New program executive officer for the US Department of Defense’s F-35 program, Lieutenant General Chris Bogdan has told Avalon Airshow media that the aircraft’s development program should be judged on where it is heading rather than where it has been. “The first point I’d like to make overall is: don’t expect me to be a
Regional Express has used the announcement of a slump in profits for the first half of the 2012-13 financial by almost a third to launch an extraordinary assault on the federal government’s aviation regulatory imposts. “From the very first month of this FY, we are seeing the catastrophic impact the various draconian government policies are
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Mike Kelly announced on Tuesday that the Vigilare air defence command-and-control system has achieved final operational capability (FOC). Vigilare has been installed at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, giving the ADF enhanced surveillance and communications capabilities. The system fuses surveillance data from multiple
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith has announced the achievement of initial operating capability (IOC) for the RAAF’s KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) platform as part of his speech opening the 2013 Avalon Airshow. Speaking at the opening address for the Airshow, Smith highlighted recent advances in the RAAF’s airlift capability, saying Australia now boasts the
Head of the F-35 program Lt Gen Chris Bogdan has played down concerns over the engine problem that has grounded the F-35 fleet, instead seeking to highlight what he sees as the program’s achievements. The Joint Program Office chief was keen to move on from negative press coverage of the F-35 and what he described as the
The discovery of a crack on an engine blade has led the US Department of Defense to ground its fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The “cautionary suspension of flight” follows the discovery of the crack on an F135 engine installed in an F-35A test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base during a routine engine
