F-22 weapons capability ramps up

F-22A Raptors operated by the US Air Force’s 411th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California, completed developmental tests of the Raytheon AIM-9X Block II and AIM-120D air-to-air missiles on April 18. The Raptors launched inert missiles against multiple BQM-167A sub-scale aerial targets at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR). The tests were conducted as part of the F-22A’s Block 3.2B upgrade developmental test and evaluation. The Block 3.2B modernization update to the F-22A is the largest capability upgrade for the Raptor since it reached initial operating capability in December 2005.

In addition to Block 3.2B upgrades, the USAF is also developing datalink improvements for the Raptor along with software updates that will allow the F-22A and F-35A sensor packages to be connected.

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President Trump Will Permit Citizens to Buy Military Surplus 1911 Pistols

President Trump is set to sign the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, which contains an amendment that allows U.S. citizens to acquire military surplus 1911 pistols. The sales will occur under the auspices of the Civilian Marksmanship Program, which has been selling approved military surplus weapons to citizens for more than 100 years. According to the International Business Times, it currently costs the U.S. military approximately $2 a day to store one pistol, and there are an estimated 100,000 1911s that are being stored. So that is a $200,000 expenditure the military can erase and replace with a profit, or at least of a recoup of costs, by selling the firearms. The 1911 is one of the most popular handguns ever developed. It is valued for military use, home defense, self-defense, and concealed carry. Although the military’s 1911s were made by Colt, citizens have long been purchasing civilian models from Colt as well. These range from the basic government mod...

Boeing joint venture preps to overhaul Saudi Apache helicopter fleet

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A joint venture established in Saudi Arabia as part of a economic offset agreement willl provide rotorcraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) to support the Saudi rotorcraft fleet, The Saudi Rotorcraft Support Company CEO, Neil Bevan, confirmed the contract for the company, which opened its first rotorcraft maintenance facility in Riyadh at the Industrial Zone of King Khalid International Airport in June. “We suspect our first aircraft to be the Apache platform,” Bevan said. “We’re due to bring it into our rotorcraft maintenance facility in the upcoming few weeks and we are expecting to work on it for approximately two years.” In 2015, Alsalam Aircraft Company, Boeing and Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) signed an agreement to create the Saudi Rotorcraft Support Company. The joint combines core strengths and disciplines to create a unique offering in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while delivering the objectives of S...

Mi-24K reconnaissance spotter.

After lengthy preparations, an Mi-24K testbed equipped with a new main rotor flew for the first time on December 23 last year at Tomolino near Moscow, which is Mil’s flight-test base. The Russian government is funding the development of a high-speed helicopter (Russian acronym PSV). Although the Russian defense ministry is interested in such a machine, Mil parent company Russian Helicopters is downplaying its commercial prospects. The Mi-24 PSV demonstrator features two Klimov VK-2500 turboshafts, which are slightly more powerful than the two TV3-117s found on standard Mi-24s. The new blades have curved ends to avoid flutter. Cruise speeds of up to 215 knots are expected, according to Mil. The company describes some hardware elements installed on it as “specimens for improving in-service helicopters” of the current Mi-24/35 and Mi-8/17 series. This might be a reference to new avionics that have reportedly been developed by KRET, as well as the new blades. Tentatively, the Ru...

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