Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of Oboronprom, a part of Rostec State Corporation, has delivered a Mi-171E built on the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant to the Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Ministry uses Mi-8/17s for routine patrolling and search-and-rescue missions, and for transporting personnel and load. The Mi-171E has various features that give it an edge in Kazakhstan’s extremes of climate – temperatures can range from plus 50 to minus 58 degrees Celsius – and geography, marked by extensive steppe and tall mountain ranges. The helicopter can operate across localities from steppe to foothills to mountains, and may withstand temperatures from... Read More »

In his own words, the G-8 reiterated what the secretary of the military and chief of staff have both said about downsizing Soldier levels to under 450,000 — “even at 450, it’s a high risk for the mission sets and mission tasks which were given to us.” Presently, the military has about 564,000 Soldiers on active duty, but that number have been mandated to come back all the way down to 490,000 by 2015. “We’re on a glide path, and the monies are laid out to present us a 420,000 Army by 2019,” said Lt. Gen. James O. Barclay III,... Read More »

Pakistan army helicopters fired missiles killing three militants on Sunday, officials said, in apparent retaliation for a Taliban bomb attack that killed 20 soldiers within the restive northwest. The helicopters fired at a road within the village of Musaki situated within the same tribal region because the bombing earlier Sunday, intelligence and civil administration officials said. One of the missiles struck a close-by house, killing a five-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, a native administration official added, although security officials couldn’t confirm the civilian casualties. The bombing earlier Sunday, claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, killed 20 soldiers and wounded 30... Read More »

Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), has dropped at the Colombian Army two S-70i™ BLACK HAWK helicopters incorporating a Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS) as standard equipment. Colombia is the 1st country to field S-70i helicopters equipped with HTAWS, which Sikorsky has customized for the original requirements of the combat assault and utility missions. “HTAWS will give military operators 360-degree situational awareness in low visibility, day or night, and at altitudes as little as 75 feet,” said Jennifer Caruso, Sikorsky Vp of Army and Air Force Programs. “As a brand new baseline capability for all... Read More »