News Archive

December 2005


27 December 2005 F-22A Raptor took long road to initial operational capability
With the F-22A's initial operational capability declaration Dec. 15 came the capstone of a process that began 76 months earlier, in August 1997, when a C-5 Galaxy landed at Edwards AFB and taxied down the expansive "Contractor's Row" with several crates and boxes in its cargo bay for what is now known as the F-22A Combined Test Force. ...
21 December 2005 Dutch F-16s to receive RecceLite reconnaissance pod
RAFAEL of Haifa, Israel and the Dutch Ministry of Defense have signed a $40-million contract for six RecceLite reconnaissance pods, which will be carried on 311 Squadron's F-16s at Volkel airbase. ...
20 December 2005 122nd pilots earn medals for heroism in Iraq tour
Three Indiana Air National Guard F-16 pilots, Lt. Col. Stohler, Capt. Rusch, and Capt. Frazier, were honored for their role in protecting soldiers on the ground in Iraq....
20 December 2005 First F-35 nears completion
With the installation of horizontal tails on the first F-35, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team has completed assembly of the aircraft's major structural components. The next milestone in the aircraft's march to first flight is engine installation, planned for early 2006....
18 December 2005 Elbit to supply ROKAF F-16s with EO IR long range oblique imagery systems
Elbit Systems Ltd. Reported on Sunday that its subsidiary, Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop Ltd. has been selected by the Korean Air Force the South Korean Air Force with its EO/IR long range oblique imagery systems in F-16 aircraft. ...
16 December 2005 Peace activist who smashed Dutch F-16s sentenced
On August 10, Italian peace activist Turi Vaccaro smashed two Dutch F-16 jets with a hammer. He climbed over a fence at Woensdrecht AB and created for more than 5 millions Euro damage to two F-16s parked in a hangar. ...
15 December 2005 Two F-16s complete with latest upgrades delivered to Pakistan
Two upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcons landed in Pakistan on Tuesday. According to Pakistan, the US has provided these aircraft to the PAF for free as a "goodwill gesture"....
15 December 2005 Thunderbirds need enlisted volunteers
The U. S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is looking for professionals to join an elite team known world-wide for precision flying and community involvement....
15 December 2005 New Sniper pod sharpens pilots' view of targets
Should 8th Fighter Wing pilots at Kunsan Air Base have to find and bomb an enemy building, they now have new gear aboard that will show them sharp, detailed video images, right down to the structure's individual windows....
15 December 2005 F-22A Raptor goes operational
The F-22A Raptor - Air Force's most advanced weapon system - is ready for combat, Air Force officials announced at Langley AFB today. In reaching initial operational capability, the Raptor is certified ready for operational use. ...
14 December 2005 Air Force may freeze F-22 upgrades to buy more raptors
According to published reports, the US Air Force may freeze development of upgrades to the F-22 Raptor to afford more of the new fighter jets....
14 December 2005 Pratt & Whitney delivers 200th F119 engine to U.S. Air Force
Pratt & Whitney has delivered the 200th F119 engine, the world's most advanced engine currently in production. To date, 56 F/A-22 Raptors have been delivered to the United States Air Force, each powered by two Pratt & Whitney F119 engines. ...
13 December 2005 Airforce to drop the 'A' in "F/A-22"
The U.S. Air Force plans to change the designation of the F/A-22 Raptor to "F-22A" in the near future according to an article on DefenseNews.com....
13 December 2005 Turkish Air Force to train Italian Viper drivers
Turkey is going to provide F-16 fighter pilot training to Italian Air Force pilots, after recently providing similar training to United Arab Emirates Air Force pilots, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Monday....
13 December 2005 Greece and the US sign agreement for sale of additional F-16 block 52+ jets
The governments of Greece and the United States have signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the sale of 30 additional F-16 Block 52+ aircraft to Greece, with an option for an additional 10 aircraft....
10 December 2005 Raptor takes next step in supersonic JDAM capability
The F/A-22 Raptor, traveling faster than the speed of sound, dropped a 1,000-pound guided Joint Directed Attack Munition over the Edwards range Dec. 1. ...
07 December 2005 Thunderbirds release their 2006 schedule
The US Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, also known as the Thunderbirds has released the schedule for their 2006 show season which includes 65 public shows in 29 states....
06 December 2005 RAFAEL to Supply RECCELITE Reconnaissance Pods to the Netherlands Air Force
A contract for the supply of intelligence and reconnaissance systems valued at $40M has been signed between RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd. and the Dutch Ministry of Defence. ...
06 December 2005 Pratt & Whitney completes first flight test F135 engine
Flight test engine #1 will be delivered to Lockheed Martin's plant in Ft. Worth later this month where it will be installed into the first flight test F-35 airframe. ...
06 December 2005 C-130 impacts a highrise apartment building
In a very tragic mishap, a C-130 has flown into an apartment building in Tehran, Iran....
04 December 2005 Why Australia went with the F-35
The Royal Australian Air Force's decision to go ahead with buying the F-35 might be surprising, but not when one looks at what the alternatives had been. The Australians had been considering ten options for the future of the RAAF. ...
02 December 2005 Dynamic Weasel sharpens combat skills
Exercise Operation Dynamic Weasel begins here today to hone the skills Airmen need for combat deployments. ...
01 December 2005 BAE celebrates installation of F-35 JSF vertical tails
BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company have completed the installation of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) vertical tails, representing a major milestone in the F-35 Program....