Latest news with #militaryaircraft
Japan Times
4 hours ago
- General
- Japan Times
U.S. Osprey makes emergency landing at Iwate airport
A U.S. Osprey military aircraft made an emergency landing on Thursday in Iwate Prefecture, the latest in a string of mishaps and accidents involving the controversial tilt-rotor plane. The pilot contacted Iwate Hanamaki Airport in the prefecture, saying they wanted to land due to a technical glitch, an official at the airport said. The aircraft landed without incident, and the crew did not request emergency medical assistance, he said. Officials from U.S. Forces Japan could not be reached for immediate comment. Television footage from the airport showed a few uniformed U.S. military personnel standing outside the parked aircraft. National broadcaster NHK also showed a video of the Osprey making a vertical landing at the airport. The Hanamaki airport official said the incident did not impact the operation of the airport. Ospreys can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and rotate their propellers forward to fly like a plane. The aircraft has been involved in accidents and several deadly crashes, including one off southern Japan in 2023 when all eight people on board were killed. The fatal crash prompted the U.S. military to ground the aircraft worldwide. Regional Japanese military personnel were heading to Hanamaki to study the latest incident, a defense official said.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
US Osprey makes emegency landing in Japan
A US Osprey military aircraft made an emergency landing on Thursday in northern Japan, the latest in a string of mishaps and accidents involving the controversial tilt-rotor plane. The pilot contacted Hanamaki Airport in Iwate prefecture, saying that they wanted to land due to a technical glitch, an official at the airport told AFP. The aircraft landed without incident and the crew did not request emergency medical assistance, he said. Officials from US Forces Japan could not be reached for immediate comment. Television footage from Hanamaki Airport showed a few uniformed US military personnel standing outside the parked aircraft. National broadcaster NHK also showed a video of the Osprey making a vertical landing at Hanamaki. The Hanamaki airport official said the incident did not impact the operation of the airport. Ospreys can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and rotate their propellers forward to fly like a plane. The aircraft has been involved in accidents and several deadly crashes, including one off southern Japan in 2023 when all eight people on board were killed. The fatal crash prompted the US military to ground the aircraft worldwide. Regional Japanese military personnel were heading to Hanamaki to study the latest incident, a defence official told AFP. hih/rsc
Forbes
2 days ago
- General
- Forbes
A Decommissioned F-16 Heading To An Ohio High School
A USAF Thunderbird F-16 will soon be displayed outside an Ohio high school! (Photo by Ian ...) More than 4,600 F-16 Fighting Falcons have been produced to date, and after nearly five decades in service, more than 2,000 remain in operation around the world. The F-16 is the most widely employed fixed-wing aircraft in military service, and it is also among the most commonly displayed aircraft. Nearly 100 Fighting Falcons are now on display in various museums around the world, while dozens more serve as "gate guards" or as part of a "pylon display" at U.S. Air Force Bases (AFBs) and military installations. Now, one decommissioned F-16 could be heading not to another base or museum, but rather to an Ohio high school. Union Local High School in Belmont County, Ohio, announced that it was gifted a retired F-16. It marks the first time a high school has received such an honor. It may be especially fitting as the school's nickname is the Jets, while being in one of the two states that claims a close connection to manned flight may have helped the school obtain the fighter. "This jet will represent The Union Local Jets and everybody that graduated here, over 60,000 of them," Dirk Davis, president of the Afterburners Committee, the school's booster organization, told WTOV. The jet fighter will eventually be displayed on a pedestal in front of the school, where it will be appreciated by far more than just the 450 students and staff. The campus is just a stone's throw from Interstate 70, which sees thousands of cars pass by daily. A Thunderbird F-16 to Boot What makes this story even more unique is that the F-16 the school is receiving is a former United States Air Force F-16 Thunderbird Jet, used by the service's elite demonstration team. However, this may be because the demonstration jets aren't configured for combat, so less conversion may have been required to transfer the aircraft to a civilian organization. The USAF Air Demonstration Squadron has flown the F-16 since its 1983 season, when it retired the T-38 Talon following a training crash that killed four team members. It is unclear when this particular Fighting Falcon had its wings clipped. Putting It On A Pedestal Efforts to acquire the jet began in 2018, led by local community members who sought to display a retired military aircraft. The team reached out to the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., Naval Air Station Pensacola, and then to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, which is located approximately 80 miles from the school. The base is home to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, and its museum curator and the Air Force's static display program coordinator helped guide the process. Union Local High School was approved to receive a decommissioned fighter plane in August 2021, which then began a series of necessary preparations, as well as fundraising efforts. Two Ohio-based businesses, Buckeye Steel and The Tressel Company, oversaw the construction and installation of the pedestal that will eventually hold the aircraft. Soon after that work was completed, the school was officially awarded the retired F-16. "So that's what it is you know it's a Thunderbird, the first one that's ever been out of the military or the United States Air Force, thanks to them, and it's the first one that was given to us and not to a military base or a state museum, so we're very happy, and we hit the jackpot, we hit the lottery," Davis added. No taxpayer dollars were involved in the purchase of the F-16; instead, the transfer was funded entirely by donations from school alumni and local businesses. According to WTOV, the project is "expected to be completed" by next spring. Go Jets!
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
China's J-35 Naval Stealth Fighter Looks Set For Service
A new photo suggests that China's Shenyang J-35, its next-generation carrier-based fighter, may now have entered limited series production and could possibly be in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). The photo joins a succession of imagery showing some of China's latest military aircraft in great detail, including previous views of the same type of jet, although still in prototype form, as you can see in our previous coverage here. Wow … as it seems, also the PLAN Naval Aviation has finally revealed its first two operational (?) J-35 fighters.(Image via @沙丘里的回声 from Weibo) — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) July 18, 2025 The new photo, which seems to have originally been posted on the Chinese Weibo microblogging website, is an air-to-air study of two J-35s in close formation. It appears to be an official PLAN release, and the fact that it includes aircraft construction numbers — 0011 and 0012 — strongly suggests that these are low-rate initial production (LRIP) aircraft. At the same time, we cannot totally rule out a disinformation effort, with LRIP-conforming numbers applied to existing prototype aircraft, for example. At the same time, the J-35s wear prominent new shark markings, as well as national insignia, on their tailfins, which might point to them being in service with the PLAN. Another shark motif appears on the tail fins of the J-15 carrier-based fighters that the PLAN also operates. Finally, the pilots wear the bright blue helmets that have frequently been seen used by Chinese naval aviators flying the J-15 with frontline units, as seen in the photo below, aboard the carrier Liaoning during a 2021 drill in the South China Sea. While we have previously gotten good air-to-air views of the J-35, the aircraft seen so far were prototypes, albeit getting increasingly closer to the likely production standard. These aircraft, in contrast, look like they are from the LRIP batch and, as such, represent the initial version of the Shenyang design that will see PLAN service, including carrier operations. A navalized variant of the land-based FC-31, the first flying J-35 prototype appears to have made its initial flight in October 2021. The second known flying J-35 prototype was subsequently spotted in July of 2022, now sporting a low-visibility gray tactical paint scheme. There was speculation that a third was pictured in flight in September 2023, although, as we noted at the time, the quality of the imagery made it difficult to ascertain whether the aircraft was indeed a navalized J-35 or a land-based FC-31 variant. Now it appears that significantly more examples of the J-35 have been completed, perhaps including the first limited-production aircraft. TWZ spoke to Andreas Rupprecht, a Chinese aviation expert and contributor to this website, for his assessment of the new J-35 photo. He said the fact that the LRIP version of the aircraft had broken cover at this point would not necessarily be a huge surprise, especially since the production version of the J-15B fighter (an enhanced carrier-based Flanker) had also appeared out of the blue, late last year. Very quickly, almost two-dozen J-15Bs were identified as being in service. Until this point, there had been no confirmation of J-15B series production, and the same may turn out to be true of the J-15. – J-15B has light grey radome, are the CATOBAR compatible, 4.5th gen (new weapons, avionics AESA etc) variant, marked red– J-15/A has dark grey radome, STOBAR production/old version, 4th gen, marked greenIn flight I see 9 J-15B, 2 J-15A, but happy for other opinions. — Rick Joe (@RickJoe_PLA) October 31, 2024 The appearance of the apparent LRIP J-35s also comes amid a flurry of other new developments in Chinese military aviation, including indications of the J-20S two-seat stealth fighter being in People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) service, as well as the J-35A (the land-based version of the naval J-35). At this stage, there is still some confusion about the type of engine used by the J-35s in the new photo. What is clear, however, is that the naval J-35 and land-based J-35A appear to have different powerplants, at least at this stage. Ultimately, the advanced WS-19 was expected to power both versions, but this doesn't seem to be the case — yet. There are unconfirmed reports that the J-35A for the PLAAF already uses the definitive WS-19, identified by its characteristic darker exhaust nozzles. Meanwhile, the PLAN's J-35A, which features lighter-colored nozzles, may be powered by the WS-21, which is a heavily improved version of the earlier WS-13, as found on the first prototypes. At this stage, we don't know for sure, but there are likely to be further powerplant changes as Shenyang continues to enhance its J-35s for land-based and naval use. A first brief analysis … J-35 vs J-35A in details!Most obvious at first sight:– the engines or at least exhaust nozzles are totally different– both now use the same smaller rudder (unlike seen on naval prototypes)– both have different luneburg lenses — @Rupprecht_A (@RupprechtDeino) July 18, 2025 Both J-35s in the photo are fitted with a ventral bolt-on Luneburg lens (radar reflector). This is often used on stealth fighters when low observability is not required, when it can pose a challenge for flying in controlled civilian airspace, or when masking the aircraft's true signature from foreign intelligence. The naval version seems to be different from the reflectors on the land-based J-35A, which appear to be extendible and not bolted on. Somewhat surprisingly, there are also rumors that the J-35 has already begun carrier trials from the deck of the Type 003 Fujian, a vessel that is now undergoing pre-service trials. At this point, there is no imagery to confirm this, but with the aircraft apparently now in service, such tests are likely to commence in the not-too-distant future, if they haven't already. On the other hand, it would seem surprising if the unproven J-35 was the first fighter to be tested aboard the new carrier, rather than the long-established J-15. China has also been using land-based test sites for years to help prepare personnel for catapult-equipped carrier operations. Perhaps we will learn more about the status of the J-35 in PLAN service in September, when the aircraft is rumored to be making its public debut in a large-scale event to mark the 80th anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II. Whatever the case, there are growing signs that we will see the J-35 operating from a PLAN carrier before too long, although there is still a long way to go before the service can declare any kind of operational capability for the type. As it stands, the J-35, together with the KJ-600 carrier-based airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, a type we have profiled in depth in the past, and likely also stealthy combat drones, looks set to provide notable new capabilities for China's fast-developing carrier aviation branch. Contact the author: thomas@ Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘There's a bit of a queue forming': how UK firms are enticing buyers for the next generation of fighter jets
In a factory on the banks of the River Ribble in Lancashire, robot arms stand on a floor striped with glowing lights. They will hold the tail fin for a test model for the UK's next generation fighter jet, which is intended to fly for the first time in 2027. The jet, known as Tempest, will act as a symbol of Britain's hopes to remain a top-tier military nation and keep alive more than a century of building military aircraft. Yet things are markedly different in another hangar at the Warton site, run by British arms manufacturer BAE Systems. There, production of the Typhoon jet, a mainstay of the Royal Air Force (RAF) for two decades, has – for now at least – ground to a halt. Unite, a union representing workers, has raised concerns that the UK risks losing skills, but the company, Britain's dominant weapons maker, insists that it will find new orders that will sustain jobs on the production line. Richard Hamilton, a managing director in charge of the Typhoon programme, told reporters at the plant this week that he was 'really confident' of receiving orders – but not from the UK. Instead, the UK government is trying to persuade Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to buy more, which would secure the future of the assembly lines at Warton for as long as a decade. The questions over the future of the assembly line are emblematic of a trilemma that often seems to affect military procurement: the UK wants the best weapons; wants to boost British manufacturing, and needs to keep a lid on costs. Achieving more than two of those three aims simultaneously may be tricky, if not impossible. Keir Starmer last month committed to raise defence spending to the equivalent of 3.5% of GDP in line with Nato allies, but even that increase – paid for by a cut in international aid that was deeply controversial among Labour MPs – has not assuaged concerns over the UK's future capability to make fighters. That was heightened by the UK's recent decision to go ahead with an order of US-made F-35s – long-range stealth fighter jets. The UK last month said it will buy 12 US-made F-35A jets which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, significantly adding to the UK's nuclear arsenal. It also ordered another 15 F-35Bs, capable of vertical takeoff and landing. The jets are made by Lockheed Martin, but BAE Systems contributes communications, navigation and radar systems. Each F-35B version can cost as much as $109m (£81m), although the cost of the F-35A is thought to be about $83m. The UK carries out about 15% of the work by value on each F-35. But costs are also much higher than planned: the MoD estimated whole-life costs of £57bn for the F-35 programme, but the National Audit Office put the actual price tag at £71bn. Typhoon illustrates the way that European governments tried to keep the ability to make fighter jets while lacking the US's economic power: the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain agreed to team up on the Eurofighter back in the 1990s, which meant fewer politically popular jobs, but also shared costs between several nations. The left wing is made in Italy, the right in Spain. Germany makes the central fuselage, while the engine is based on a design from Britain's Rolls-Royce and front fuselages are built in Samlesbury, half an hour east of Warton. Each jet is then assembled by a prime contractor in one of the four countries, with BAE Systems as the lead for the jets bought by the UK. A 2011 public accounts committee report put the cost of each Typhoon at £73m – or £126m if development costs were factored in. But BAE Systems also builds the planes ordered by allies via the UK government. Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia could order as many as 100 new Typhoons between them, Hamilton suggested, with about 50 more potentially assembled elsewhere. Hamilton also said that the government should commit to supporting upgrades to existing Typhoon jets with the latest electronics, such as new radars, encrypted communications, and new displays for pilots. Those upgrades would clear the way for customers to make the orders, Hamilton suggested. A source close to the defence minister, John Healey, indicated the government is likely to support the upgrades, which were recommended in the recent strategic defence review. The government is also confident in gaining more orders, the person said. Export orders give an easy financial win for the government – even if the Eurofighter never quite lived up to export hopes – but they will also force compromises on the Labour government, which has had to curry favour with countries who have faced persistent criticism over human rights abuses. Turkey is a member of Nato, but president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has pursued increasingly authoritarian policies, and his main political rival has been given a prison term. Qatar has its own record of human rights abuses, particularly around treatment of migrant workers, and its criminalisation of same-sex relationships. Most notably, oil-rich Saudi Arabia became – briefly – an international pariah after the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. US intelligence agencies came to the conclusion that Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, approved the murder. Saudi Arabia was blocked from ordering more Typhoons for several years by Germany, but the Eurofighter partner changed its tune last year in the wake of Hamas's attack on Israel. The UK government showed that exports appear to trump human rights concerns in a supreme court case last month. Activists argued ministers had broken the law by allowing the UK to continue supplying F-35 parts for planes used by Israel to bomb civilians in Gaza. Government lawyers successfully argued that preserving the UK's place on the F-35 programme took precedence over the need to comply with UK laws on arms export controls, or any UK obligation to prevent an alleged genocide in Israel. Activists have also protested at BAE's headquarters. Asked whether weapons exports could undermine political support for the defence industry, BAE's chief executive Charles Woodburn this month said that 'the UK has one of the toughest export control regimes in the world for defence exports, and everything we do obviously has to be entirely compliant with UK export control policy for defence equipment'. Exports will also form a crucial part of the Tempest programme, another joint project this time between the UK, Italy and Japan. It will be one of a crop of sixth-generation jets with advanced technology still under development. (The Typhoon and F-35 are considered to be fourth- and fifth-generation jets respectively.) At Warton, a scale model of the Tempest jet, officially known as the global combat air programme (GCAP), shows an aircraft three or four metres longer than the Typhoon, with an expansive belly to hide weapons and reduce its visibility to radar, as well as carrying enough fuel for very long range missions. The promise of exports of the Tempest will again play a key role in justifying the upfront costs. The UK has committed over £2bn to Tempest since 2021 and has budgeted over £12bn for the programme over the next decade, according to parliament's defence committee. It wants the first jet to be completed in a decade's time – very fast by fighter jet standards. Delays could lead to the kind of cost overruns that have dogged big weapons programmes. There are also questions over whether crewed fighter jets have a long-term future, given the huge increase in drone warfare during the war in Ukraine. Tempest could also be competing with a Franco-German-Spanish rival, the Future Combat Air System – although that jet programme has been dogged by infighting between France's Dassault and the German arm of Airbus that broke out into the open at the Paris airshow. But even if there are two European sixth-generation jets, plus the US's Boeing F-47 announced this year by Donald Trump (the 47th president), BAE executives are confident there will be enough demand. Herman Claesen, BAE's managing director for future combat air systems, said countries from 'every continent' had inquired about buying the GCAP aircraft. The UK's arms export favourite, Saudi Arabia, has already asked to join the programme. 'There's a bit of a queue forming of various nations who want to talk to the governments,' he said. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'The Typhoon is a world-class aircraft that will remain the backbone of the UK's air defence until at least the 2040s. 'The UK is leading Typhoon export campaigns to other nations, and we will continue to work on upgrading the RAF's existing Typhoons over at least the next 15 years, both of which will support thousands of skilled UK jobs.'
