06 September 2023
by Ridzwan Rahmat
An RSAF F-16 on display at Paya Lebar Air Base in September 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has publicly confirmed that its upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16 C/D/D+ fighter aircraft are now armed with the Python 5 air-to-air missile.
This confirmation can be seen on an information board at a stand that has been set up at Paya Lebar Air Base to showcase the aircraft.
The base is accessible to the public from 9 to 10 September as part of an ‘open house' event to mark the service's 55th anniversary. Janes was granted advanced access as part of a media event.
Prior to this event, confirmation regarding the Python 5 and its deployment status on the RSAF's fleet of upgraded F-16s was provided to select media outlets on a non-attributable basis.
The Python 5 is an Israeli fourth-generation air-to-air missile with surface-to-air applications.
It features an improved maximum range of 20 km when compared with its predecessor, the Python 4, which can strike targets at distances of up to 15 km.
06 May 2024
by Zach Rosenberg
The BT-67 is no stranger to Antarctica's harsh climate. This picture displays a Basler BT-67 (re-engined DC-3) in polar configuration equipped with snow skids. (Basler)
The US Department of State has approved Argentina's request to purchase Basler BT-67s, support equipment, and training for up to USD143 million, the department announced on 18 April.
“The proposed sale will … [provide] additional capacity for airdrop and airlift operations to service Antarctica during the winter season,” the announcement read. “This will reduce the burden on other airlift assets in Argentina.”
Up to five aircraft are to be purchased in the deal, according to the Department of State, which includes spare engines, ground handling equipment, transport, and personnel training. Basler and the Argentine Ministry of Defense had not responded to Janes questions at the time of publication.
Argentina maintains nearly a dozen research bases on Antarctica, according to the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship. Argentina's air force operates several aircraft types capable of operating in Antarctica, including four Lockheed Martin C-130Hs and seven de Havilland DHC-6s.
06 May 2024
by Zach Rosenberg
The MV-22 (pictured) is to soon receive new engine nacelles to be followed by a refreshed cockpit. Longer-term modifications may include a new drivetrain and perhaps even new wings. (US Navy)
The V-22 is likely to fly through 2050, and upgrades are in the planning process to allow it to reach that age, US Marine Corps (USMC) Colonel Brian Taylor, V-22 programme manager at Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), said at the Modern Day Marine 2024 conference in Washington, DC on 30 April.
In the near term, NAVAIR is working to centralise the V-22 fleet in a common configuration and improve maintainability.
“When you purchase aircraft over about a 30-year span, you end up with some configuration challenges, and that's what we're still working through,” Col Taylor said. “You're going to see things like block modifications: how do we get the aircraft to be closer to one another across this wide expanse of airframes that we bought and the different blocks they were in?”
06 May 2024
by Jeremiah Cushman
Leonardo has teamed with Textron Aviation Defense to offer the M-346 jet trainer for a US Navy requirement. (Aermacchi Spa)
Leonardo has teamed with Textron Aviation Defense to offer its M-346 jet trainer for the US Navy's (USN's) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) programme. The service's current jet trainer, the T-45 Goshawk, entered service in 1991 and has experienced numerous technical issues in recent years. In September 2023 the USN released a request for information for the UJTS.
Textron Aviation Defense will serve as the prime contractor for the project, Tommaso Pani, senior vice-president for marketing and strategic campaigns – Leonardo Aircraft Division, told Janes during the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland, in April.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has publicly confirmed that its upgraded Lockheed Martin ...
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