DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ US spy plane flies through the Taiwan Strait days after German warships angered China by sailing through
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-17 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewA US spy plane flew above the Taiwan Strait in international airspace, prompting a response from China. China's military reported that the American P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft's activity over the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday. Advertisement"The aircraft's transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. China previously documented P-8A activity in the Taiwan Strait in April of this year, as well as December and October of last year. TED ALJIBE/AFP via Getty ImagesThe event comes on the heels of German Navy vessels transiting the Taiwan Strait last week for the first time in over 20 years.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Command, Business, US, 7th Fleet, United, Eastern Theater Command, Navy, TED, Getty, Foreign Ministry, US Navy, Royal Australian Air Force Locations: Taiwan Strait, China, Taiwan, United States, Philippines, AFP, Hawaii

☆ Photos show a US Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber flying with Japanese F-35s for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNew photos captured a US B-2 Spirit bomber flying with Japanese F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft for the first time. The historic first flight was part of Bomber Task Force missions. AdvertisementThe US Air Force B-2 launched from Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley in Australia. B-2s, normally stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, have been conducting Bomber Task Force missions for the past three weeks. The stealth capabilities of B-2 Spirit bombers are particularly unique in the US Air Force.

Persons: —, PACAF, Justin Meyer, Samantha White, INDOPACOM Organizations: Service, Force, Business, Pacific Air Forces, Bomber Task Force, US Pacific Air Forces, Japan Air Self, Defense Force, US Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force Base Amberley, Whiteman Air Force Base, 110th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Japan, Self, Getty, Bomber, Pacific Command Locations: Australia, Missouri, Japan, United States, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Europe, US, Guam

☆ With a NATO war and Ukraine's knack for shooting down planes in mind, Russia is holding back its airpower and most advanced jets
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Read previewRussia has kept much of its airpower and some of its most advanced aircraft out of the war in Ukraine. But Baum and other air warfare experts have warned Russia's air force should not be underestimated and cautioned that NATO should be ready. AdvertisementRussia's air force is weaker than NATO's airpower, but Russia's war in Ukraine shows it can still cause a lot of damage. Russia's air force has suffered high attrition rates from Ukraine's ground-based air defenses when operating in the country. Related storiesHe said that Russia "has a lot of trouble replacing lost advanced aircraft," only making a few a year.

Persons: —, John Baum, Su, Andrew Curtis, Curtis, Michael Clarke, Christopher Cavoli, it's, Clarke, Evelyn Hockstein, Baum, Peter Layton, Layton, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jens Büttner, Russian Sukhoi Su, Nicola Marfisi, Russia's, There's, Sukhoi Su, Aleksey Nikolskyi, REUTERS George Barros, Jake Epstein, Gustav Gressel, Tim Robinson, Russia's Su, Robinson, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix Organizations: Service, NATO, Mitchell Institute, US Air Force, Business, UK Ministry of Defense, Russian Air Force, Royal Air Force, REUTERS, Ukraine, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Russian, Getty Images Air, Getty Images, it's, Sukhoi, Sputnik, European Council, Foreign Relations, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, Getty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, NATO, Russian Sukhoi, Ukrainian, Moscow, Kremlin, AFP

☆ Allied P-8 Poseidon crew shares what it was like hunting down and torpedoing a US Navy nuclear submarine in big Pacific drills
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewThe crew of a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft shared their experiences tracking a US Navy nuclear submarine and dropping training torpedoes on it off the coast of Hawaii last Wednesday. The P-8A Poseidon, which succeeded the older P-3 Orion, usually serves in a surveillance and deterrence role. Australian Defence Force photo by Royal Australian Air Force Imagery Specialist Corporal Adam AbelaThe submarine targeted was the US Navy Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754). 11 Squadron during an anti-submarine warfare training mission with a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon as part of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024, Hawaiian Islands. Australian Defence Force photo by Royal Australian Air Force Imagery Specialist Corporal Adam Abela"We dropped sonobuoys to determine the track of the submarine," No.

Persons: —, it's, CPL Brendan King, Zachary Sellman, Adam Abela, Adam Fraser, sonobuoys, Tristan Hull, Hull, Eric Morant Organizations: Service, Royal Australian Air Force, US, Business, US Navy, Air Force, Squadron, CPL, Joint Base, Australian Defence Force, Fleet, Hawaiian Islands . Australian Defence Force, Tactical, Squadron Tactical Locations: Hawaii, Australian, Hickam, US Navy Los Angeles, Topeka, Los Angeles, Hawaiian Islands, NATO, Russian, Baltic, Cuba

☆ South Korea: Flying aboard the AC-130J Ghostrider, carrying America’s biggest gun in the sky
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Brad Lendon | Mike Valerio | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

AC-130 gunners Joe Gipson (back) and Isaac Dowell tend the 105mm cannon aboard a US Air Force AC-130J during a live-fire exercise over South Korea. A 105mm howitzer is seen at the rear of a US Air Force AC-130J at Osan Air Base, South Korea, in early June 2024. ‘Spooky’ historyUS Air Force gunships trace their lineage back to the Vietnam War, when the service set up 7.62 mm guns to fire out one side of a C-47 transport aircraft. With the AC-130J model, introduced in 2017, the Air Force removed the machine guns in favor of the more precision-guided munitions. The AC-130’s crew acknowledges the dangers of ground fire to their aircraft, and some analysts question its usefulness in any potential conflict with North Korea.

Persons: Ghostrider, Joe Gipson, Isaac Dowell, Brad Lendon, John Ikenberry, Kim Jong Un, ” Ikenberry, Heath Curtis, Mike Valerio, Curtis, ”, Justin Burris, Peter Layton, Layton, Maj, Christopher Mesnard, CNN’s Yoonjung Seo, Gawon Bae Organizations: Korean Peninsula CNN, US Air Force AC, CNN, Air Force Special Operations Command, US Air Force, Osan Air Base, South, Air Force, National Museum of, Operation, US, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Operations Command Locations: Hurlburt Field, Florida, South Korea, Seoul, North Korea, Washington, Korea, Maj, New Mexico, United States, Vietnam, Asia, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kunduz, Iraqi, Persian, Khafji, Saudi Arabia, Korean, Australia, Operations Command Korea

☆ Japan: US sending dozens of F-15EX, F35 fighter jets in $10 billion modernization
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Japan said basing the new fighter aircraft in the country would enhance US capabilities there. But from 2022, as the twin-engine fighters neared the end of their service life, the US Air Force began pulling them from Kadena. The F-15EX is the Air Force’s newest fighter jet, with the first operational plane delivered to the Oregon Air National Guard in early June. The F-35As that will be stationed at Misawa Air Base are the Air Force’s newest stealth fighters. F-35s deliver “an enhanced capability to survive in the advanced threat environment in which it was designed to operate,” an Air Force fact sheet says.

Persons: Yoshimasa Hayashi, Carlos Barria, 15EX, Peter Layton, ” Layton, Layton, ”, CNN’s Hanako Montgomery Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, Pentagon, Japan Alliance, Misawa Air Base, Kadena Air Base, Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, U.S . Air Force, Chinese Communist Party, US Air Force, Boeing, Military, Air Force’s, Oregon Air National Guard, USAF, Air Force, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Locations: Japan, Okinawa, Hiroshima, Honshu, United States, U.S, China, Russia, North Korea, Tokyo, East, North, Pyongyang, Britain, Australia, Nevada, Taiwan, Kadena, Washington

☆ Changed rules for Ukraine mean its F-16s will arrive when they can make a far bigger impact, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewNew rules from Ukraine's allies about how it can use weapons they've supplied could have a strong impact on its long-awaited F-16s. That's because Ukraine now has permission to use weaponry given by its allies to hit targets on Russian soil. George Barros, a Russian military expert at the US-based Institute for the Study of War, said this will make the F-16s more effective. AdvertisementEven so, the experts said that the F-16s will make a difference for Ukraine, without being a total game changer on their own. The jets will help replenish lost aircraft, deter Russian jets, and act as air defenses.

Persons: —, George Barros, I'm, Barros, Peter Layton, it's, Layton, didn't, Russian Su, YURI KADOBNOV, Michael Clarke, Mark Cancian, there's, Clarke, Tim Robinson Organizations: Service, Russia, Business, Wing Public Affairs, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Ukraine, Republicans, Getty, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, AFP, British, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium

☆ Ukraine got the go-ahead to hit Russia with F-16s, but doing so could be a waste of a good jet
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Read previewNATO member Denmark has given Ukraine permission to use the F-16s it receives to hit military targets within Russia. AdvertisementThe exact number of F-16s Ukraine will get to begin with is unclear, but it's not expected to be many. But in Russia, Ukrainian aircraft can also expect to battle the Russian Air Force in addition to enemy air defenses. It would also bolster a capability that has been heavily strained by relentless Russian attacks, and that's air defense. But they said these fighter jets will be useful for Ukraine by replenishing lost aircraft, deterring Russian jets, and acting as defenses.

Persons: —, George Barros, Israel Aerospace Industries Barros, it's, Mark Cancian, Tim Robinson, Peter Layton, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mette Frederiksen, Ritzau Scanpix, Mads Claus Rasmussen, there's, Michael Clark, Clark, Cancian, ISW, Layton, Robinson, DIMITAR DILKOFF, Noble, Chanceler Organizations: Service, Business, Ukraine, Analysts, Israeli Military Industries Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Denmark's, Skrydstrup Airbase, REUTERS, Politico, Republicans, Russian Air Force, Getty, Noble Eagle, US Air Force Locations: Denmark, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Russian, Israeli, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, France, Skrydstrup, Vojens, Arizona, Romania, British, Crimea, Ukrainian, AFP

☆ A new plane Ukraine is getting will amplify its F-16s and eat into Russia's advantage in the air, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewThe arrival of a new type of aircraft for Ukraine will give it an advantage it's not had before, and will help boost the effectiveness of its promised F-16s, experts told Business Insider. Sweden announced late last month that it is giving Ukraine two ASC 890 airborne control and surveillance aircraft, which act as command centers in the air. They remain highly vulnerableDuring the war, Russia has been using its own A-50 Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft to monitor Ukraine's air space and coordinate attacks. AdvertisementThe experts said hanging back is also likely the best approach for Ukraine's first F-16s, so the jets can protect cities and infrastructure while staying away from most of Russia's weaponry.

Persons: —, it's, Ukraine Tim Robinson, Pal Jonson, Jose Miguel T, Mark Cancian, Peter Layton, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Layton, Cancian Organizations: Service, Ukraine, Business, UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, Swedish, US Air Force, Marine, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, Control, AP, Aircraft Locations: Ukraine, Sweden, Swedish, Russia, Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium

The Joint Program Office declined to comment to Military.com regarding the restriction. A spokesperson for the Marine Corps could not provide details on the restriction but said efforts are underway to return the aircraft to full operations. Pedro Caballero, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps, told Military.com when asked whether the restrictions applied to its roughly 350 Ospreys, the vast majority of the military's fleet. US Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys take off at Port Darwin in Australia. An MV-22B Osprey conducts an external lift with US Marines during helicopter support team training at Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, California.

Persons: —, Military.com, Beth Teach, Cpl, Juan Torres, Capt, Pedro Caballero, Caballero, Colton Martin Lt, Rebecca Heyse, Amelia Kang, Brian Taylor, Taylor, Juan Paz Taylor Organizations: Service, Force, Marine Corps, Ospreys, Business, Navy, Naval Air Forces, Office, Naval Air Systems Command, Royal Australian Air Force Base, US Marine Corps, Corps, Port Darwin, Air Force Special Operations Command, Greyhound, House Armed Services, US Marines, Marine Corps Air, Services, Aviation, Air Force, Marines, Program Office, Marine, US Air National Guard, Staff Locations: Japan, Port, Australia, Miramar , California, Darwin, Washington ,, Lemonnier, Djibouti

☆ US Air Force F-35s are training for threats even tougher than what jets in Ukraine are facing. Pilots say they're 'surviving' but 'not every day is a win.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US Air Force fighter jets recently took part in the Red Flag air combat exercise. These scenarios are meant to prepare pilots for threats tougher even than what pilots are facing in Ukraine. AdvertisementThis year's event involved airmen from the 421st Fighter Squadron and 421st Fighter Generation Squadron, as well as over a dozen F-35A Lightning IIs from Utah's Hill Air Force Base. A Royal Australian Air Force F-35A lands at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Jan. 10, 2024 in preparation for Red Flag-Nellis 24-1. AdvertisementAn F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, South Carolina, taxis prior to take off for a for Red Flag-Nellis 24-1 mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Jan. 17.

Persons: —, William R, Lewis, Nathan Heguy, Heguy, we're, Lockheed Martin, haven't, Bryan Butler Organizations: US Air Force, Flag, Service, Nellis Air Force Base, 388th Fighter Wing, 421st Fighter Squadron, 421st Fighter Generation Squadron, Utah's Hill Air Force Base, 3rd, Joint Base Elmendorf, Nellis, Nevada, Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, NATO, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Lockheed Locations: Ukraine, Nevada, Utah , Nevada, California, Richardson , Alaska, Russian, Red Flag, Russia, Flag, China, Washington, South Carolina

☆ After nearly 60 years in flight, US Air Force special operators took their AC-130 gunship to Australia for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Air Force special operators took their AC-130J to Australia for an exercise in July. As part of Exercise Teak Action, held in southeastern Australia in early July, US Air Force special operators flew their AC-130 gunship in Australia for the first time since it entered service in 1960s. Australian Air Force/Corporal Cameron PeggWhile in Australia, Air Commandos from US Air Force Special Operations Command's 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and their AC-130Js took part in dry-fire rehearsals in coordination with US and Australian Combat Control teams on the ground. AdvertisementAdvertisementA beloved aircraftA US Air Force weapon systems operator gives a tour of an AC-130J to Australian Air Force cadets at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond during Talisman Sabre in July. A US Air Force crew chief marshals an AC-130J at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond during Talisman Sabre in July.

Persons: It's, Corporal Cameron Pegg, 130Js, Steven Duffy, We've, Duffy, —, Talisman Sabre, Alexcia Givens, Griffin, Tylir Meyer Organizations: US Air Force, Air Force, Service, Australian Army, Australian Air Force, Air Commandos, Squadron, Australian Combat Control, Australian Forward, Control, New, Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond, Talisman, Army Green Beret, Air Force Special, Command Locations: Australia, Wall, Silicon, New South Wales, Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, Japan, Romania, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, Southeast Asia

☆ The Korean War ended 70 years ago. Here's how the 'forgotten war' started.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Stephen Carlson | Task | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

This began the deployment of Task Force Smith, the first American combat troops to arrive and fight in the Korean War. It was Soviet leader Josef Stalin himself who reluctantly gave the go ahead to North Korean dictator Kim Il-Sung to invade. Task Force Smith suffered its heaviest casualties during the retreat, with enemy machine gun positions hitting them from close range. Crew members give first aid to wounded soldier, during action in the Korean War. After American and UN reinforcements arrived, a counteroffensive drove the North Korean military to the brink of collapse.

Persons: Charles B, Smith, Force Smith, Josef Stalin, Kim Il, Task Force Smith, Gordon Sullivan, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Sung, Adolf Hitler, Dean Acheson, Christmas, Dwight D, Eisenhower Organizations: North Koreans, South, Service, North, Soviet Union, 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces, Wikimedia Commons Bombers, US Far East Air Force Command, Royal Australian Air Force, Suwon, KA, Korean Army, US Army, North Korean Communist, Wikimedia, Task Force, Artillery, Army, Wikimedia Commons, Crew, National Archives, Records Administration, Staff, Force, Communist, National Press Club, Armored Forces, Arlington National Cemetery, American, UN, North Korean, Public Locations: Wall, Silicon, Camp Woods, Kumamoto, Japan, Soviet, Korean, 국군 Republic, Pusan, South Korea, Republic of Korea, Osan, Korea, Saipan, United States, Arlington, Tim1965, Pacific, China, Kaesong, U.S, Soviet Union, North Korea, North

☆ NATO 'Air Defender 2023': Hundreds of warplanes fly over Germany in alliance's largest-ever aerial drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

An F-16 fighter airplane takes off from the Schleswig-Jagel Air Base in Jagel, Germany, on June 12 during the Air Defender 2023 exercise. “Air Defender is necessary because we live in a more dangerous world. Two US Air Force A10 fighter jets taxi onto the runway ahead of Air Defender 2023. Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and former Royal Australian Air Force officer, said Air Defender 2023 should give Russian military planners a lot to think about. Similar planes are taking part in Air Defender 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Oleksandr Vilkul, Andriy Dubchak, Gregor Fischer, Oana Lungescu, “, Putin, Amy Gutmann, Ingo Gerhartz, CNN’s Nic Robertson, Formidable ‘ hodge, Karl, Josef Hildenbrand, ”, Brynn Tannehill, it’s, Adam Casey, Tannehill, Peter Layton, Harald Tittel, ” Layton, ” Tannehill Organizations: CNN, NATO, Air, Russian, Russia, Operational Command, Alliance, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Jagel, Base, AP NATO, “, ” United, Russia –, Latvia –, German Tornadoes, US Air Force, RAND Corp, US Navy, Aviators, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, US, Air National Guard, National Guard, Air Force Locations: Germany, German, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kryvyi, Black, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, Schleswig, Jagel, ” United States, Russia – Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, US, Finnish, Spangdahlem, NATO

☆ F-16s for Ukraine: Kyiv would face big hurdles in using US-made jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Ukraine’s quest for US-made F-16 fighter jets received a big boost over the weekend when US President Joe Biden gave his backing for Kyiv’s pilots to be trained to fly them. In fact, one active duty F-16 pilot told CNN that expectations may be way too high. An F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft has its landing gear extended to land at the US military airfield at Spangdahlem, Germany. This is a multi-year process, and that’s just for the basic tactical unit of employment,” the F-16 pilot said. “To bring in Western aircraft, Ukraine might need to repave and potentially extend a number of runways, a process which Russia would likely detect.

☆ Why Nearly All the King’s Realms Want to Say Goodbye and Good Riddance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Damien Cave | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For countries still constitutionally joined to the crown, Charles’s coronation arrived with little fanfare, and some cringing discomfort. In the wave of decolonization that followed World War II, dozens of independent countries climbed out from under British rule, including India, Pakistan and Nigeria. The 14 nations yet to do so stretch from Australia and Papua New Guinea to Canada and Jamaica. In some places that call the new 74-year-old sovereign their king, like the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, there seems to be little interest in severing royal bonds. Oaths of allegiance have already been switched from queen to king in the courtrooms of remote capitals where wigs are still worn as if in 1680s London.

☆ The US Air Force has big plans for the next-generation drones that will fight alongside its fighters and bombers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

It's now developing collaborative combat aircraft, which can fight alongside piloted jets or on their own. A need for 'affordable mass'MQ-9s on a runway at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico in April. Worse, the Air Force faces a pilot shortage and its overall number of flight hours has been decreasing. The Air Force also continues to develop top-tier assets like the F-35, the B-21 stealth bomber, and the Next Generation Air Dominance program, or NGAD. "Without it, it's very difficult to envision how we could keep the Air Force at the size it currently is."

☆ Belgorod: Bomb found in Russian city accidentally struck by own air force
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Darya Tarasova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —More than 3,000 people were evacuated on Saturday from residential buildings in the Russian city of Belgorod after a bomb was found close to the area accidentally bombed by Russia’s air force earlier this week, Russian state media reported. Explosives specialists assessed the device and said there was no danger of explosion, according to TASS. Late on Thursday, a Russian warplane dropped a bomb on Belgorod – a city of more than 400,000 people close to the border with Ukraine – leaving a large crater, blowing a car onto a roof and damaging nearby buildings. The Belgorod region has been the scene of several explosions and bombings since Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine in February 2022. The city was one of Russian troops’ staging areas in the run up to the invasion.

☆ U.S. Air Force flags plans to buy 26 E-7 planes from Boeing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force plans to buy 26 Boeing Co (BA.N) E-7A airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) planes to replace its ageing fleet of E-3s, the Department of the Air Force said on Tuesday, as it announced a contract worth up to $1.2 billion. Boeing said it would develop two new variants of the E-7 for the U.S. Air Force, without providing details of the differences. The Air Force said the first plane was expected to be in service by fiscal year 2027 and it anticipated purchasing an additional 24 by fiscal 2032. "The E-7A will be the Department's principal airborne sensor for detecting, identifying, tracking and reporting all airborne activity to Joint Force Commanders," said Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. Other E-7 operators include the Royal Australian Air Force, Republic of Korea Air Force, Turkish Air Force and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force.

☆ Boeing says MQ-28 drone could be a fit for U.S. Air Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat fighter-like drone is kept on display at the Australian International Airshow, in Avalon, Australia February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jamie FreedAVALON, Australia Feb 28 (Reuters) - Boeing Co's (BA.N) MQ-28 Ghost Bat fighter-like drone developed in Australia could fit the U.S. Air Force's requirements for a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), the company's defence division head said on Tuesday. "We're developing the MQ-28 to fit into a set of requirements that fit into that category of CCA and hopefully there is an intersection there," Boeing Defense, Space and Security Chief Executive Ted Colbert said on the sidelines of the Australia International Airshow. Boeing is developing the MQ-28 in Australia alongside the Royal Australian Air Force, in what is the country's first homegrown combat aircraft to be manufactured in more than 50 years. The MQ-28, which made its first flight in 2021, was on public display at the air show.

☆ Boeing says 'great news' if MQ-28 drone can partner with F-35
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat fighter-like drone is kept on display at the Australian International Airshow, in Avalon, Australia February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jamie FreedSYDNEY, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Boeing Co's (BA.N) MQ-28 Ghost Bat fighter-like drone is designed to be an open platform and a partnership with Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) on F-35 fighter planes would be "great news", the company's defence division head said on Tuesday. "If the F-35 is going to be its partner that is great news for me ... it is designed to do exactly that," Boeing Defense, Space and Security Chief Executive Ted Colbert told reporters on the sidelines of the Australia International Airshow. Boeing is developing the MQ-28 Ghost Bat fighter-like drone in Australia alongside the Royal Australian Air Force, in what is the country's first homegrown combat aircraft to be manufactured in more than 50 years. Reporting by Jamie Freed and Renju Jose; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ BAE Systems Australia unveils homegrown military drone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People take a look at a model of STRIX drone by BAE Systems Australia, at the Australian International Airshow, in Avalon, Australia February 28, 2023. REUTERS/Jamie FreedAVALON, Australia Feb 28 (Reuters) - BAE Systems Australia and another local manufacturer on Tuesday unveiled a new uncrewed military aircraft that will be designed, manufactured and armed in Australia. Work on a prototype is under way, with operational service possible by 2026, said Ben Hudson, chief executive of BAE Systems Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of BAE Systems (BAES.L), Britain's biggest defence company. Boeing is designing the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, a fighter-like drone, alongside the Royal Australian Air Force. BAE Systems Australia will also deliver a new low-cost precision-guided munition, known as RAZER, usable with STRIX.

☆ Air Force's aging E-3 Sentry stirs questions of airborne-battle readiness
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Brad Howard | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For decades the U.S. Air Force has relied on the E-3 Sentry, and the most recent version, the E-3G, has been upgraded with more modern electronics and software to keep up with new threats. 'The best way to describe it is kind of like the quarterback in the sky," said Air Force Col. Keven Coyle, commander of the 552nd Air Control Wing. In the most recent budget, Congress appropriated an additional $200 million for the Air Force to develop a prototype to meet that need. A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail takes off during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 10, 2022. A U.S. Air Force E-3G taxies on a runway at Tinker AFB By Brad Howard, CNBC

☆ China might have sent a spy balloon over the US as a power play to prove it can do what it wants, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Chinese spy balloon was detected over the US, the Department of Defense said. Experts say spy balloons can do things satellites can't, and China may have wanted to get caught. The balloon, the Pentagon said, was "most certainly" sent by China to spy on the US. What is the Chinese spy balloon? A spy balloon is a balloon with any kind of surveillance equipment is attached.

Search resuls for: "Royal Australian Air Force"

24 mentions found