The F-35 Lightning II executed its first live-fire launch of a guided air-to-air missile over an army test range off the California coast on Oct. 30. The AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) was fired from an F-35A (AF-6) conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant fighter operating from the F-35 Integrated Test Facility at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The test pilot, Air Force Captain Capt. Logan Lamping employed the purpose-120 radar-seeking missile from the F-35′s internal weapons bay against an aerial drone target in restricted military sea test range airspace. Test data and observers confirmed the F-35 identified... Read More »
In 1976, U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird crews flew from Ny to London in below two hours, reaching speeds exceeding Mach 3 and setting world records which have held up for almost four decades. But those world records won’t stay unbroken for long. That’s because today, on the birthplace of the Blackbird – Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works – engineers are developing a hypersonic aircraft go twice the rate of the SR-71. It’s called the SR-72. Son of the Blackbird The SR-71 was developed using 20th century technology. It was envisioned with slide rules and paper. It wasn’t managed by millions... Read More »
Navy of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLAN): establish multi-platform landing equipment system BEIJING: The Navy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) will establish multi-platform landing equipment systems in 2014, reporters learnt from the Armaments Department of the PLAN in early spring. Previously, the PLAN troops have reaped many ends up in promoting the event of multi-platform landing equipment. New forms of equipment including dock landing ship and air cushion landing craft was commissioned to the PLAN in succession, and the research on large landing ship also harvested success. The rapid development of varied landing equipment has laid a legitimate... Read More »