Just earlier than its 81st anniversary on October 8, the IAF has virtually sounded the red-alert over its fast-dwindling selection of fighter squadrons. Confronted with the government’s slow decision-making, fund crunches and Hindustan Aeronautics’ sluggish performance, the force is now being forced to further stagger the already long-delayed retirement of its ageing MiG-21s and MiG-27s. The grim situation could be gauged from the undeniable fact that IAF will continue to fly its 110 upgraded MiG-21 “Bisons” — of the complete 260 MiG-21s still in its combat fleet — till 2025. Making this startling admission, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM)... Read More »
RAF Top Guns will team up with their French counterparts to spearhead a massive military exercise which starts on Sunday. (6 October) The 11-day event will see aircraft from Britain, France, america, Canada and Germany being hosted at RAF stations for a UK wide tri-service keep fit exercise for operations. And building at the continuing defence cooperation between the united kingdom and France, a Combined Joint Anglo-French Expeditionary Force would be exercised at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire under the codename Exercise Capable Eagle with the intention to host the operation of French Air Force (FAF) Mirage 2000N aircraft and... Read More »
A Lebanese soldier and 4 attackers were killed in two separate assaults late Sunday on army checkpoints within the southern city of Sidon, the army said in a press release. “At 9:15 p.m. (1915 GMT) today (Sunday) an armed man approached a military checkpoint within the north of Sidon, and launched a hand grenade towards it, injuring two soldiers,” the military statement said. “Troops manning the checkpoint fired back on the attacker, resulting in his death,” it added. Then at 10:20 p.m. (2020 GMT), three armed men in a four-by-four vehicle approached a second army checkpoint at another location inside... Read More »
After years of delays and enormous cost over-runs, Airbus on Monday delivers its first A400M military transport plane, turning in the large turboprop to France at its Spanish assembly plant. The pan-European aircraft maker expects the ceremony on the Airbus Military plant in Seville, southern Spain, to be the beginning of sales to military forces worldwide. The plane was actually delivered on August 1 however the official ceremony was being held Monday within the presence of French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Spain’s Prince Felipe. The French minister was to come back to an army base in Orleans aboard... Read More »