is designed for use on land, sea, and airborne platforms and will be available in four versions at the 50, 75, 150, and 300 kilowatt laser output levels.

 

The GDS was employed by an independent measurement team to evaluate the beam quality of the Gen 3 system over a range of operating power and run time. According to JTO's Jack Slater, "The system produced the best beam quality from a high energy laser that we have yet measured with the GDS. We were impressed to see that the beam quality remained constant with increasing output power and run-time."

 

With run time limited only by the magazine depth of the battery system, beam quality was constant throughout the entire run at greater than 30 seconds. These measurements confirm that the exceptional beam quality of this new generation of electrically-pumped lasers is maintained above the 50 kilowatt level.

 

Following this evaluation, the independent team will use the GDS again to conduct beam quality measurements of the GA-ASI HELLADS Demonstrator Laser Weapon System (DLWS). The HELLADS DLWS includes a 150 kilowatt class laser with integrated power and thermal management.

 

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., an affiliate of General Atomics, delivers situational awareness by providing remotely piloted aircraft systems, radar, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. The company's Aircraft Systems business unit is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable RPA systems, including Predator® A, Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper®, Gray Eagle®, the new Predator C Avenger®, and Predator XP. It also manufactures a variety of state-of-the-art digital Ground Control Stations (GCS), including the next-generation Advanced Cockpit GCS, and provides pilot training and support services for RPA field operations. The Mission Systems business unit designs, manufactures, and integrates the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar and sophisticated Claw® sensor control and image analysis software into both manned and remotely piloted aircraft. It also focuses on providing integrated sensor payloads and software for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft platforms and develops high energy lasers, electro-optic sensors, and meta-material antennas. For more information, please visit www.ga-asi.com.

 

 

 

General Atomics: Third-Gen Electric Laser Weapon Now Ready | Technology content from Aviation Week

 

While fashions in high-energy lasers have changed as technology progresses, from gas to diode and now fiber, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has stayed its course over more than a decade and believes its third generation of electric laser weapon is ready for prime time.

 

The company has responded to an Office of Naval Research (ONR) solicitation for a 150-kw laser weapon suitable for installation on DDG-51-class destroyers to counter unmanned aircraft and small boats using only ship power and cooling.

 

Under ONR’s Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation program, the weapon is to be demonstrated in 2018 on the USS Paul Foster, a decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer that now serves as the U.S. Navy’s ship-defense test vessel at Port Hueneme in California.

 

GA-ASI has proposed its Gen 3 High-Energy Laser (HEL) system, which recently completed independent beam-quality and power testing for the U.S. government. The Gen 3 system is the third generation of electrically pumped laser using the architecture developed for Darpa’s Hellads program.

 

 

General Atomics’ third-generation tactical laser weapon module is sized to be carried on its Avenger unmanned aircraft. Credit: Graham Warwick/AW&ST

 

 

Under development since 2003, the 150-kw Hellads will be tested this summer at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A smaller, lighter and more efficient Gen 2 system was built and tested in 2010-12 for the Pentagon’s HEL Joint Technology Office (JTO), says Jim Davis, director of laser weapons.

 

Gen 3 has increased electrical-to-optical efficiency, improved beam quality and further reduced size and weight, says GA-ASI. A mockup of the Tactical Laser Weapon Module was displayed for the first time at the Sea-Air-Space show on April 13-15 in Washington.

 

The module includes high-power-density lithium-ion batteries, liquid cooling for the laser and batteries, one or more laser unit cells and optics to clean up and stabilize the beam before it enters the platform-specific beam-director telescope, says Davis.

 

The unit cell is a laser oscillator that produces a single 75-kw beam. Modules can be ganged together to produce a 150- or 300-kw beam. There is no beam-combining, Davis says, as there is in systems that use multiple lower-power fiber lasers.

 

The Pentagon and several other manufacturers have shifted focus to fiber lasers because they are a commercial technology and have higher electrical-to-optical “wallplug” efficiency than diode lasers previously demonstrated at power levels exceeding 100 kw.

 

 

Mockup shows one 75-kw laser unit cell (gold), although the tactical module has room for two, for a 150-kw laser weapon. Credit: Graham Warwick/AW&ST

 

 

But the Gen 3’s efficiency is at the level of fiber lasers, Davis says, adding that the company has worked for several years to improve beam quality and achieved “excellent quality” in the latest tests. Adaptive optics adjust the beam to compensate for atmospheric distortion.

 

In the independent unit-cell tests, beam quality was measured over a range of operating power and run time, which is limited only by the “magazine depth” of the battery system. “Beam quality was constant throughout the entire run of greater than 30 sec.,” says GA-ASI.

 

“Fiber lasers are interesting, but it is a matter of maturity,” says Davis. “We are where fiber may be in five years. We have built several versions of this laser over the last 10 years, and we believe [the Gen 3 system] is affordable as is.”

 

In addition to the ONR program, GA-ASI is eyeing the U.S. Army’s Boeing High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD). Live-fire tests of the HEL MD used a 10-kw industrial fiber laser and the Army intends to upgrade the system to a 60-kw Lockheed Martin fiber laser.

 

The next step is a 120-kw laser, planned for testing in the early 2020s, and for which GA-ASI plans to propose the Gen 3 system. The Air Force Research Laboratory, meanwhile, is interested in a podded laser weapon, although there is no formal program yet.

 

Davis says the Gen 3’s size enables an airborne laser module in the 150-kw range to be carried by GA-ASI’s Avenger unmanned aircraft. The UAV has sufficient onboard power to recharge the module’s batteries in flight. “That’s the utility; you don’t need to go back to reload,” Davis says.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Emu

[Rangi]

http://www.janes.com/article/53294/incorrect-trim-setting-caused-albacete-f-16-crash-report-finds

Report on Greek F-16 crash in Albacete says it was caused by incorrect trim setting.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Rangi

[Python]

It seems an ex Red arrows Hawk (Gnat maybe?) has just crashed at Car fest! There isn't much in the way of info yet but early reports are that it simply nose dived all of a sudden, no chute spotted. Really hope the guy(s) got out okay.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-33748256

Edited August 1, 2015 by Python