Aerospace giant Boeing has released fascinating footage showing a test of ejection seat system for the U.S. Air Force’s newest T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft. “Watch as the Boeing-SAAB T-7A Red Hawk successfully tests its Collins Aerospace ACES 5 aircrew ejection seat from 0-500 mph with a simulated aircrew. This test proves safer advanced pilot training for the U.S. Air Force,” the American plane-maker said in a Twitter post Monday. The ACES 5 is the latest addition to the Collins Aerospace family of Advanced Concept Ejection Seats. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The new ACES 5 seat includes improved […]
Boeing
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Aerospace giant Boeing has been awarded a $436,6 million U.S. Army contract modification for full-rate production of Apache AH-64E aircraft, according to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements. The deal, which was a modification to a previous contract, was worth almost $436,6 million and covered work at the firm’s Mesa facility in Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2025. “Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $436,691,186 were obligated at the time of the award,” said in DoD statement. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – For almost three decades, the AH-64 Apache has […]
American plane-maker Boeing has won a sole-source, $79,4 million deal for KC-46A long-lead spares, initial spares and support equipment from the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, according to an Apr. 19 Pentagon announcement. The award, an undefinitized modification of a previous contract, provides mission-essential long-lead spares, initial spares, and support equipment for use on the Japan KC-46 aircraft being produced under the basic contract. Under the contract modification, the work is expected to be completed by June 30, 2024. The location of performance is Everett, Washington. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Boeing is assembling KC-46A aircraft for […]
The U.S. Department of Defense and Boeing announced on Wednesday a $1.6 billion production contract for the next 11 P-8A submarine hunters. In a statement on 31 March, Boeing said that nine aircraft will join the U.S. Navy fleet and two will go to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), a cooperative partner in the P-8A joint program since 2009. The contract brings the total number of U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft under contract to 128 and the RAAF total to 14. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (98.15%); Huntington Beach, California (1.19%); and […]
Aerospace giant Boeing announced that it was awarded a $2.5 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to sustain the service’s Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) units. In a release late Monday, Boeing reported that the five-year contract includes maintenance services for the Boeing-built CLWS units defending against hostile unmanned aerial systems in theater. Each CLWS unit is equipped with a best-in-class beam director and acquisition, tracking and pointing software to deliver precision protection. “We’re honored to continue our partnership with the Marine Corps,” said Kurt Sorenson, Boeing program manager for CLWS. “This will ensure that their systems continue to operate […]
The American plane-maker Boeing has received $9.6 and $8,5 million contract modifications for Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS), according to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements. The deal, which was a modification to a previous contract, exercises an option for engineering, manufacturing, and development; and initial operational, testing, and evaluation of EPAWSS. This contract modification provides for the procurement of two additional development Group B shipsets. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed Oct. 22, 2022. Also, Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been […]
Aerospace giant Boeing has confirmed that the Australian government has awarded a $115 million contract to build three more Loyal Wingman unmanned aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force. The company said that the agreement will increase the aircraft’s production capability to six aircraft for Royal Australian Air Force. As noted by the company, the Loyal Wingman is the first military combat aircraft to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia in more than 50 years. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – “The Australian government’s continued investment in the innovative Loyal Wingman program will create jobs and opportunities for over […]
American plane-maker Boeing has released a new video showing its newest F-15EX fighter jet with its official U.S. Air Force livery. As noted by the company, U.S. AirForce test pilots take to the skies for the first time in the F-15EX advanced fighter aircraft. “The recent flight paves the way for delivery,” said the aerospace giant. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The new F-15EX, commonly known as Strike Eagle on Steroids, is the latest version of the world-famous F-15 Eagle fighter jet. The new fighter would be equipped with better avionics and radars and would carry more than two […]
This month, American plane-maker Boeing started assembly on a U.S. Air Force’s all-new advanced trainer aircraft calls the T-7A Red Hawk at its factory in St. Louis, Mo. The training jet was fully designed using 3D model-based definition and data management systems developed at Boeing during the last two decades. The T-7A Red Hawk employed the digital engineering and design of the Boeing T-X aircraft that went from firm concept to first flight in just 36 months. “The future of air dominance lies in the ability to move quickly, take smart risks and partner in new ways to get the job […]
American plane-maker and aerospace giant Boeing has confirmed that it will be on-ground exhibiting its diverse range of defense products and services capabilities at the biennial International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) this year. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the show will take place from the 21st to 25th of February, 2021 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). IDEX is the largest defense exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa, and is an ideal platform for Boeing and […]
The U.S. Department of Defense said Wednesday that Boeing has been awarded a $2,1 modification to a previous contract for Lot 7 production KC-46 aircraft. Boeing Co. has been contracted to build additional 15 KC-46A refueling tankers, according to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements. “The modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 15 KC-46 aircraft, data, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file being produced under the basic contract,” the DoD said in a statement. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Also added that work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and […]
The U.S. Department of Defense and Boeing announced on Tuesday an agreement worth about $1.7 billion for 12 KC-46A tanker aircraft, growing the fleet to 79 Pegasus tankers. American plane-maker Boeing was awarded a $1.7 billion contract modification for Lot Six production of KC-46 Pegasus aircraft, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file. “The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 12 KC-46 aircraft, data, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file being produced under the basic contract,” the Department of Defense said in a statement. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Boeing […]
The U.S. Department of Defense has contracted American plane-maker Boeing for support conversion of the Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S into an F-15SA fighter aircraft. The contract, announced on Monday, calls for support for the conversion of the Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S into an F-15SA aircraft, which includes program management, reach-back support for the 48 continental United States and Washington, D.C.; temporary on-site for outside the continental U.S. assistance (if needed); and round robin repairs. Per the contract, the aerospace giant will perform all the work in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 30, 2022. […]
The U.S. Navy awarded a $198 million contract modification to Boeing for the integration of a ground control station that provides command and control capability in support of the MQ-25 carrier-based tanker drone. According to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements, work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (99%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2024. Also noted that the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The MQ-25 will be the U.S. Navy’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned […]
The U.S. Department of Defense has contracted American plane-maker Boeing for engineering work on B-1B Lancer and B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber aircraft. According to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements, Aerospace giant Boeing was awarded a modification to contract from the U.S. Air Force for B-1 and B-52 bomber engineering services. The deal worth almost $400 million and covers recurring and non-recurring engineering services on the B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress long-range bombers. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – “This modification is for recurring and non-recurring engineering services to B-1 and B-52 aircraft,” DoD said in its announcement. “Work will […]
American aerospace giant Boeing is on track to overtake Russian defense companies as the Indian biggest weapons supplier as the Indian Navy has expressed interest in potentially purchasing Super Hornets. Boeing’s India division, based in New Delhi, has released new footage that showed an F/A-18E fighter jet launching off a ski-jump ramp in a demo for the Indian Navy. “Our F/A-18 Super Hornet demonstrates the ability to operate from Indian Navy aircraft carriers during its successful and safe launch from a ski-jump ramp,” the company said in a Twitter post Monday. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The demonstrations, held at […]
The U.S. Department of Defense has contracted American plane-maker Boeing for engineering work on B-1B Lancer and B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber aircraft. According to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements, Aerospace giant Boeing was awarded a modification to contract from the U.S. Air Force for B-1 and B-52 bomber engineering services. The deal worth almost $400 million and covers recurring and non-recurring engineering services on the B-1 Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress long-range bombers. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – “This modification is for recurring and non-recurring engineering services to B-1 and B-52 aircraft,” DoD said in its announcement. “Work will […]
The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has taken delivery of its 14th CH-47F Chinook helicopter from Boeing, according to a recent service news release. “Another nice step towards a modernized air force. The new Chinooks are on the way. Please be patient, 2021 in NL,” RNLAF said on its Twitter account. In 2016, the Netherlands acquired 14 CH-47F Chinooks through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Foreign Military Sales program and later signed an agreement that will upgrade six Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Chinook helicopters to the latest F-model configuration, ensuring commonality of systems for their entire fleet of 20 F-model Chinooks. – […]
A recent Boeing news release has offered new details about the demonstration of the B-1B’s external weapons carriage capabilities. On Wednesday, the American plane-maker press release said that the demonstration validates that the B-1 is capable of delivering future ordinance outside the aircraft. During the Dec. 4 demonstration, the test team at Edwards Air Force Base in California loaded an inert, unpowered Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile on an external pylon and released it on the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Conducted by the Air Force Materiel Command and in partnership with Boeing, the external weapons demonstration informs U.S. Air Force […]
The U.S. Air Force has awarded the American plane-maker Boeing a contract to support its E-4B Advanced Airborne Command Post, commonly known as ‘doomsday plane’. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Defense said that Boeing has received a new order in the estimated amount of $196 million for E-4B support. Within the contract, the Option Five exercise will provide E-4B program management, field service representatives, system integration laboratory support, emergency support, spare procurement, spare repair and overhaul, engine sustainment and scheduled and unscheduled depot maintenance. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Also noted that work will be performed in Oklahoma […]
Aerospace giant Boeing Co. has been contracted for logistics support for the AH-64D/E Apache attack helicopter, according to a press release issued by U.S. Department of Defense. The deal, which was a modification to a previous contract, was worth almost $24,1 million and covered work in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2025. Also noted that the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The U.S. Army website said that Apache AH-64D/E is an attack helicopter that is capable of destroying armor, personnel and materiel targets […]
Aerospace giant Boeing has won three foreign military sales contracts valued at as much as $800 million for training services and support in the Middle East. Boeing today acknowledged three foreign military sales contracts with the U.S. Air Force for training services and support in the Middle East valued at more than $800 million. The first previously unannounced contract was awarded in 2019 and will support the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) with F-15QA program management, maintenance and aircrew training valued at $240 million over a five-year contract period. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Boeing also received a separate […]
On Monday, Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that in collaboration with Boeing recently conducted two flight tests on a test bed aircraft, once again marrying the OMS-compliant battle management command and control (BMC2) system to Northrop Grumman’s advanced, wide-band active electronically scanned array (AESA). For the demonstrations, an advanced Northrop Grumman wideband AESA sensor was connected to an OMS-compliant mission computing system provided by Boeing. After integrating with the Boeing mission computing environment, the AESA sensor was instructed to focus on specific targets, capture and manage data, and communicate the information back to the mission computing system, which was displayed in […]
After taking precautions against a fifth approaching hurricane, the Space Launch System (SLS) Green Run test team is back on site in the B-2 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi to continue preparations for the final two critical tests of the year-long campaign on the first Core Stage. Prime contractor Boeing is conducting Stage Green Run test operations, completing the sixth of eight test cases at the beginning of October just before the approach of Hurricane Delta forced the latest weather-related work stoppage. During test case six, the team practiced a set of simulations of the critical sequences in […]
Aerospace giant Boeing announced plans that its T-7A Red Hawk and F-15EX aircraft will be Open Mission Systems compatible in the future, and joining them will be the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) platform. Open mission systems (OMS) is a subset of the open systems architecture approach specifically designed for the military aviation environment. Adopted after two years of collaboration between the DOD and the industry, OMS seeks to leverage competition by requiring prime contractors to use DOD-owned and controlled open standards for their avionics suite. Boeing understands its military customers’ desire to have OMS to ensure future aircraft and […]
Aerospace giant Boeing has announced that it had received one of three development contracts to build a satellite payload prototype and develop a new secure, resilient satellite communications architecture for the United States Space Force’s Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) program. Boeing released a statement on Sunday saying that ESS will be a military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) system. It is a critical component of the U.S. Space Force’s strategy. The initial ESS development contract is valued at $298 million. Contracts for the full ESS system are expected to be awarded in 2025. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – “We have worked […]
Aerospace giant Boeing was awarded a $2,2 billion contract by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on 24 September to manufacture and deliver Small Diameter Bombs under a multiyear buy contracting arrangement. The contract, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, is awadred under the Small Diameter Bomb Increment I weapon program. “This contract provides for a guaranteed minimum Lot 15 award and a five-year ordering period for Small Diameter Bomb Increment I, focused lethality munition, containers and carriages for the Department of Defense and Foreign Military Sales partner nations, according to a recent DoD statement. – ADVERTISEMENT – […]
The final House Transportation committee report on the fatal design flaws of Boeing’s 737 Max—which killed 346 people in two accidents between 2018 and 2019—show the air disasters could have been avoided. The 239-page report, which was released Wednesday, is the product of an 18-month investigation that confirmed time and again that Boeing caved into “production pressure that ultimately jeopardized the safety of the flying public.” The committee cites competition with Airbus as a primary cause of cuts in costs to maintain the 737 Max production, even though those shortcuts were fatal. “Our report lays out disturbing revelations about how Boeing—under […]
A Boeing 737 Max heads to a landing past grounded Max jets at Seattle’s Boeing Field, following a test flight in June. It was the first of three days of re-certification test flights that mark a step toward returning the aircraft to passenger service. Elaine Thompson/AP hide caption toggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP A Boeing 737 Max heads to a landing past grounded Max jets at Seattle’s Boeing Field, following a test flight in June. It was the first of three days of re-certification test flights that mark a step toward returning the aircraft to passenger service. Elaine Thompson/AP A sweeping congressional […]
Boeing has discovered a new production issue with its 787 Dreamliner jets. The technical problems, coupled with ongoing inspections by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), are set to impact deliveries, the company said. A new blow to the embattled aviation giant came on Tuesday, when the company revealed a new manufacturing issue had been discovered. The problem could be affecting the already assembled planes which will have to be re-checked. “We are taking time to thoroughly inspect completed 787s to ensure that they are free of the issues and meet all engineering specifications prior to delivery,” the company said in a […]
The U.S. Department of Defense and Boeing announced on Friday an agreement worth about $265 million for nine more MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters that employees in its Philadelphia plant will assemble for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command (USASOAC). “The Boeing Co, Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $265,022,000 firm-fixed-price, delivery order contract modification (P00001) to contract H92241-19-F-0091 for the procurement of nine MH-47G Chinook aircraft in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM),” the DoD said in a statement. Boeing is now on contract for 24 of the next-generation Chinooks. The MH-47G Block II Chinook features an improved structure […]
WASHINGTON — The Army has awarded Boeing a $265 million contract to build nine more MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for the service’s Special Operations Aviation Command, according to a July 31 Defense Department contract announcement. The company is now under contract to build 24 of the G-model Chinooks. The service is expected to buy 69 special operations variants. The original plan was to procure 473 F-model Block II helicopters for the active force as well, but the Army decided in its fiscal 2020 budget request not to buy them for the conventional force and only field the latest variant to […]
WASHINGTON — The bids are in for Canada’s fighter competition, and three companies will go head-to-head for the chance to build 88 new jets. The Canadian government on Friday confirmed that the field is down two to American entrants — Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter and Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet — as well as Swedish aerospace manufacturer Saab’s Gripen E. All companies have submitted proposals before the July 31 deadline. The contest is scheduled to be decided in 2022, with the first aircraft delivery projected in 2025. Up to $19 billion CAD, or about $14 billion in U.S. dollars, is […]
U.S. aerospace giant Boeing has reported that it signed a Direct Commercial Sale agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to support upgrades to Japan’s F-15J fleet. The contract is part of a larger $4.5 billion modernization program, announced by the U.S. Government in October 2019. The upgrades will introduce state-of-the-art electronic warfare and weapons. An all-new advanced cockpit system, running on the world’s most advanced mission computer, will deliver pilots enhanced situational awareness. Under the agreement, Boeing will provide MHI with retrofit drawings, ground support equipment and technical publications for the upgrade of the first two F-15J aircraft to the Japan […]
The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Wednesday an agreement worth about $11,3 million for update critical safety items for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. The details were given in a 29 July media release, to announce that Boeing Co. has been awarded a $11.3 million U.S. Army contract modification to update AH-64E critical safety items. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2024. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – The AH-64E Apache is the latest configuration of the attack helicopter. It is designed and equipped with an open systems architecture including […]
While Boeing announced its second-quarter earnings Wednesday, it said the KC-46 charge was “primarily driven by additional fixed-cost allocation resulting from lower commercial airplane production volume due to COVID-19.” In short, because Boeing’s commercial plane production has slowed down, it’s costing more to produce the KC-46, a derivative of the Boeing 767 airliner that is manufactured on the 767 production line in Everett, Washington, and converted into a military tanker. Greg Smith, Boeing’s chief financial officer, said with the ramp down of production on some commercial airliners, certain fixed costs have been transferred to other programs. “That’s essentially what took place […]
MELBOURNE, Australia — American firm Boeing has signed an agreement with Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to support upgrades to Japan’s fleet of F-15 fighter jets. The agreement, made through the U.S. Direct Commercial Sales process, is part of a larger $4.5 billion modernization program for 98 of Japan’s F-15J/DJ Eagle interceptors ordered through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales process and approved by the U.S. State Department in 2019. Boeing will provide MHI with retrofit drawings, ground support equipment and technical publications for the upgrade of the first two F-15J aircraft to the Japan Super Interceptor configuration, also known as F-15JSI. […]
WASHINGTON — The Air Force could narrow the playing field of its Skyborg competition by the end of this summer, with plans to dole out awards to one or more companies to begin prototyping an autonomous combat drone. Last week, the service selected Boeing, Kratos, Northrop Grumman and General Atomics to receive indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts for the Skyborg program. The next step will be meeting with the four companies to get a better sense of their proposed aircraft ahead of issuing the first order for prototypes anywhere over the next 60 to 90 days, said Brig. Gen. Dale White, who leads […]
I will never fly on a Boeing 747 again. That’s pretty hard for me to take because I’ve had a very long relationship with this airplane – more than 50 years, in fact, since I first boarded one in its first year of operating, 1970. And it’s been a deeper relationship than it is for most people. For me it became far more than a machine. Its very form and presence and, yes, personality, embody the character of the people who created it, a bunch of remarkable engineers I got to know in the course of writing a book about it—a […]
South Korea’s Transport Ministry has told local carriers to carry out emergency inspections of Boeing 737s shortly after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the jets could be at risk of dual-engine failure. In an emergency order released on Saturday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) said that nearly 150 jets operated by nine companies are subject to the checks. The inspections will target older Boeing 737 models (not Max planes which are still grounded) that are parked for at least seven straight days, or have had less than 11 flights since being returned to service. Also […]
The first CH-47F advanced multi-mission helicopter of the Republic of Singapore Air Force was spotted during test-flight at Boeing Chinook production facility in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania. The Scramble Magazine released some photos of the new Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) CH-47F, serial 88160 and registered N271GG (construction number M2071) that was spotted at Wilmington/New Castle (DE). According to the Defense News, Singapore had announced in November 2016 that it was acquiring an unspecified number of CH-47Fs under a Direct Commercial Sales contract with Boeing to replace the Air Force’s fleet of older Chinooks. The latest modernization initiative contains a fully […]
MELBOURNE, Australia — The first Boeing CH-47F Chinook heavy-lift helicopter for Singapore’s Air Force is undergoing flight tests in the United States, with registration data showing that the Southeast Asian nation has 16 of the helicopters on order. Images have appeared of a CH-47F bearing Republic of Singapore Air Force markings at Wilmington International Airport in Delaware. The helicopter flew from the nearby Boeing Chinook production facility in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania. The helicopter, carrying the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration civil registration N271GG, was one of 16 CH-47Fs added to the FAA’s registry by Boeing in February and is usually a precursor […]
Each company on Thursday was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $400 million, but no seed money was immediately allocated as the firms will have to compete against each other for future orders. Through the Skyborg program, the Air Force wants to field a family of unmanned aerial systems that use artificial intelligence to adapt to battlefield conditions. The Skyborg drone should be cheap enough where losses of the aircraft in combat can be sustained, yet survivable enough so that it move into a high-end fight and function as a wingman to manned fighter jets. “Because autonomous systems can support […]
WASHINGTON — Despite numerous warnings of critical problems from experts within and outside the government over roughly 10 years, the cost to develop the now-canceled Redesigned Kill Vehicle program for homeland missile defense more than tripled, and the program’s schedule slipped by four years, a new U.S. government watchdog report reveals. “At the time [the Defense Department] canceled the RKV program in August 2019, MDA [the Missile Defense Agency] had spent a total of $1.21 billion on RKV development — $340 million more than the agency’s original estimate for the entire RKV development effort, including eight initial production kill vehicles,” according […]
The ongoing negotiations with industry suggest there is still no common ground on the legal framework for costs and risks associated with the next-generation program. Source link
The news was announced amid recertification flights this week for one of Boeing’s most scandal-hit aircraft, dealing the Chicago-based planemaker and British carrier a further blow amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. British Airways announced on Friday that it will retire all Boeing 747s in its fleet due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic amid a massive decrease in travellers this year. The British carrier operates the world’s largest fleet of its ‘Queen of the Skies’ jumbo jets in 1989, totalling 31 aircraft, and plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050, BBC reported. “It is with great sadness that we can […]
WASHINGTON — Pentagon leaders need “around $10 billion” in the next pandemic aid package to cover defense contractors’ coronavirus-related costs, according to a top defense leader. But it’s unclear how the hefty funding handout will square with Republican skepticism of new deficit spending after already approving aid packages worth trillions. On Monday, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment Alan Shaffer said the money is needed to cover a host of defense contractors’ coronavirus-related expenses. Without it, the Department of Defense will have to dip into modernization and readiness funds, potentially jeopardizing smaller firms in the defense industrial base […]
U.S. aerospace giant Boeing Company received a $1.2 billion contract July to begin buying the first eight F-15EX fighter jets. The contract, awarded to Boeing, provides for the design, development, integration, manufacturing, test, verification, certification, delivery, sustainment, and modification of F-15EX aircraft, including spares, support equipment, training materials, technical data, and technical support. Interestingly, F-15EX will replace the oldest United States Air Force’s F-15C/Ds in the service’s inventory. Eight F-15EX aircraft were approved in the fiscal year 2020 budget and 12 were requested in the FY21 budget. The Air Force plans to purchase a total of 76 F-15EX aircraft over the […]
WASHINGTON — The Air Force has officially placed an order for its first batch of F-15EXs, awarding Boeing a contract on Monday that puts a ceiling value for the entire program close to $23 billion. The first delivery order, which has a not-to-exceed value of about $1.2 billion, covers the first lot of eight F-15EX fighter jets, as well as support and one-time, upfront engineering costs. The contract award is a massive win for Boeing and gives a second life for the F-15 production line in St. Louis, Mo. After years of urging the Air Force to consider an advanced version […]
The U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. aerospace giant Boeing announced on Friday an agreement worth about $150 million for the nation’s Ground-based Midcourse Defense system. Boeing was awarded a contract modification from the Missile Defense Agency, to previously awarded on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense development and sustainment contract (DSC). It has held a sole-source, $6.6 billion development and sustainment contract for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system since 2018, which expires in 2023. The system consists of ground-based interceptor missiles and radar which would intercept incoming warheads in space. Boeing Defense, Space & Security is the prime contractor of the […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107766/46/1077664690_0:114:2865:1726_1200x675_80_0_0_439a58facd19f1c16395ba1cc48e2930.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/us/202007081079823968-boeing-plans-new-starliner-test-flight-after-spacecraft-gets-80-changes/ WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Boeing and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration implemented more than 80 changes to the new manned-flight Starliner spacecraft after an unmanned test in December of 2019 failed to meet its intended goals and are looking to test launch it later this year, a NASA official told a press conference. “The spacecraft is coming along very well for a flight as early as later this calendar year”, NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said on Tuesday. “We have implemented … recommendations [of the flight review panel] now up to a […]
A joint NASA and Boeing team has completed their “high visibility close call” review into anomalies experienced during the Orbital Flight Test (OFT) mission. Boeing is now in the process of implementing fixes and upgrades for the Starliner spacecraft in preparation for a second OFT, a crewed flight test (CFT), and operational crew transport missions. (Lead image via NASA) The first orbital spaceflight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft launched on December 20, 2019. The OFT mission, an uncrewed test flight, lifted off from SLC-41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. After a picture-perfect launch, Starliner Calypso was deployed into […]
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the 737 MAX in 2019 after two crashes – in Ethiopia and Indonesia – that killed 346 passengers and crew. Both crashes were blamed on malfunctioning automated fight controls that forced the planes to nose dive shortly after takeoff. The American aerospace corporation Boeing was unable to submit to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the documents necessary for the quality certification of the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), the malfunctioning of which led to the crash of two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, Reuters reported, referring to the report of the US Department of […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s long-planned test of an airborne laser weapon aboard a fighter jet has been delayed until 2023 due to technical challenges and complications spurred by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, its program head said. The Air Force’s Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator program, or SHiELD, had originally planned to conduct its first flight demonstration in 2021, but the test has been pushed two years back, said Jeff Heggemeier, SHiELD program manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory. “This is a really complex technology to try to integrate into that flight environment, and that’s ultimately what we’re trying […]
Boeing powered up the Core Stage for the first Space Launch System on the B-2 Test Stand at the NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi last week following a long stand down due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first Core Stage is at the outdoor facility for a Green Run test campaign that culminates in first-time propellant loading followed by an inaugural test-firing. Teams got within a week of the power up milestone in mid-March when the COVID-19 emergency forced much of the United States to shelter at home and stay there for several weeks. Stennis was one of multiple NASA […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106214/35/1062143578_0:100:1920:1180_1200x675_80_0_0_5cbd694ffa42ac6fbef073118fef0cc7.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/military/202006251079722598-boeing-wins-440-million-contract-to-build-apache-combat-helicopters-for-morocco/ WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Boeing has won a nearly $440 million contract to build new Apache AH-64E ground support combat helicopters for Morocco, the Department of Defence announced in a press release. “The Boeing Company of Mesa, Arizona was awarded a $439,179,677 modification contract for new-build Apache AH-64E aircraft and Longbow crew trainers”, the release said on Thursday. Fiscal Year 2020 Foreign Military Sales for Morocco for the full cost of the sale were obligated at the time of the award, the Defence Department added. Work on the contract will be performed in Mesa in […]
WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee will forbid the Air Force from retiring KC-135 tankers in fiscal 2021, but will allow the service to divest some B-1 bombers and KC-10 tankers. In its FY21 budget, the Air Force requested permission from Congress to retire 17 of its oldest B-1B bombers and a total of 29 aerial refueling tankers, comprising 13 KC-135s and 16 KC-10s. However, the House hopes to block the Air Force from mothballing any of its 398 KC-135s until after FY23, according to the HASC’s Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee’s markup of the FY21 defense policy bill, which […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has cleared Canada to purchase a package of upgrades for its fleet of CF-18 Super Hornets, including upgraded radars and weapons, intended to serve as a bridge between the legacy fleet and Canada’s future fighter. The package, which comes with an estimated price tag of $862.3 million, would fulfill the requirements for Canada’s “Hornet Extension Project Phase 2,” which was announced last year. The program seeks to upgrade the “sensors, weapons, survivability, security and mission support to maintain parity with evolving threats” for 36 of Canada’s Super Hornets, with initial delivery in 2023, according to […]
WASHINGTON — The Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 Defiant coaxial demonstrator hit a new speed record of 205 knots during a June 9 flight test, the companies announced Tuesday. The test marks a major step forward as the Sikorsky-Boeing team continues to march toward a speed requirement of 230 knots, said Jay Macklin, Sikorsky director of Future Vertical Lift business development, during a June 16 roundtable with reporters. The flight, which was piloted by Sikorsky test pilot Bill Fell and Boeing test pilot Ed Henderscheid, occurred at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Test Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. “Exceeding 200 knots is significant also because […]
WASHINGTON – The US Navy will need to develop a roadmap for developing future fighter aircraft years after it had become apparent that the Navy’s mainstay F/A-18 Super Hornet would struggle to keep the carrier outside be effective against Chinese anti-ship missiles. A provision in the Senate Armed Services Committee’s mark of the National Defense Authorization Act told the Navy to come up with a concrete plan for fielding next generation fighter aircraft, a move that comes months after Congressional appropriators gutted 2020 funding for the Navy’s next-generation air dominance program, taking the requested $20.7 million and slashing it to $7.1 […]
The delivery of a new KC-46 Pegasus tanker aircraft to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina has been delayed after foreign object debris was found inside the plane by Boeing inspectors. The delayed aircraft was to have been one of the first two KC-46s delivered to Air Force Reserve Command at Seymour Johnson on June 12. But while the first was successfully delivered, debris was found in the fuel tank of the second during its pre-acceptance inspections. In a statement provided to Air Force Times and Defense News on Monday, the Air Force said the debris came from “non-standard […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s new MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter, which will replace the UH-1N Huey that guards nuclear missile fields, is at risk for bursting over its weight limit, a congressional watchdog said earlier this month. The Grey Wolf — built by prime contractor Boeing and based on Italian aerospace firm Leonardo’s AW139 helicopter — appears to be gliding through its development phase, having completed its critical design review five months earlier than predicted in June 2019. However, the Government Accountability Office has voiced concerns that the final weight of the aircraft could be more than expected and lead […]
A short video from the U.S. aerospace giant Boeing demonstrates how the F-15QA fighter jet is painted in its custom livery. “The most advanced F-15 fighter jet ever built, this aircraft – and the paint scheme – were specifically designed for Qatar Emiri Air Force,” the company said on Twitter. Posted on the Boeing Twitter page, the timelapse video shows the painting process of F-15QA fighter special Qatar Emiri Air Force livery. – Advertisement – The F-15QA brings to its operators next-generation technologies such as fly-by-wire flight controls, digital cockpit; modernized sensors, radar, and electronic warfare capabilities; and the world’s fastest mission computer. Increases […]
WASHINGTON — The US Navy could face a three-year delay in testing of the MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based tanking drone if it doesn’t get its designated test ships through the required modernizations on time, a possibility the Navy said was “remote.” Two carriers — Carl Vinson and George H.W. Bush — have limited windows to complete the installation of unmanned aircraft control stations, and if operational commitments intervene it could create significant issues for the program, according to Navy officials and a government watchdog report. “Program officials stated that, among other things, the Navy’s potential inability to maintain its schedule commitments could […]
Bell and Boeing, which together make the V-22 Osprey, recently delivered its 400th tiltrotor aircraft, a CV-22 for U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command. U.S. aerospace team said the first production V-22 was delivered on May 24, 1999, and today deliveries occur under the Multi-year Procurement III contract valued at $5 billion. That agreement, which runs through 2024, includes variants for the Marines, Air Force, and Navy, as well as the first international customer, Japan. “I want to thank everyone who has made the V-22 successful for their hard work and dedication to the women and men who operate the Osprey,” […]
WASHINGTON — The Air Force is on track to finalize a business case for its ambitious next-generation fighter this summer, its top acquisition official said Tuesday, and the results could be a make or break moment for the program. The Air Force wants to radically shift its future fighter program — also known as Next Generation Air Dominance — to a model that the service’s acquisition executive Will Roper calls the “Digital Century Series,” which would use new development techniques like digital engineering, open architecture and advances in software development techniques like DevSecOps to field advanced aircraft more quickly and cheaply. […]
The Pentagon’s independent weapons tester — director of operational test and evaluation Robert Behler — intends to conclude operational testing of the KC-46 only after prime contractor Boeing fixes the tanker’s critical deficiencies and has finalized its production configuration. “Accordingly, the Air Force will defer the KC-46 full rate production decision until after the completion of [initial operational test and evaluation], and the receipt of the statutorily-required Beyond Low Rate Initial Production report from [Behler],” the Air Force said in a statement. The KC-46 program has several remaining category 1 deficiencies, the term used by the Pentagon to describe the most […]
Europe 09:24 GMT 08.06.2020(updated 09:34 GMT 08.06.2020) Get short URL US authorities have informed the Netherlands of being unable to provide additional information about a missile fired at the Malaysian Airlines Boeing, МН17, apart from a document sent in 2014, presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis has stated at the resumed hearings in the MH17 case. “The court asked whether classified satellite images of the missile launch, presented to Dutch special services, could be attached to the case … The prosecution said that the request had been sent to the US back in 2014, and in response a memorandum was sent. The Dutch […]
US 23:06 GMT 07.06.2020Get short URL The sudden resignation of the former associate administrator of NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, Doug Loverro, which startled the space community, took place just a week before the historic Space X launch. A former high-ranking NASA official is being investigated over allegedly giving improper guidance to Boeing Co. in relation to an agency competition for one of NASA’s moon landing contracts, the Wall Street Journal reported. NASA’s Inspector General is currently looking into communications between Boeing officials and Loverro, who is facing allegations of providing Boeing with “unusual insight” into aspects of the […]
https://cdn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107929/79/1079297921_0:0:2144:1207_1200x675_80_0_0_2380cd8a086c3790d97c7f7a9b9533d5.jpg Sputnik International https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png Sputnik https://cdn2.img.sputniknews.com/i/logo.png https://sputniknews.com/asia/202006011079492027-taiwan-eyeing-us-made-anti-ship-missiles-for-coastal-defense-despite-beijings-disapproval-/ As tensions between Washington and Beijing persist, Taipei is maintaining its autonomy and has expressed interest in securing a deal for new Harpoon anti-ship missiles from US-based defense contractor Boeing. The National Defense Ministry of the Republic of China revealed on May 28 that the democratically-ruled island intends to proceed in procuring Harpoon missiles from the United States, despite recent warnings from China and the already contentious relations between Washington and Beijing. Deputy Defense Minister Chang Che Ping confirmed the future US-Taiwan arms deal while answering questions in parliament on Thursday, according to Reuters. […]
The Navy plans to curtail Super Hornet production in fiscal 2022. It remains unclear, however, whether that effort will be successful. Source link
Only about 100 of the more than 6,000 Boeing workers to be laid off this week will come from its defense division. Source link
Boeing, a world’s largest aerospace company, has announced that it delivered the final F/A-18 Block II fighter jet to the U.S. Navy. As noted by the company, next year, they will begin integrating Block III Super Hornets into carrier fleets. “Delivery of this last production Block 2 Super Hornet is […] a stepping stone along the path to continuously evolving our platforms to meet the US Navy’s ever-evolving needs,” said Captain Jason Denney, Program Manager of the F/A-18 and EA-18 Program Office (PMA-265). “Block 3 delivery is just steps behind and the production lines won’t miss a beat, with the first […]
Production lines in India and South Korea are being tracked closely by Boeing officials. Source link
U.S. aerospace giant Boeing announced on 8 May that first F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet test jet has rolled out of final assembly. “Two of these test jets will head to the U.S. Navy, where they’ll help pilots familiarize themselves with the updated jets and be used in carrier flight tests,” the company said on Twitter. The F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet is the newest highly capable, affordable and available tactical aircraft in U.S. Navy inventory. The Super Hornet is the backbone of the U.S. Navy carrier air wing now and for decades to come. The combat-proven Super Hornet delivers cutting-edge, […]