Aviation news

Seven aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet conducted a bombing and missile launch exercise in Crimea, said the official representative of the Black Sea Fleet Alexei Rulev.

Ahead of schedule, Airbus Defense and Space handed over the third (out of seven ordered) BTA A-400M Atlas aircraft to the Belgian Air Force Command on September 23.

The Celestial Empire presented a mock-up of the FH-97 UAV, which looks almost identical to the American Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie. On the basis of the latter, they can create machines capable of accompanying fighters, including solving shock tasks.

The MSB-8 helicopters, developed by the Ukrainian company Motor Sich, can receive fuselages of their own production. Preparation for the release of helicopter body parts began at the State Enterprise "Kharkiv State Aviation Production Enterprise" (KHGAPP). This is reported by Defense Express.

Chinese engineers have developed a drone that can stay in the sky for almost a day. This is reported by the Global Times.

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. has started flight tests of the first AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter designed for the Bahrain Air Force.

The entire color of the Chinese defense industry is represented these days in Zhuhai. On September 28, the 13th International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, better known as Airshow China 2021, opened in this city.

It can transport up to 250 kg of cargo

Factory tests of the transport parachute system of the tEchnodinamika holding (part of Rostec), which with the help of a navigation system can automatically deliver about 250 kg of cargo to the place with maximum accuracy, have been completed. This was reported to journalists on Wednesday in the press service of Rostec.

The United States releases one stealth fighter every three days. On September 28, the press service of Lockheed Martin Corporation announced the release of the 700th F-35 Lightning II aircraft from the assembly line.

The Chinese military showed a J-20 fighter jet with Chinese WS-10C engines at an air show in Zhuhai. Previously, the aircraft was equipped with Russian turbojet dual-circuit powerplants AL-31FN. According to Flightglobal, it is not known at what stage of development the WS-15 engine, which was originally planned to equip the Chinese fighter, is currently at.

The United States drew attention to the expanded arsenal of MiG-31BM and MiG-31BSM interceptors. The aircraft received a new short-range R-74M air-to-air missile. The new ammunition makes the MiG-31 one of the most versatile aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). A similar opinion was expressed by the magazine The Military Watch.

Four astronauts will take part in the flight, including Chris Boshuizen, a former NASA engineer and co-founder of Planet Labs, and Glen de Vries, vice chairman of the Dassault Systmes division.

As reported by the Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties, it was launched from the Idlib de-escalation zone

Russian means of controlling the airspace of the Khmeimim airbase in Syria have detected a drone launched by militants. The UAV was shot down by the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex, said Rear Admiral Vadim Kulit, deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Parties in Syria.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense may terminate the contract with the Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSC) MiG for the maintenance of MiG-29 fighters. The reason for the refusal of services is the violation of the terms of the work. This is reported by Defense Blog with reference to the Bulgarian edition of "Monitor".

It is assumed that by the end of the 2020s its volume will increase by at least 25-30%

The Middle East will remain one of the main markets for military aircraft manufacturers over the next ten years. Such data were presented during a webinar dedicated to the state of the aviation and space market in the Middle East and organized by the specialized publication Aviation Week & Space Technology.

Over the weekend, videos appeared online showing the transfer of T-72MS "White Eagle" tanks on heavy-duty trawls to the administrative border with Kosovo.

The new military reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) "Merlin-VR", capable of operating at an altitude of up to five kilometers, was developed in Russia, follows from the presentation of the project available to RIA Novosti.

Il-38 aircraft and Ka-29 helicopters were involved in the exercises

Combat aviation of the Pacific Fleet conducted exercises in Kamchatka with the implementation of practical bombing and missile launches. Il-38 anti-submarine planes and Ka-29 helicopters launched a bomb and missile attack on a simulated enemy in the area of the Halaktyrsky beach of the Avacha Bay, the press service of the fleet told reporters.

The delegation of Rosoboronexport JSC will not take part in the Airshow China 2021 in Zhuhai due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American military-industrial corporation Lockheed Martin in 2022 will supply customers with fewer fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters than previously planned, according to a schedule revised to take into account the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus infection on personnel and production, Bloomberg reports.