Lockheed Martin has rechristened the F-16V Block 70 as the F-21 multi-role fighter for the second MMCRA procurement. The aircraft which would be produced in India by Lockheed and Tata Advanced Systems would have a number of unique features compared to existing F-16s like, extendable hose-and-drogue refuelling probe, a large display in the cockpit. Dr. Vivek Lall, vice president of …
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Aero India 2019 opened today at Yelahanka Air Force Station. The show which was inaugurated by the defence minister of India began with a series of flypasts, one of which was a missing man formation to commemorate Wing Commander Sahil Gandhi, the pilot who lost his life in the Surya Kiran crash yesterday. Innugural Flypast The show began with a …
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Two aircraft of the Indian Air Force aerobatic display team the Surya Kirans have reportedly crashed at the final rehearsal day of Aero India 2019. The pilots have reported having ejected and their condition is unknown at this time. Two suryakiran aircraft have just collided. I see smoke and saw two chutes. No word on anything more at the moment. …
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Aero India 2019 is just around the corner and for the last couple of days, the airspace around the air base has been closed with the various display aircraft taking to the skies to practice their routines. (See our Photographer鈥檚 guide and check-list to air-shows) What can you expect to see flying at Aero India 2019 (Note: These are our …
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As of this writing, there are 15 miners trapped inside an illegal mine in Meghalaya and rescue efforts have not quite seen the push that they require from government and citizens alike. This note is a call to the aviation community to come together and push for the rescue. On January 12th, before the break of dawn, 5 members of …
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The United States Air Force (USAF) has accepted the first KC-46A tanker aircraft which will allow the aircraft’s delivery to delivery to McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas in the coming weeks. The KC-46 was selected as the winner of the USAF’s KC-X program in 2011 to replace its ageing KC-135 fleet. The aircraft is based on the Boeing …
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The Indian air force has accepted a 70 year old Dakota DC-3 into their vintage fleet. The aircraft which now bears the tail number VP 905 and called ‘Parashurama’ was gifted to the IAF by member of parliament and industrialist Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The gift deed was signed at a ceremony at New Delhi by Mr Chandrasekhar, his father Air Commodore …
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The United States air force (USAF) is celebrating the 70th anniversary of it’s formation this year. At the recently concluded Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), the USAF organized a special anniversary display at the show. The USAF displayed a variety of aircraft at the show, on static display were the B-52H, B-1B, C-17A, U-2 and more. The USAF also organized …
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At this year’s Royal International Air Tattoo held at RAF Fairford, the US military was displaying two of it’s most advanced fighter aircraft – the Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. The F-22 was born out of the US Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter program. The program began in 1981 with the goal to develop …
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The Indian Defense Minister, Manohar Parrikar inaugurated Helicopter Engines MRO Pvt. Limited (HE-MRO), a Joint Venture of Safran and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), in Goa The maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility will offer services for Safran TM333 and HAL Shakti (a HAL co-development of the Safran Ardiden 1H1) engines installed on HAL-built helicopters from a 1,000 square metre office …
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Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Lockheed Martin Aeroframe Corporation delivered the 50th C-130J Super Hercules empennage assembly on 16 September. TLMAL was established in 2010 and began production of C-130J Super Hercules airframe components in late 2011. TLMAL is the single global source of C-130J empennage assemblies included on …
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Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has completed the first flight if it’s new Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The flight is reported to have lasted about 15 minutes and marks the commencement of the aircraft’s flight test program. The LUH is powered by Safran鈥檚 Ardiden 1U engine and is intended to replace the Indian air force’s aging Chetak and Cheetah fleet. It …
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The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has confirmed an order for a further eight A330 MRTT Multi-Role Tanker Transport aircraft out of the original contract for 12 A330 MRTTs signed by the French Ministry of Defence in November 2014. This brings France’s total firm order of the MRTT to nine, including the initial aircraft. The remaining three are scheduled to …
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The Indian Ministry of Defence has finalized an order with Boeing for 22 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters and 15 CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. The order includes production, training and support of both the helicopters. The order which is worth around 2.5 billion US dollars, was cleared by the cabinet committee on security on the 22nd of this month just before …
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American airframer Boeing successfully completed the first flight of the KC-46A tanker aircraft last friday. The aircraft took off from Paine Field at 1:24 p.m. (PST) and landed four hours later at Boeing Field in Seattle. The KC-46A is based on the 767-200 passenger aircraft, which is also being used by many air forces as a tanker in the form …
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An Indonesian Airforce Lockheed C-130 Hercules has crashed into a residential area in Medan, Indonesia’s third largest city. The aircraft took off from Jakarta’s Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on with around 113 people on board, but the aircraft made two stops in Pekanbaru and Dumai before it crashed, due to which it is not clear how many people were on the …
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The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) government has cleared the lone bid of the Tata-Airbus consortium for the CASA C-295. The aircraft will replace the ageing Avro fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The deal is expected to be worth Rs.11,930 crore (USD 1.87 Billion). The aircraft will be the first to be built …
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India has finalized a deal for 36 Dassault Rafales during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France. The deal comes after three years of Dassault and the Indian Air force (IAF) working on the larger Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract. The Rafale was shortlisted in 2012 as the final aircraft during the IAF’s MMRCA competition. The original MMRCA tender was …
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An Indian Navy Dornier Do-228 has crashed into the sea near Goa. The aircraft was on a routine training sortie when the incident occurred late last night. The navy has begun a search and rescue operation for the two officers on board the aircraft. 1/2Navy Dornier on routine training sortie off Goa "ditched" into sea at 10 pm on Tuesday. …
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The Bangalore Aviation photo team is at the Air Force Station (AFS) Yelahanka today ahead of the Aero India 2015 air show which commences tomorrow. We have sent back some images for your enjoyment. Pictures are copyright of Bangalore Aviation and it’s respective photographers, all rights reserved. Please do not reproduce in any form.
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Bangalore Aviation News, Reviews, Analysis and opinions of Indian Aviation