THE YEAR HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY EVENTFUL, WE LOOK AT some major milestones achieved in the military aviation domain.
GERMAN AIR FORCE DECIDES ON F-35S
Lockheed Martin's F-35 undoubtedly seems to be the fighter aircraft of the year 2022. Germany in March 2022 put to rest its long raging debate about the best aircraft to replace its ageing Tornado strike fighters. F/A-18E/Fs and EA-18Gs so far was a strong contender, the German government decided to buy 35 Lockheed Martin F-35, at an estimated cost of Euro 7.6 billion, and additional Euro 2.4 billion for weapons and infrastructure at its operating base.
In 2021, Finland and Switzerland selected the F-35, thereafter, the Czech Republic opted for F-35As and Greece submitted a request to purchase the US built fighter.
The F-35 is a $412 billion programme, started in 2019, and is yet to enter full rate production, owing to testing delays and other issues. The US Air Force (USAF) plans to buy 1,763 of these, although it has hinted it may cut that to 1,050; the US Navy wants 273; and the US Marines want 420. Under current plans, the Pentagon will buy one third of its 2,470 aircraft F-35 fleet (including 14 test models) before green lighting full rate production. 2022 was also the year when, delivery of new F-35s was temporarily halted when it was discovered that there were Chinese made materials in the aircraft.
AUTOMATED REFUELING
In July 2022, Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) became the first tanker to be certified for automatic air-to-air refueling (A3R) without a boom operator. Spain's National Institute of Aerospace Technology signed off on the A3R capability to refuel the F-16 during daylight following a test campaign in collaboration with the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 2, 2023 من SP’s Aviation.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Issue 2, 2023 من SP’s Aviation.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
BRIDGING THE GAP IN THE SKIES
Ministry of Defence sets up a committee to address gaps within the Indian Air Force with a focus on Fighter Jet Squadrons UCAVs
"WE SHOULD PUT ALL OUR EFFORTS INTO BEING SELF-RELIANT ON AN AERO-ENGINE 99 AIR MARSHAL TEJINDER SINGH, DCAS
The quest for an indigenous aero-engine remains a challenge despite the initial success of the Kaveri engine. Can it be a national mission? What is needed to achieve a higher thrust of engine for Tejas Mk2 and AMCA? The possibilities are discussed at the TDF DRDO Conference among the leaders and outstanding aerospace scientists at the Conference.
EMBRAER DEFENSE & SECURITY AN EVOLVING GLOBAL LEADER
Embraer Defense and Security’s portfolio exemplifies innovation and versatility, delivering advanced solutions across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains to meet the evolving demands of global defence
CHINESE SIXTH GENERATION STEALTH FIGHTER: A MYTH OR REALITY
China’s unveiling of the J-36 and J-50 simultaneously demonstrates its ability to rapidly develop and test advanced fighter platforms, signifying its intent to rival the United States in air power projection
DECODING CHINA'S SIXTH-GENERATION FIGHTER AIRCRAFT PROGRAMME
China’s progress in sixth-generation aviation underscores its ambitions to project power far beyond its borders, influencing regional security dynamics and exacerbating the arms race in Asia
ESA'S PROBA-3 MISSION TAKES OFF ON ISRO'S PSLV
PSLV-CS9 vehicle carried European Space Agency’s Proba-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit as a dedicated commercial mission of NSIL, the commercial arm of ISRO
KLM: THE WORLD'S OLDEST AIRLINE STILL GOING STRONG!
In 1930, KLM began scheduled passenger service between Amsterdam and Jakarta. The Fokker F.XII plane took 10 days to reach, including 81 hours of flying time. It was the world's longest scheduled flight before the Second World War.
SPICEJET'S $90 MILLION DEAL WITH CANADIAN Q400 PLANES
SpiceJet has successfully resolved a significant dispute with Bombardier over a fleet of Q400 turboprop planes in the form of a $90 million settlement, marking the end of a prolonged legal battle that also has broader implications for the Indian aviation sector
TAPPING THE UNCHARTED WATERS
Seaplane services are expected to transform regional connectivity in India, boost tourism, create jobs, and foster economic development, particularly in hard-to-reach coastal and inland regions
FLIGHT PLAN FOR NAVIGATING BUSINESS AIRCRAFT FINANCING
The business aircraft financing market has witnessed significant growth post-pandemic, driven by increased demand for private and chartered flights
