V-22 Osprey Shows Serious Problems

More problems for V-22 Osprey.

Osprey Gets Gun Turret

From Aviation Week,
The U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 squadron preparing to deploy to Afghanistan in the third or fourth quarter of this year is now flight testing a turreted gun to beef-up the aircraft’s fire-power.
The Bell/Boeing MV-22 unit is likely to be deployed to Camp Bastion in the Helmand region as part of the U.S.’s [...]

Increased Legal Rights For Detainees May Lead To More Targeted Killings In Afghanistan

One of the consequences of the increased legal rights granted to detainees at Guantanamo Bay may be an increase in targeted killings in Afghanistan using Predator drones.

Drones Are The Only Game In Town For Combating Al Qaeda

According to CIA Director Leon Panetta drones are,
the only game in town in terms of confronting or trying to disrupt the al Qaeda leadership,” Panetta told the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles.
Pakistan has complained repeatedly about what it says are airstrikes on its territory by U.S.-operated drones. The U.S. military in neighboring [...]

President Obama Will Not Get New Helicopter

President Obama cancels plans to upgrade his helicopters.

Marine Corps Version Of The Joint Strike Fighter To Begin Tests

The Marine Corps version of the Joint Strike Fighter,  F-35B, could begin testing at,
Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, plant as early as this week.
This will begin perhaps the most critical phase of testing for the F-35 program. About a month of hover-pit testing is planned before the first F-35B, aircraft BF-1, returns to the air [...]

Drones Continue To Dominate GWOT In 2008

From Danger Room,
Forget the extra troops. The big “surge” in Afghanistan and Iraq has been the astronomical increase in the robotic planes ahead. In 2008, 71 Predator robo-craft flew 138,404 combat hours — a 94 percent increase from the year before, according to an Air Force presentation obtained by National Security Drone’s Frank Naif.

Say [...]

Marine Corps Looks to Purchase New Drones

Marine Corps looks to purchase new unmanned aircraft.

Update On New Air Force One: To Be Made In America

New Air Force One will be made in the USA.

War Of New Weapons: Laser Takes Down Drone

Lasers mounted on military vehicles to shoot down rockets, artillery shells, and mortar rounds is nothing new.  Now Boeing has successfully shot down a UAV, or Drone, with the company’s Avenger Laser system.
Advantage laser.
yojoe out

New Air Force One May Be Made In Europe Not America

New Air Force One may be built by Airbus not Boeing.

Unmanned Aircraft Log Over 500,000 Flight Hours

Drone aircraft continue to fly more missions for the U.S. military.

Navy Orders Carrier Variant Of Joint Strike Fighter

Navy orders Joint Strike Fighter, F-35, for aircraft carriers.

Marine Corps May Lose Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle And Get Fewer MV-22 Opsreys

The Marine Corps may lose its new amphibious vehicle the EFV, and get fewer of its tilt-rotor aircraft the MV-22 Osprey.

Unmanned Aircraft Projected To Account For Thirty Percent Of Combat Missions

Within the next few years it is projected that,
at least one-fourth to one-third of all combat missions will be flown by unmanned aircraft. And a few years after that, unmanned ground vehicles will also begin to flood the market and the battlefield, they predict.
Indeed, growing unmanned-ground business will bring with it an expected double-digit growth [...]

Army Not Happy With The Size And Weight Of MRAP

The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle have been life-savers on the battlefield.  But, they are just to big and bulky.
The 10-ton vehicle must be transportable on a C-130 cargo plane. It should have a minimum range of 300 miles, and a turning diameter of 49 feet, And the crew has to be able to [...]

Marine Corps May Lose New Amphibious Vehicle

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), previously known as the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV), was designed to replace the Assault Amphibian Vehicle (AAV) and serve as the new personnel carrier for the Marine Corps.  The EFV was intended to be a major improvement, both in speed and armament.
Now, the EFV may face the same fate [...]

Test Drive Russian T-55 Tank

Now is your chance to test drive a Russian T-55 tank.  All you need to do is travel to the German countryside and bring along $215.
yojoe out

Navy Abandons Zumwalt-Class Destroyer

US Navy cancels its “stealth-ship” the Zumwalt-class Destroyer (DDG 1000), because of increased costs.

Joint Strike Fighter: Air Force Wants Boeing To Stop Talking Smack

Ok, that is not a direct quote.  Major General Charles R. Davis, USAF, the Program Executive Officer for the F-35 Lightning II Program Office, is far to articulate, educated, and gentlemanly to utter such a comment.  But, reality is not that far off.
According to Flightglobal, LtGen Davis is not pleased with, what he characterizes as [...]

Photos: Crash Scene Of B-2 Stealth Bomber

In February 2008 a B-2 Stealth Bomber crashed after takeoff from Anderson Air Force Base in Guam.  Popular Mechanics, has published photographs of the crash scene.