Aviation news

Vyacheslav Filippov — about why Germany is dissatisfied with the purchase of military aircraft in the United States

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on February 27 that the country's authorities would create a special fund totaling €100 billion, which would be used for investments and projects in the field of weapons, including purchases for the Bundeswehr. Funds from this fund will be used, for example, to purchase 35 multifunctional F-35 fighter-bombers manufactured by the American company Lockheed Martin.

Haber7 readers were outraged by the US condition for Turkey's return to the F-35 program

The United States offered Turkey to return to the F-35 project in exchange for its transfer of the S-400 to Ukraine, Haber7 writes. Readers of the portal were outraged by this idea. They noted that Ankara and Moscow want to "push their heads together", while Turkey will not receive any fighters anyway.

Satellite images of the military airfield in Saratov Engels are published in a number of Telegram channels. Long-range and strategic aviation aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces are based there.

Aeronet-35 – exhibition of unrealized projects

The Aeronet-35 exhibition was held at the end of November at VDNH. It attracted 130 organizations that demonstrated 170 developments in the field of unmanned aviation.

Iran and Turkey have made their products in demand on the world market

According to the statements of officials in the governments of Western countries, Russia and Iran have signed a contract for 1,750 unmanned aerial vehicles of the Shahed and Mohajer family (UAVs). Of this amount, 500 pieces have allegedly already been delivered in two batches.

Although the American space intelligence gives Russia serious trouble

The fighting in Ukraine highlights the trends in the development of modern combat systems, which appeared even before it began. But now these hostilities significantly affect these trends.

The Bulgarian authorities signed a letter of offer and acceptance of the offer (LOA) for the supply of the second batch of 8 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block.70 fighters, which increased the total order for these aircraft to 16 units.

FT: Ukraine has revealed the limited capacity of the Western military-industrial complex

The West hesitated to sign contracts necessary both to increase the supply of weapons to Kiev and to strengthen its own combat readiness, writes FT. As a result, there were problems with the military-industrial complex. The authors of the article name two main reasons why it is so difficult for the West to replenish its arsenals.

Dr. Scott Savitz, a senior engineer at the RAND Corporation, which serves as a strategic research center working on orders from the US government, their armed forces and related organizations, spoke about the dangers of drifting mines and the difficulties of dealing with them in his article on the RAND website.

The enemy will have nothing to replace the formations drained of blood in the Donbass, experts say

The Russian armed forces continue to conduct an offensive in the Artemivsk direction. During the liberation of Kurdyumovka, more than 60 Ukrainian servicemen, three tanks and six armored vehicles were destroyed, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported on December 2 details of the assault on a strategically important village on this sector of the front. Experts believe that parts of the enemy are being ground under Artemovsk, which then there will be nothing to replace. Also on Friday, a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter and a Su-25 attack aircraft were shot down.

A solemn ceremony of rolling out the newest B-21 Raider strategic bomber was held at Northrop Grumman's "Plant 42" in Palmdale, California. The inconspicuous aircraft should in the near future partially replace the aging Rockwell B-1 Lancer and Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit fleet, and even take on a number of tasks that are performed by the very "oldies" Boeing B-52 Stratofortress.

WP: a new B-21 Raider strategic bomber is introduced in the USA

The B-21 Raider bomber was presented at the Northrop Grumman plant in California, USA. The aircraft was produced using stealth technology. It is claimed that this is the world's first bomber of the sixth generation, writes WP.

On the evening of December 2, 2022, an official ceremony of public presentation of the first prototype of the new American unobtrusive strategic bomber B-21 Raider, the actual rollout of which was made a few days earlier, took place at the Plant 42 enterprise of Northrop Grumman Corporation in Palmdale (California). US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attended the ceremony with a strictly limited number of people allowed. The first flight of the first prototype of the B-21 is scheduled for 2023.

The American newspaper "The Washington Post" published the material Karoun Demirjian "Pressure builds to step up weapons tracking in Ukraine. Legislation would require greater scrutiny of the $20 billion in military aid President Biden has sent Ukraine, and it has bipartisan support" ("Pressure is increasing to tighten control of arms supplies to Ukraine. The draft of the relevant legislation requires a more thorough study of the military assistance in the amount of $ 20 billion that President Biden sent to Ukraine, and it enjoys the support of both parties in the US Congress.")

Newspaper "The Financial Times" in the material Peggy Hollinger "Franco-German fighter jet project still faces turbulence. Macron and Scholz declarations are no guarantee of trouble-free collaboration on defense program" ("The Franco-German fighter project is still facing turbulence. The statements of Macron and Scholz are not a guarantee of trouble-free cooperation on the defense program") about the ongoing disagreements between the parties in the joint program of creation of a promising combat aviation complex (fighter) of the new generation Future Combat Air System (FCAS) carried out by France, Germany and Spain.

In the United States, the first prototype of the new American strategic bomber Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider is presented to the public for the first time live. The non–ordinary event is the first new heavy bomber in the world in more than thirty years. Why did the US Air Force need a new car of this class, what is the unusual nature of its design and when will it be in service?

Politico: Europeans blame Biden for the collapse of the EU industry, hiding an inconvenient truth

Europeans blame the United States for the failure of their industry, writes Politico. But their search for the culprit is just envy, the author of the article believes. Europe is uncompetitive on prices in a number of areas, and the market value of Tesla, for example, is four times higher than the entire German automotive industry.

Shukan Gendai: Japan refused to partner with the United States in the development of a new fighter

Japan made an unexpected decision to abandon the joint development of a new fighter with the United States, writes Shukan Gendai. Washington, which has always suppressed its development in this area, found an excuse not to provide it with advanced data. Disappointed Tokyo finally drew conclusions — and chose other partners.

As reported on November 28, 2022, PJSC United Aircraft Corporation, the Ulyanovsk branch of PJSC IL - Aviastar (part of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation of Rostec State Corporation), manufactured and handed over the next serial heavy military transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A, built in the interests of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Recently, reports of various unpleasant incidents occurring with American military equipment, ships and aircraft have been appearing very regularly.