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Super Hornet favourite in Indian and Brazilian tenders By Reuben F Johnson The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is well placed to fulfil both the Indian and Brazilian fighter requirements, the company and its industry partners said on 28 October. Boeing and its Team Super Hornet partners – Raytheon and General Electric (GE) – presented a broad-ranging review of the F/A-18E/F's position in both the Indian Air Force's (IAF's) Medium-Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) programme for 163 aircraft plus 63 options and the Brazilian Air Force's F-X2 tender for the first 36 of what is projected to be a total of 120...

COULD this footage be proof that aliens are among us? The startling film has been leaked on the internet and UFO watchers reckon it could be proof of a government cover-up. The mystery craft looks far from threatening as it flanks the supersonic F18 fighter above the skies of the US. oof that aliens are among us?

“Brazil is becoming more aware of its place in the world and wants to be a player on the world stage.” A Brazilian Nuclear Submarine: The Improbable Dream? “Why not dream big and say that we want to reach the point where a nuclear submarine is a possibility?” — President Lula de Silva French, Swedish and US defense companies pursuing a $4B deal to replace Brazil’s aging fleet of fighter jets are stepping up lobbying efforts... The intensification of the campaigns comes after Brazil’s likely announcement was pushed back from September to October at the earliest in order to ask...

The U.S. Navy found cracks in two of its older F-18A/B/C/D series of aircraft. The apparent cause was a missing fastener. But to be on the safe side, all 622 of these F-18s are being inspected. The navy has been watching its F-18 carefully, because as aircraft age, they develop unexpected cracks. And the F-18 fleet has been aging fast. Over the last decade, the U.S. Navy found that their older F-18C Hornet fighters were wearing out faster than planned for. This was sort of expected with the F-18Cs, which entered service during the late 1970s and early 80s. These...

House defense authorizers are pressing Defense Secretary Robert Gates to consider buying existing fighter jets instead of the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to curtail a severe fighter jet shortfall in the Air Force National Guard. During a House Armed Services Committee markup of the 2010 defense authorization bill on Tuesday, lawmakers raised alarm that aircraft shortfalls could present significant challenges to the Air Force’s ability to protect domestic airspace. At press time, lawmakers had included an amendment sponsored by Reps. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) and Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) that would force Gates to consider buying F-15, F-16 and F-18 aircraft...

Northrop Grumman has delivered its 400th fuselage section for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, the U.S. Navy's combat-proven multi-role strike fighter. The fuselage "shipset," measuring nearly 30 feet long and 18 feet high, consists of the aircraft's center and aft fuselage sections, twin vertical tails and all associated subsystems. It was shipped earlier this month to The Boeing Company's F/A-18 production center in St. Louis, Mo., for final assembly and delivery to the Navy. As principal F/A-18E/F subcontractor to Boeing, Northrop Grumman is responsible for design and production of the entire center and aft fuselage as well as subsystems integration and...

The man who on Monday lost his wife, two daughters and mother-in-law in the San Diego jet fighter crash says he doesn't blame the pilot, who "did everything he could" to avoid the disaster. Don Yoon, 37, yesterday visited the remains of his home in the suburb of University City. His Cather Avenue house was completely destroyed when a F/A-18D Hornet lost power in both engines while trying to land at nearby Miramar Marine Corps Air Station. The pilot - named as Lt Dan Neubauer of Marine Corps Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 - ejected safely, suffering only minor injuries...

SAN DIEGO - A Korean immigrant who lost his wife, two children and mother-in-law when a Marine Corps jet slammed into the family's house said Tuesday he did not blame the pilot, who ejected and survived. "Please pray for him not to suffer from this accident," a distraught Dong Yun Yoon told reporters gathered near the site of Monday's crash of an F/A-18D jet in San Diego's University City community. "He is one of our treasures for the country," Yoon said in accented English punctuated by long pauses while he tried to maintain his composure. "I don't blame him. I...

(CBS/AP) An F-18 military jet crashed in a San Diego neighborhood on Monday, sparking at least one house fire. It wasn't immediately clear whether anyone was injured, said Maurice Luque, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Television news footage showed one house and two cars on fire. Fire crews were at the scene of the crash, which occurred near Interstate 805, reports CBS affiliate KFMB in San Diego. The plane crashed shortly before noon Monday as it prepared to land at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, said Ian Gregor, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. The crash occurred two...

Ten F/A-18 Hornet fighter-attack jets have been grounded after inspections of the wings revealed cracks near a critical flight control surface, The Virginian-Pilot reported Saturday. Two of the planes were among the 112 deployed overseas, Lt. Clay Doss, a Navy spokesman, told the newspaper. The report didn’t specify where the Hornets are assigned. Of the 476 planes inspected, 10 had defects serious enough to force their grounding, the Navy said. Another 20 planes will remain in service pending repairs, but their use would be limited. According to the newspaper, the cracked surfaces were found in hinges that control the movement...

FALLON, Nev. — A pilot was missing after two U.S. Navy jets flying a routine training mission collided Friday over northern Nevada's high desert about 50 miles east of the Fallon Naval Air Station. Two pilots safely ejected from an F-5 Tiger and were rescued, but the pilot of an F/A-18C Hornet was missing, said Zip Upham, public affairs officer for the base. The two aircraft collided about noon Friday near the town of Middlegate, some 110 miles east of Reno, Upham said. The cause of the crash was under investigation, he said. The pilots in the two-seater F-5 Tiger...

1st week in May 2008, Western Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Guam, USA -- Two USN F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets intercept the low flying USAF B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber as it performs a rigging maneuver to identify the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).Large, medium, and the above smaller photo via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20050822.htm (photo 5). The Story Navy, Air Force train together to showcase capabilities By Staff Sgt. Stephen Teel, 36th Wing Public Affairs, Andersen AFB, Guam, USA http://www.GuamPDN.com/guampublishing/pacificedge/data/EkEkEFulppeoOcKtLi.htm

ILA 2008: Indian bids add spice With India prominently labelled as the show’s ‘official partner country’, the importance of the Indian market, and the growing power of India’s aerospace industry is being underlined and highlighted at Schoenefeld. Jon Lake reports With the recent, long awaited release of a $10 billion request for proposals (RFP), India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition is hotting up, and the main contenders are all present at Berlin, doubtless hoping to impress and persuade India that theirs is the best choice as India’s next fighter. Originally launched as the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) requirement, the...

Now Navy wants Super Hornets too It Is now sufficiently clear that the Indian Navy wants to be able to use the air force’s assets of war. In a revelation so far kept under wraps, the Navy has asked Boeing a contender for India’s $10-billion tender for 126 air force fighters if the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet can operate off the INS Vikramaditya, the rechristened Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov currently being refurbished in Russia for the Indian Navy. None of the fighters in the IAF’s existing fleet have the capability to operate from the deck of an aircraft carrier. Boeing’s...

It was particularly memorable, Craig Williams said, the night he almost died.Williams, 44, is a Concord resident, and, among many other accomplishments, is a former federal prosecutor and the endorsed Republican candidate for the 7th Congressional seat, U.S. Congress, House of Representatives. The year of his near death was 1991, it was the dead of winter and he was flying across the icy North Atlantic with his squadron, the VMFA(AW)-121 Green Knights. He was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, flying as a Weapons and Sensor Officer in the back seat of a two-seater F/A-18D Hornet, on...

NEW DELHI: US civil and defence aerospace major Boeing has decided to outsource two critical components of the F-18 Super Hornet combat aircraft to India and the order for one of them could go to the Tatas. Lt Gen Jeffrey B. Kohler, Boeing vice president for international strategy, told the India Strategic defence magazine that as a “responsible world player in aerospace, Boeing wanted a long-term, trusted partnership with India and that the orders for these two components are being placed now irrespective of whether or not the company wins the tender for 126 Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA).” Both...

Australia drops threat to cancel US jet fighter contract The Associated Press Monday, March 17, 2008 CANBERRA, Australia: Australia's government Monday withdrew its threat to cancel a $4.6 billion contract to buy 24 U.S.-manufactured Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, after accusing the previous administration of entering the deal for political reasons. Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon announced the sale would go ahead after a review by Australian officials of the plane's capability. ... "The new government is satisfied that the Super Hornet is an aircraft with significant capability and more than capable of meeting all of Australia's defense needs," Fitzgibbon told...

2/11/2008 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFPN) -- Coalition airpower integrated with coalition ground forces in Iraq and International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan during operations Feb. 10, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here. In Afghanistan, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs conducted shows of force over an enemy compound near Sangin and over a coalition-forces convoy in the vicinity of Tarin Kowt. The shows of force were conducted in order to deter enemy activities in the areas. The missions were declared successful by the on-scene joint terminal attack controller. In Bari Kowt, Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles conducted...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Two U.S. Navy fighter jets plunged into the Persian Gulf Monday, after what initial reports suggest was a mid-air collision, a defense official said. All three pilots ejected safely from the planes and were headed back to the USS Harry Truman, the aircraft carrier they were operating from, according to the official, who requested anonymity because the information was preliminary and not yet released publicly. No other details or the crash were released. One of the F-18 jets that crashed held two pilots, the other held just one. The crash occurred at about 1 p.m. EST.

U.S. fighter bids for India hit tech-transfer snag Thu Dec 6, 2007 2:06pm EST By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A split in the Pentagon over how much cutting-edge technology to share with India is complicating bids by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Boeing Co (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) for a potential $10 billion fighter jet contract. At issue, among other things, is advanced radar know-how India wants as part of any deal for the 126 new fighter jets it plans to buy from one of six global aerospace powerhouses, say current and former Pentagon officials. Detailed...

A training bomb fell accidentally from a Navy plane in California on the same day one dropped near a busy road in Virginia Beach, Navy officials confirmed Tuesday. Both incidents involved F/A-18 Hornets and an inert, 10-pound bomb called BDU-48. The bomb, which releases only smoke on impact, fell into a commercial area along London Bridge Road. No one was injured, and there was little damage. The plane was returning to Oceana Naval Air Station from a North Carolina bombing range. That same day - Oct. 30 - a BDU-48 fell off a Hornet based at Lemoore Naval Air Station...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A mandatory grounding of Air Force F-15s has been expanded to cover those flying combat missions over Afghanistan after a crash in Missouri last week, Air Force officials said Monday. The F-15Es in Afghanistan can fly only in emergency situations to protect U.S. and coalition troops in a battle, according to Maj. John Elolf, a spokesman for the U.S. Air Force Central Command. Maj. Cristin Marposon, an Air Force spokeswoman, told The Associated Press the country's fleet of 676 F-15s, including mission critical jets, was grounded on November 3 for "airworthiness concerns" after the crash of an...

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The Navy said a small, inert training bomb fell Tuesday from an F/A-18C Hornet fighter jet that was heading to Oceana Naval Air Station. No one was hurt. The Navy said in a statement that the bomb hit a wall adjacent to a warehouse in the resort city of Virginia Beach. Minimal damage was reported. The aircraft was returning to Oceana following a training mission at the Navy's bombing range in Dare County, N.C., when it dropped the bomb. The jet landed safely at Oceana. -snip-

Australia 'cracked US codes' By Don Woolford September 20, 2007 04:23pm KIM Beazley has told how Australia cracked top-secret American combat aircraft codes while he was defence minister in the 1980s. "We spied on them and we extracted the codes," Mr Beazley told Parliament during his valedictory speech today. Mr Beazley, who was defence minister from 1984 to 1990, said that when he took over the job he soon learned that the radar on Australia's Hornets could not identify most potentially hostile aircraft in the region. In other words, Australia's frontline fighter could not shoot down enemies in the region....

Front PageIAF Jaguars ‘sink’ USS Nimitz, F-18s return the favour to INS Viraat Manu Pubby Posted online: Saturday, September 08, 2007 at 0000 hrs Malabar Exercise: From tracking nuclear submarines to managing 200 aircraft and taking on deep-sea terror threat, five Navies cover sweeping range of maritime operations ON BOARD USS Kitty Hawk (150 miles west of Port Blair), September 7: As the small green dots approached closer on the radar screen, the Indian officer sitting deep inside USS Nimitz knew it was too late to save the ship. Jaguar maritime fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF), operating from...

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The term "joint operations" in todays military is thought of American service members carrying out missions with service members from different branches of the U.S. military or coalition partners working together. For two units, one in Japan and the other in the Republic of Korea, joint operations went in a different direction as the mission wasn't against one adversary force but against each other. Marine Corps aviators stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan flew simulated combat mission against opposing forces, commonly referred to as Red Air, pilots from 80th Fighter Squadron here. The 80th FS deployed to Iwakuni...

Ever wondered what happens when a fast jet has a blow out on landing? Here's one less pilot who can stop wondering, as this video shows him doing just that, complete with a classy skid to bring things to a close.

My son was able to attend the Air and Sea show today in Ft. Lauderdale FL. The link is to the Flikr slideshow containing his pictures.

Ultra Hornet By Graham Warwick Boeing and the US Navy are poised to expand and exploit the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet's capability for precision engagement and battle management now the upgraded platform is matched to the latest avionics While debate rages over the hallmarks and advantages of fifth-generation fighters, Boeing is preparing to deliver the next generation of its long-running F/A-18. The F/A-18E/F Block II+ Super Hornet is the culmination of a fundamental upgrade of the multi-role fighter and the foundation for future capability expansion. Next-generation Super Hornet deliveries to the US Navy will begin later this year when the first...

Bangalore air show: Indian combat aircraft order could be split between the MiG-35 and Western types By Siva Govindasamy India might accelerate introduction of advanced aircraft into air force service by dividing contract into batches India could divide its order for 126 multirole combat aircraft (MRCA) into two, with Russia's MiG-35 a front-runner for the first batch of fighters if the plan goes ahead. The move is being considered in New Delhi as one way of inducting advanced aircraft into the Indian air force at an earlier date, and therefore expanding its strategic reach in the region. Indian defence minister...

This year, as every year on January 17, I remember this was the date that LCDR Michael Scott Speicher disappeared in Iraq. That was in 1991, so it has been 16 years now since his F-16 Hornet went down. Let us never forget an American hero. He, nor any other POW/MIA, should be left behind.

Check out one of the best vapor shock and cones ever to be caught on tape.

It's a 3 minute and 46 second demonstration of the superb flying skills of the United States Navy's fighter pilots in the F/A-18F Super Hornet jet fighter. Once again we see why the U.S. military pilots are the best in the world.

Secret plan to lease planes Ian McPhedran November 29, 2006 11:00pm A SECRET plan is being developed to spend hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, effectively leasing a temporary fighter plane fleet to fill a looming air combat shortfall. The hired fleet would be at least partly based at Amberley, in southeast Queensland, along with Tindall in the Northern Territory and Williamtown in New South Wales. The Royal Australian Air Force will retire its ageing fleet of F-111 strike jets from 2010 and won't take delivery of the first of $16 billion of new stealth Joint Strike Fighters until at...

". . . After performing the usual impressive Demo, the Superhornet came in to land. Almost immediately upon touching down there was a loud "BANG" - he blew a tire. He got the jet slowed down and held it in the runway until the other tire gave way, then she broke loose. The back end came around, and you could see him fighting it and adjusting into it as much as possible, but things progressed and the plane spun around. He did almost a complete 360, then the tail end went off the runway and into the dirt. The stabs...

Photo 1. An F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the "Diamondbacks" of Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Two (VFA-102), Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), 5 November 2006, Pacific Ocean. Image ID: 061105-N-8591H-389 Photographer Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jarod Hodge, United States Navy Linkshttp://www.Navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/061105-N-8591H-389.jpg (big image) http://www.Navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=40674 (original source) http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-20061112.htm (above image from this site's fine F/A-18 photo gallery) Photo 2. An F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron One Zero Two (VFA-102), Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63), 11 September 2006, East China Sea. Image ID:...

Preparations are well under way for the Valley's premier aviation event - the Edwards Air Force Base Open House and Air Show. The free two-day event is set for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 28 and 29, at the base that has been home to flight testing nearly every aircraft in the Air Force inventory - past, present and future. That heritage is reflected in the event's theme - "The Edwards' Edge: Making History, Reaching New Heights." This year's festivities also will honor the 60th anniversary of the Air Force, one of the first official events to do so. Headlining the...

FARNBOROUGH: Indian Air Force pilots are expected to test fly Boeing's F-18 fighter aircraft to evaluate the American war machine as the company is one of the main bidders in the race to sell 126 frontline jet planes to India. Two test pilots from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Air Marshals A K Nagalia and Bhushan Gokhale, are here at the Farnborough Air Show to evaluate the planes, an HAL official said today. India plans to buy 126 fighter planes to replace its ageing Russian-made MiG-21 warplanes and top aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Lockheed, which produces the F-16 warplanes, are...

FARNBOROUGH: Indian Air Force pilots are expected to test fly Boeing's F-18 fighter aircraft to evaluate the American war machine as the company is one of the main bidders in the race to sell 126 frontline jet planes to India. Two test pilots from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Air Marshals A K Nagalia and Bhushan Gokhale, are here at the Farnborough Air Show to evaluate the planes, an HAL official said today. India plans to buy 126 fighter planes to replace its ageing Russian-made MiG-21 warplanes and top aircraft manufacturers like Boeing and Lockheed, which produces the F-16 warplanes, are...

Boeing aims to beat Indian arms limits By Arie Egozi in Tel Aviv Boeing is evaluating the possibility of offering its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to India equipped with Israeli-made avionics in an effort to bypass the US government’s opposition to the export of some US-produced systems to the country. India is expected to consider the Super Hornet design for a new air force requirement for 126 new lightweight fighters, a request for proposals (RFP) for which is expected to be released later this year. The invitation for Israeli companies to participate in the project is also being based on the...

The man killed during a F-18 fighter jet training exercise was a 25-year-old U.S. Marine Corps pilot, officials said Tuesday. First Lt. Brian R. Deforge of Plattsburgh, N.Y., died in Monday's mid-air collision, U.S. Navy spokeswoman Lt. Sonja Hanson said. Deforge and another pilot, whose name has not been released, were practicing dogfighting maneuvers when they crashed over Fort Hunter Liggett, a remote U.S. Army Reserve base 150 miles south of San Francisco, said Navy spokesman Dennis McGrath. Deforge, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, chose to go into the Marines Corps as a pilot, Hanson said. Both Navy...

KING CITY, Calif. - Two FA-18 Navy fighter jets collided Monday over a Central Coast military base, but it was unclear if there were casualties, a military spokesman said. The jets from Lemoore Naval Air Station were flying a training mission when they crashed at Fort Hunter Liggett, an Army Reserve base 150 miles south of San Francisco, said Navy spokesman Dennis McGrath. The Naval Air Station supplies all the fighter jets to Navy ships off the West Coast and serves as a training site for FA-18s. Dozens of fighters rotate to and from aircraft carriers per month. The FA-18C...

Before this weekend's free airshow at Naval Air Station Atlanta, AJC staffer Steve Beatty joined Lt. Kevin Davis for a fun-filled afternoon of barrel rolls and other tricks high above Athens in a $24 million F/A-18. Beatty only passed out three times.See the highlights.

Boeing sipped a double shot of good news Friday, sealing up a billion-dollar support contract for a Navy fighter and reportedly nearing a $10 billion pact to supply planes to Singapore Air. The Navy contract was confirmed Thursday night in Washington. Boeing will provide logistics support for the Super Hornet fighter jet for an initial five years for $995 million. If all options are exercised, the deal could run 10 years and be worth $2.9 billion. The Singapore Air deal was reported Friday in the Wall Street Journal. According to the paper, Boeing is poised to beat out Airbus to...

The stage is all set for the joint Indo-US air exercise from Monday with the arrival of F-16 aircraft at Kalaikunda airbase in the West Midnapore district of West Bengal amid demonstrations by the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) activists against the event. The Indian Air Force, undeterred by the demonstrations, remained busy with its preparations for holding joint exercise with the Americans, titled COPE- 05, from November seven. "The 250-strong American Air Force contingent, led by Colonel Cobat Nelson, with an F-16 fighter aircraft squadron has reached Kalaikunda from Miswa Air Base in Japan. The custom clearance of...

Combat aircraft decision may pivot on nuclear co-operation HUMA SIDDIQUI Posted online: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 at 0147 hours IST NEW DELHI, OCT 10: After inking the $3.5 billion Scorpene submarines deal last week, the Centre is now all set to shop for 126 multi-role combat aircraft for which Boeing of US, Dassault of France, Russian MiG RAC and probably an Italian company have already been shortlisted. The move assumes significance as highly placed sources say India is trying to get closer to US and France through the aircraft deal since both these countries have offered civil and nuclear technology...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The front-line fighter jet of the Navy and Marines has suffered a series of recent accidents blamed on brake failure, exposing a problem that has spurred urgent warnings from commanders, military documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Boeing said on July 22 it had begun preliminary talks with India on selling and co-producing F-18 Super Hornet fighter planes, a month after New Delhi and Washington signed a far-reaching defense pact. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has plans to buy as many as 126 multi-role fighters for an estimated $9 billion, as it replaces its aging fleet of Russian-built MiG 21s. “We have begun initial discussions with the IAF in terms of exploratory relationship building and to provide them with some initial information on the capabilities of the Super Hornet,” Chris Chadwick, Boeing vice president for the F/A-18...

NEW DELHI - U.S. aircraft maker Boeing has joined the race to supply fighter jets to the Indian Air Force, a senior company official said Friday, weeks after the United States and India signed a strategic defense pact. Responding to a request from the Indian government, Boeing Co. presented its latest multipurpose jet — the F/A-18 Super Hornet — to defense officials in India this week. "We are pleased to have the opportunity to provide India with a premier aircraft that will help guarantee the security of India and its people," said Chris Chadwick, Boeing vice president for F/A-18 programs....