News Archive

March 2006


31 March 2006 F-16 crashes near Utah's Salt Lake
An F-16C from Hill Air Force Base was on a training mission with three other jets when something went wrong and the pilot ejected. The jet crashed around 15.00h, approximately 30 miles west of Hill Air Force Base after the pilot ejected safely. ...
31 March 2006 Navy divers out to salvage wreckage of F-16 that crashed off Korea
U.S. Navy divers Wednesday were probing a dark swatch of ocean floor about 25 miles off South Korea's west coast in a bid to recover the F-16 fighter plane that crashed there earlier this month....
31 March 2006 First new F-16 for Poland Peace Sky program accepted
The United States Air Force contractually accepted the first new F-16 aircraft for the Poland Peace Sky program on March 30. The Poland Peace Sky program is comprised of 48 new F-16 Block 52+ aircraft, including 36 F-16C and 12 F-16D aircraft....
31 March 2006 Turkish Air Force F-16s start NATO patrol of Baltic Skies
Four Turkish F-16s took over NATO patrol missions of the Baltic air space on March 31. Turkey will be the first NATO country to patrol Baltic air space for four months as opposed to three....
30 March 2006 U.S. Air Force releases report on in-flight refuel accident
A KC-10 boom operator overcompensation caused an accident last October that resulted in $930,000 in damages to an F-16C fighter assigned to the South Dakota Air National Guard, the Air Force said on Wednesday....
29 March 2006 Turkey to buy 100 F-35 jets?
While the F-16 and F-4 have become legends in air combat over the years, every aircraft will eventually have to be replaced. Turkey is facing the tough decision of which aircraft to purchase to follow in the footsteps of the Viper and the Rhino....
28 March 2006 AEDC adapts propulsion technology for wind tunnel tests of F-35
A recent series of successful F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aerodynamic tests in Arnold Engineering Development Center's 16-foot transonic wind tunnel (16T) demonstrated the center's ability to adapt propulsion test technologies for use in wind tunnel tests....
25 March 2006 Fighter jets proving effective in 'non-traditional' role
The convoy travels down the dusty desert road. Soldiers keep watchful eyes, surveying the barren landscape surrounding them. Today, their minds are slightly at ease. Overhead, an armed F-16 in direct contact with their team is watching the road ahead. No one will be lost today....
24 March 2006 F-35 fuel tests confirm solid, well-built design; structural testing begins
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter completed "leak-free" fuel-system checkout testing achieving another major success milestone on the fighter program. Engineers and technicians have concluded, on schedule, an extensive fuel-system checkout on the first JSF and are making final preparations for a series of structural tests on the aircraft planned to begin today....
23 March 2006 Joint Strike Fighter program crucial to future Air Dominance
Keeping the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program on track is important because the Air Force needs to replace aging aircraft and it is an important complement to the F-22A Raptor aircraft. ...
23 March 2006 Incoming 22nd Air Force Commander delivers newest Lockheed Martin C-130J to Keesler AFB
Lockheed Martin yesterday delivered the second C-130J airlifter of 2006. The aircraft was flown to Keesler AFB, Mississippi, where it was assigned to the 815th Airlift Squadron....
22 March 2006 New York National Guard's 174th prepares for deployment
The 174th Fighter Wing is training for its largest single deployment since it went overseas during the Persian Gulf War 15 years ago. ...
22 March 2006 Landing-gear pin causes F-22A damage
A maintainer's failure to control the nose landing gear pin streamer during removal from an F-22A allowed the pin to be ingested into the right engine Oct. 20, 2005 prior to a mission at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, according to an aircraft accident investigation report released today....
18 March 2006 F-16 Fighting Falcon covers multiple missions
Hundreds of physical and mental training hours go into being a part of one of the most advanced careers in the world -- an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot. ...
17 March 2006 Decision on salvage of downed F-16C is pending
The U.S. Air Force in South Korea said it would consult South Korean maritime police on whether to try to salvage the F-16C fighter that crashed in the West Sea on Tuesday....
17 March 2006 Largest ever F-16 modernization program enhances aircraft
The largest ever F-16 modernization program continues to advance, making the aircraft a more lethal, survivable and network-centric weapon system in the Global War on Terrorism....
15 March 2006 Poland has successful first flight
The maiden flight of the first Polish F-16 aircraft has been successfully completed. The flight took place in Ft. Worth, Texas and marks a key milestone in the success of the Peace Sky program. Poland will take delivery of the first of 48 F-16s in November....
15 March 2006 Greece not to activate Block 52 option
The Greek government announced Wednesday it had turned down an option to buy 10 additional F-16 aircraft from Lockheed Martin. Instead, they will probably buy another 30 fourth-generation fighter jets in 2006....
15 March 2006 Congressional investigators recommend F-35 funding slow down
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommended slowing funding for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter due to "signifigant developmental risk" and the likelyhood of cost and scheduling overruns....
14 March 2006 U.S. Air Force F-16C crashes in Yellow Sea
A U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed this morning in waters off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and the pilot safely ejected, the U.S. military said. ...
14 March 2006 U.S. Senate to hold hearings on JSF single engine provider issue
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to hold hearings this week concerning the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's engine suppliers - namely whether two suppliers are needed for the project. ...
12 March 2006 Elbit's F-35 helmet deal worth $71.4 million
Defense technology firm VSI, the American subsidiary of Israel's Elbit Systems, has been contracted by the Lockheed Martin for new battle helmets (HMDs) for F-35 jets...
08 March 2006 Swamp Foxes beat Hooligans' safety record
The safety record for a North Dakota Air National Guard unit needs an asterisk as it appears that a South Carolina unit has more than 101,000 hours in its fighters without a major accident. ...
08 March 2006 Nick 'Midas' Anderson joins the 5,000hr club
Lt.Col. Nick 'Midas' Anderson, pilot with the 162FW, Tucson Air National Guard, passed the 5,000-hour mark in the F-16 flying a combat mission over Iraq ...
07 March 2006 Hooligans set safety record for flying... once again
Pilots for the North Dakota Air National Guard's 119th Fighter Wing in Fargo set a record of 70,000 hours of accident-free flying....
05 March 2006 Lockheed Martin delivers F-22 Raptor to second operational squadron
The 94th Fighter Squadron, famous for its historic "Hat in the Ring" insignia and legendary aviator Eddy Rickenbacker, began receiving F-22 Raptors from Lockheed Martin today....
03 March 2006 US offers F-16 jet fighters to India
The United States offered to sell India advanced fighter aircraft and other high-tech arms as the next step in a rapidly expanding military relationship between the two countries....
02 March 2006 Northrop Grumman to provide Hellenic Air Force F-16 fleet with Advanced Capability Fire Control Radar System
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a $63.9 million contract to provide AN/APG-68(V)9 airborne radars for F-16 Block 52+ aircraft for the Hellenic Air Force. ...
02 March 2006 BVR Systems wins $2.7m F-16 MLU simulator contract
The Israeli BVR Systems (1998) Ltd. today announced a contract valued at $2.7 million for the provision of F-16 MLU Improved Unit Line Trainer (IULT) for an international customer....
01 March 2006 Air Force announces preferred F-22A locations
The Air Force's preferred alternatives for the third and fourth operational F-22A beddowns are Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., and Hickam AFB, Hawaii, said Gen. T. Michael Moseley, Air Force chief of staff, today ....
01 March 2006 F-22 to attend Heritage Flight Conference
If you're a fan of the F-22 Raptor, we have some good news for you. The F-22 will attend this year's Heritage Flight Conference at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, AZ in preparation for taking part in Heritage Flight demonstrations during the 2006 airshow season....