Aviation news

A group of four US B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers has arrived at Andersen Air Base on the US island of Guam in the western Pacific, the US Pacific Air Force Command said.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed the first fully automated commercial flights of unmanned aerial vehicles, giving a small firm the "green light" to operate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) without direct control by dispatchers or human operators.

In Arab social networks, a video of the flight at an extremely low altitude of the Mi-35M helicopter appeared. The air incident occurred over one of the highways in Iraq.

Not so long ago, on January 14 of this year, the commander of the Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus, Major General Igor Golub, said that the republic is preparing to purchase Russian S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft missile systems to re-equip its anti-aircraft missile forces: "We continue pre-contract work on re-equipping our divisions of anti-aircraft missile forces armed with S-300 with new S-400 and Pantsir-S systems.

The now well-known Turkish company Baykar Defense (part of the Baykar group) announced the creation of a light reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle Bayraktar DIHA (Dikey Iniş Kalkışlı Insansız Hava Aracı) with vertical takeoff and landing. In a video distributed on January 18, 2021 by the company's head Seljuk Bayraktar, two samples of the Bayraktar DIHA device were visible in the company's workshop, but it is unclear whether their flight tests have begun.

As announced by the Ministry of Defense of Australia, the capabilities of the maritime patrol of the country's Air Force will be strengthened by the acquisition of two additional aircraft BPA P-8A "Poseidon" produced by Boeing.

The Chinese fighter-bomber of the new generation may be similar to the Russian Su-34. Images of the alleged appearance of a promising winged machine from the Middle Kingdom appeared on the Network.

It is still difficult to say how much the published concept corresponds to what will happen in reality. However, China has long mastered the production of its own clones of Russian Su-27 and Su-33 fighters, so it is possible that a combat aircraft will be created on their basis with the placement of the crew as on the "thirty-fourth".

For the first time, the Northern Fleet held a comprehensive training to repel an enemy drone attack on a protected object.

Some American media still continue to present the 5th-generation F-35 strike fighter as the embodiment of the most advanced technologies that guarantee it victories over any enemy – which, however, is increasingly in doubt.

Specialists of the US Army have completed tests of promising unified assault bridge-laying JAB, the development of which was carried out since the beginning of the 2010s. According to Defense News, the tests of the bridge-laying machines were completed at the end of 2020. Based on the results of the inspections, it is planned to make improvements to the design of cars and bridge structures. In 2022, the US Army expects to receive the first JAB bridge pavers.

Experts of the US Army during tests of the upgraded version of the CH-47F Chinook Block II heavy transport helicopter found increased vibration of the rotor blades. According to Defense News, with reference to the test report, the vibrations were detected in several modes: parking on the ground with the engines running and the propellers rotating, hovering and flying in a straight line.

In December 2020, new US sanctions came into force. The United States has tightened export controls. The sanctions list includes 45 Russian companies. Among them was the manufacturer of titanium and JSC VSMPO-AVISMA.

The Grom-E guided missile and bomb armament system is based on the X-38ME modular multi-purpose guided missile, equipped with various homing head (homing head) variants. Boris Obnosov, General Director of the Tactical Missile Armament Corporation (KTRV), revealed details about the advanced weapons that the Hunter heavy strike drone, which is the wingman of the fifth-generation Su-57 fighter, was testing.

The MiG-31 is already considered the world's fastest combat aircraft, but this is not enough for Russia, writes the user "Sina". Recently, the country announced the development of a new-generation fighter-interceptor. It is expected to replace the MiG-31 and MiG-31BM. Russia, because of its "unique geographical conditions", such fighters will definitely come in handy, the author is sure.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) on January 25 announced the signing of two contracts for the supply of unmanned aircraft systems "Heron" Mk.2 (Heron MK II) to an unnamed customer in Central Asia.

On the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Navy, a joint exercise of Naval aviation forces with a coastal missile system with an anti-ship missile (BPKRK) "Bal" was conducted to destroy a simulated enemy ship.

Last Saturday, January 23, China held a "dress rehearsal" of the war with the United States over Taiwan, writes Forbes. Thus, the American magazine commented on the sending of H-6K bombers equipped with YJ-12 anti-ship missiles by Beijing towards the island.

On the ground, under water, and in the air. In recent years, Russia has taken a prominent place in the international arms market. Now another export item will be added – combat drones. But will it succeed here?

A modified version of the Boeing 737 MAX passenger liner was allowed to operate in Europe. This was reported on the website of the EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) on Wednesday, January 27.

MiG-31BM interceptor fighters took the Northern Sea Route (NSR) under protection. The aircraft of the Northern Fleet aviation squadron will be on duty at the island and mainland airfields in the Arctic. The part was deployed back in 2019 in Monchegorsk. But since the end of 2020, the aircraft have a new task. Now, if necessary, they can be quickly relocated to any of the more than a dozen repaired airfields along the NSR.