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    Boeing Statement on Award of B-52 Modernization Contract
    Erik
    By Erik,
    Boeing Statement on Award of B-52 Modernization Contract   Boeing -- 29/09/2010   WICHITA, Kansas -- The Boeing Company today received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract from the U.S. Air Force for B-52 Stratofortress weapon system modernization. The company released the following statement: "This B-52 modernization contract will include several delivery orders over an eight-year period. The Air Force announced a contract ceiling of $11.9 billion. This is a contracting vehicle that will allow engineering sustaining contracts, studies, production and other activities to occur in support of the B-52. No funds were committed with this contract announcement. We expect our first delivery order to be awarded on Sept. 30."   Boeing has been maintaining and modernizing the B-52 bomber for 55 years -- including engineering services and upgrades to communication technology -- allowing the B-52 to remain a relevant weapon system in support of military missions around the world.         Boeing

    Russian Navy to get fifth generation carrier fighter after 2020
    Erik
    By Erik,
      Russian Navy to get fifth generation carrier fighter after 2020   RIA Novosti -- Alexei Druzhinin -- 28/09/2010   The appearance of a fifth generation fighter in Russian naval aviation will not happen before 2020, the outgoing head of the air forces and air defense forces of the Russian Navy, Lt. General Valery Uvarov told RIA Novosti on Tuesday. Previously, representatives of the armed forces command and Defense Ministry had said a new naval fighter based on the Sukhoi T.50 design could enter service around 2016.   "It's difficult to say when this aircraft will enter naval service. First it will go into service with the air force, and then be 'navalised.' To build a new aircraft from scratch costs huge money, it's irrational and not competent. Conditions might be suitable by 2020," he said.   Uvarov stressed, however, that any new naval fighter would enter service only following a competition in which other designs would participate, including from the MiG, Yakovlev and Sukhoi design bureaus.   A new generation carrier fighter should enter service with the fleet not long before any new aircraft carrier on which it would be based, Uvarov said, so pilots would be ready. "The aircraft should come before a ship entering service, so pilots can train first on land, then on a special training area, then on deck," he said.   He stressed that the service was still waiting to take delivery of the naval MiG-29K, which is being exported to India.   "The first two MiG-29Ks will soon be purchased in order to carry out development of their functions," he said. "I think there should be two squadrons, that is 24 MiG-29Ks and one squadron of Su-33s."   The Russian navy is currently reforming its structure, with naval air forces and naval air defense being merged into one branch. Lt. General Uvarov is leaving his post as commander of both branches.       MOSCOW September 28,           RIA Novosti

    Boeing Receives Multi-Year Contract from US Navy for 124 F/A-18 and EA-18 Aircraft
    Erik
    By Erik,
      Boeing Receives Multi-Year Contract from US Navy for 124 F/A-18 and EA-18 Aircraft   Boeing - September 28, 2010 ST. LOUIS -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a new multi-year procurement (MYP) contract from the U.S. Navy for 124 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft. The new contract is valued at $5.297 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Boeing will deliver 66 Super Hornets and 58 Growlers to the Navy from 2012 through 2015.   "The men and women of Boeing are honored to provide the Super Hornet's advanced, combat-proven multirole capability and the EA-18G's unmatched airborne electronic attack capability to the American warfighters serving their nation around the world each day," said Boeing F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs Vice President Kory Mathews. "Procurement of these 124 aircraft through a multi-year contract takes advantage of the full efficiencies of Boeing’s production and supplier operations, which will generate more than $600 million in cost savings for U.S. taxpayers."   The new contract is the third multi-year agreement between Boeing and the Navy for production of the F/A-18E/F, the Navy's frontline strike fighter, which delivers forward-deployed air combat capability around the world from the decks of 11 Navy aircraft carriers, including ongoing missions in Afghanistan.   The EA-18G, the United States' newest combat aircraft, conducts advanced airborne electronic attack (AEA) missions to support Navy and joint force requirements. The EA-18G is scheduled for its first combat deployment later this year.   "Boeing and its Hornet Industry Team suppliers have delivered every Super Hornet and Growler on schedule to the warfighter and on budget for the taxpayer from the first Super Hornet delivery,” said Mathews. “The first two F/A-18E/F multi-year contracts generated more than $1.7 billion in savings for the United States. We look forward to continuing to provide unmatched capability and value through this contract."   Boeing delivered 210 Super Hornets to the Navy during the initial F/A-18E/F MYP, which spanned fiscal years 2000 through 2004. Boeing was then awarded a second MYP that included aircraft procurement during fiscal years 2005 through 2009. Aircraft deliveries under that contract continue through 2011 and total 257 aircraft.   The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a multirole aircraft, able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions. Boeing has delivered more than 430 F/A-18E/Fs to the U.S. Navy.   The Boeing EA-18G Growler is the only air combat platform that delivers full-spectrum AEA capability along with the targeting and self-defense capabilities derived from the Navy's frontline fighter, the F/A-18E/F Block II Super Hornet. A derivative of the two-seat F/A-18F Block II, the EA-18G's highly flexible design enables warfighters to operate either from the deck of an aircraft carrier or from land-based airfields. It is replacing the Navy's current AEA platform, the EA-6B Prowler, which has been in service since 1971. The EA-18G joined the Navy's aircraft fleet in 2008, when it was introduced to fleet training squadron VAQ-129.   A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.         Boeing

    Thousands attend annual parade honoring World War II hero John Basilone
    Fubar512
    By Fubar512,
      RARITAN BOROUGH (Somerset County)   John Basilone showed up to Raritan’s annual John Basilone Parade today.   That is, a record number of people saw John Seda — the actor who portrayed the World War II Congressional Medal of Honor winner in HBO’s miniseries "The Pacific" — attend the 29th edition of the parade honoring Raritan Borough’s favorite son.   "It was just an honor," said Seda, who grew up in Clifton. "I knew the connection that Basilone has with his family and friends from Raritan, New Jersey. I can only think that John, if he were here today, he’d be doing the same thing."   Despite overcast skies that began to drizzle as the parade came to a close, organizers said the estimated crowd of 10,000 spectators was an all-time high, thanks to the "The Pacific."   "That would be a record," said Herb Patullo, who has helped organize the parade since it was first held in 1981.   The miniseries, produced by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, follows the lives of Gunnery Sgt. Basilone and two other U.S. Marines, Robert Leckie and Eugene Sledge, from their first battles in the Pacific theater to their return home.   The 39-year-old actor said he felt an unusually strong connection to the role, and was happy to attend the parade again for a second year. The 10-part series aired in March.   "Being raised in New Jersey myself, I felt this pride, you know," said Seda, who signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans. "How do you go about portraying someone like John Basilone? It’s not made up. You know, someone could look at his story and think it was Hollywood-made. It’s not. It really happened. So, I just tried to find the humanity in who he was and tried to work it from there."   The image of Basilone looms large over the borough and its 6,300 residents. A larger-than-life-sized bronze statue of Basilone was erected in 1948, an idealized image of the curly-haired hero standing bare-chested, a crucifix and dog tags hanging from his neck, his machine-gun in his hands and his gaze fixed on a world free of tyranny. A ceremony accompanied by a Marine Corps band was held at the foot of the statue following the parade.   Mayor Jo-AnnLiptak, said it was her own third-grade class at Raritan’s John F. Kennedy Elementary School that first proposed a parade in1980, presenting the idea to then-Mayor Steven DelRocco after a visit to the statue.   "The farther away we get from his actual life and his death, the more important it is to remember the extraordinary heroism that he exhibited that day," said Liptak.   Seda stood on a reviewing stand at the corner of West Somerset and Daughtry streets as ROTC drill teams, marching bands, Marine Corps motorcycle clubs and other veterans groups filed past him.   "Humbling is the word I’ve used so much, and I just can’t use it enough," he said.   Basilone won the Medal of Honor for his heroism as a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant during the Battle of Guadalcanal on Oct. 25 and 26, 1942. His heroic legacy was propelled to near mythic proportions when, after being deployed stateside to sell war bonds, the camera-shy Basilone insisted on going back into combat, only to be killed on the island of Iwo Jima on Feb. 19, 1945, at age 28.   Spectators included 92-year-old Ann Scarpone and her sister-in-law, Phyllis, 85, who grew up with Basilone and whose brother, Connie Scarpone, caddied with the hero-to-be at nearby Raritan Valley Country Club. They were among thousands of newborns to nonagenarians who lined West Somerset Street, waving flags and cheering the passing spectacle. Fire trucks and military vehicles, bagpipers, a vintage cannon that boomed every block or so, and even an aging Elvis impersonator, all marched in celebration of Gunnery Sergeant Basilone.   One of the younger marchers was LorinBrungard, 17, a senior on the Immaculata High School Color Guard in Somerville, who hopes to become a Marine Corps lawyer. Brungard, who lives in Bridgewater, was marching in her fourth Basilone parade.   "He’s, like, one of my biggest heroes," she said. "I watched the HBO series, "The Pacific," and I was just in tears."     Photo: Jason Drennan, 3, left, and his cousins Vincent Villalta, 5, and Dylan Villalta, 6, (who are brothers) right, look over Hogan, the riderless horse in the the annual parade honoring WWII Congressional Medal of Honor Winner John Basilone. Thomas White, right, of the Marine Corp Jersey Shore Marines handles Hogan   Source: http://www.nj.com/ne...tan_boroug.html

    Gripens do half of 51 World Cup intercepts
    Erik
    By Erik,
      Gripens do half of 51 World Cup intercepts   DefenceWeb -- Written by Leon Engelbrecht Saturday, 25 September 2010 16:19   The South African Air Force's (SAAF) growing fleet of SAAB Gripen fighters conducted about half the 51 aircraft intercepts conducted during the June/July soccer world cup. The SAAF deployed 11 of the available 15 Gripen during the month-long tournament as well as 12 of 24 BAE Systems Hawk lead-in fighter trainers.   Also deployed on interception duties were 12 unarmed Pilatus PC7 Mk II Astra trainers, 14 AgustaWestland A109M and some Eurocopter BK117 light utility helicopters. Air Force director fighters, Brigadier General John Bayne, told a Gripen briefing at the SAAB chalet at Africa Aerospace & Defence 2010 exhibition that ends today that some 347 combat air patrols (CAP) were flown to secure all 64 games.   In a similar briefing in August, Major General Les Lombard, the General Officer Commanding te Air Force Command Post said with “that grouping of aircraft we could cater for various threats, be it from paragliders right up to the possibility of hijacked airliners.”   Bayne says some 2214 SAAF personnel were deployed for Operation Kgwele as the endeavour was known. Lombard noted it was the “largest air defence operation the SAAF has ever conducted. It was over an extended period of time and all 64 games were secured by air defence assets.” He added that it “is a massive operation securing the airspace of an entire country and you need the close cooperation of all the roleplayers... the Airports Company SA, the Department of Transport's Air Traffic Navigation Service (ATNS) an the police.   Lombard noted command-and-control required the establishment of six sector control centres (SCC): South Africa normally only has two. The permanent installations at the Lowveld Airspace Control Sector at Hoedspruit in Mpumalanga and the Bushveld Airspace Control Centre in Pretoria were augmented by two mobile sector control stations from 140 Squadron, deployed to Bloemfontein and Cape Town. “And there our resources came to an end. So with a lot of initiative and hard work from within the SAAF, two temporary sector control stations were created at Port Elizabeth and Durban with great cooperation from ATNS who supported us with facilities and allowed integration into their systems at those venues.   “The development of the sectors in a very short time and the close cooperation with the ATNS was really a winner. Then in terms of the sector control centres from where all the military aircraft was controlled, we had very lose coordination with the ATNS with regard to deploying the necessary sensors such as radars to develop an integrated air picture.   “We deployed four Tellumat-supported Umlindi radars from 140 Squadron, three tactical mobile radars (TMR) from 142 Squadron and integrated these with our static radars, ATNS and SAAF long range, which allowed us a very good tactical integration...,” Lombard said.   “In terms of radar sensor information, the CAF (chief of the air force, Lieutenant General Carlo Gagiano, who spoke before Lombard) alluded to the effectiveness of the Gripen radar, it was really marvellous to see the effectiveness of that and many low flying aircraft were considerably surprised by our ability to detect them in areas where they thought they could fly under radar coverage. The Gripen could pass on the data – via Link ZA – to the SCC so that intercepts could be vectored onto them. This opens up a whole new concept of operations within the SAAF and is something we will pursue down the line.   “We also had the ability to integrate the radars of the navy frigates and the SA Army Thutlhwa... ...these obviously are force multipliers … the frigates were just off the coast, to give us the coverage we so badly needed for low flying aircraft [at coastal venues].” In addition, said Lombard, the SA Army deployed 29 observation posts (OP's) at various venues and these were in direct communication with the SCC “in order to supply us with visual input of very low flying aircraft or aircraft with very low radar cross section. The SA Navy supplied five further OP's in the Cape area.   Bayne noted that the air defence system recorded detected 65 non-compliant aircraft, including airliners, which led to the 51 intercepts. Nine aircraft were diverted. Police waiting at airfields took unspecified action against 43 pilots. Bayne praised the availability of the SAAF's new fighter fleet, noting that seven Gripen and four Hawk were deployed to AFB Waterkloof to provide CAP over the northern matches (Polokwane, Pretoria, Nelspruit, Johannesburg, Rustenburg, Durban and Bloemfontein) and four of each to AFB Overberg to CAP Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.   For this purpose the Gripen were allocated 276 flying hours and the Hawks 279. Bayne says the five two-seat Gripen D were 98% reliable and the six single-seat Gripen C 89%. The Hawk was 98% reliable. At any given time 8.95 of the 11 Gripen were available and 11.6 of the Hawk. Maintainability was 89% for Gripen and 92% for Hawk. Bayne observed that the figures for Gripen would have been higher had it been an operation system. The platform, being acquired under Project Ukhozi, is still in the project phase.     DefenceWeb

    TADS Options Purchase of CF5 Fighters
    Erik
    By Erik,
      Tactical Air Defense Services Acquires Option to Purchase Canadian CF-5 Fighter Jets   TADS-USA -- 23/09/2010   CARSON CITY, Nev., Sep 23, 2010 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc., an Aerospace/Defense Services contractor that offers tactical aviation services, aerial refueling, aircraft maintenance, disaster relief services, and other Aerospace/Defense services to the United States and foreign militaries and agencies, is pleased to announce that it is has acquired the exclusive contractual right to purchase six Canadian CF-5 Fighter Jets and related assets (the "CAD Assets") from Crown Asset Distribution, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Canada.   The CAD Assets have a market value of greater than $69 million, and include:   -- 6 CF-5 Aircraft -- Spare Parts Lots -- 45 General Electric J85-15 Jet Engines   The total cost to TADF to purchase, import and refurbish the CAD Assets, including the acquisition cost of the contractual right to purchase the CAD Assets, is less than $6 million. The CF-5 aircraft is the Canadair licensed version of the American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter aircraft built primarily for the Canadian Armed Forces. The CF-5 is a low-cost, low-maintenance, and extremely versatile fighter jet that can be used to provide a tactical support role, as a light attack strike fighter and a reconnaissance platform, and for dissimilar air combat training, lead-in tactical fighter training, and in an adversary role, in support of tactical aviation contracts.   TADF intends to use the CAD Assets to capture new tactical aviation service contracts and maintenance contracts, with the U.S. Department of Defense and foreign militaries:   -- CF-5 Aircraft: -- CF-5 Aircraft: Support existing TADS/Tac-Air tactical aviation service contracts -- Capture new tactical aviation service contracts -- Minimum of 200 hours per aircraft per year -- Hourly rate to government of approximately $7,500 per flight hour -- CF-5 Parts: -- Support TADS CF-5 aircraft for 20 years -- Surplus sold in conjunction with international aircraft maintenance contracts -- Manufacturing template for CF-5 parts supply business to ensure ongoing supply -- CF-5 Engines: -- Support TADS CF-5 aircraft for 20 years -- Surplus sold either as whole units or in parts   TADF is currently pursuing a collateralized loan of $6 million secured by the CAD Assets with an over-collateralization ratio of greater than ten times. TADF believes but cannot guarantee that it will receive the funds necessary to purchase all of the CAD Assets.   Alexis C. Korybut, Chief Executive Officer of TADF, stated, "We are very pleased that after more than a year of working on this very important transaction, we have finally accomplished what may prove to be a watershed event for TADF. The acquisition of the CF-5 Fighter Jets will enable TADF to bid on larger and more profitable tactical aviation contracts and aircraft maintenance contracts, and the sale of surplus spare parts and engines may provide a significant source of income to TADF for years to come, in addition to materially increasing the assets on our balance sheet."   Make sure you are first to receive timely information on Tactical Air Defense Services when it hits the newswire. Sign up for TADF's email news alert system today at: http://ir.stockpr.co...sa/email-alerts   Further information about TADS is available on our website: www.tads-usa.com.   Forward Looking Statement Disclosure   This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934 that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations and assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Some of these uncertainties include, without limitation, the company's ability to perform under existing contracts or to procure future contracts. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including without limitation, successful implementation of our business strategy and competition, any of which may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. We undertake no obligation and do not intend to update, revise or otherwise publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events. Although we believe that our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will materialize. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements.       SOURCE: Tactical Air Defense Services, Inc.

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