AVIATION FANS

First, the Americans, Russians and Swedes were ejected out of the hotly-contested race. And now, the Europeans too have been shot down in the dogfight, leaving only the French flying high in the Indian skies. After an exhaustive technical and commercial evaluation spread over five long years, India...

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India took decision to select our competitor as the preferred bidder in the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender. Although this is not yet a contract signature and contract negotiations are still ahead, we are disappointed. However, we respect the decision of the Indian MoD. With the...

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France: Following the announcement of the final selection of the Rafale in the frame of the MMRCA program, Dassault Aviation and its partners are honored and grateful to the Indian Government and the people of India to be given the opportunity to extend their long-lasting cooperation. Dassault...

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French firm Dassault Rafale has bagged India's biggest-ever military contract for supplying 126 combat aircraft for the Air Force, edging out European rival EADS in the deal that may be worth about ten billion dollars. The French firm was declared as the lowest bidder, according to which it will...

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About 30 Tu-22M3 strategic bombers from Russia's Long Range Aviation fleet will be modernized by 2020, Russian Air Force spokesman Col. Vladimir Drik said on Tuesday. "We plan to upgrade about 30 strategic bombers to the M3M standard,” Drik said. Tu-22M3 (NATO reporting name Backfire-C) is a...

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U.S. President Barack Obama made a rare admission on January 30 when he acknowledged that the United States’ has used unmanned aircraft -- known as "drones" -- to attack high-value terrorist targets on Pakistan’s territory. Now that President Obama had confirmed such attacks take place, RFE/RL...

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India has decided to buy 126 fighter jets from French firm Dassault in a $11 billion deal that is one of the world's largest arms contracts. Indian government officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told reporters Tuesday that Dassault was the lowest bidder and beat out the Eurofighter...

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Pakistani warplanes pounded militant hideouts in the northwestern tribal area before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least 20 Taliban insurgents, security officials said. The jets targeted hideouts in the tribal Orakzai district and at least four compounds were hit, they said, in the latest surge of...

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India's selection of Dassault Aviation as the preferred bidder for a huge fighter jet deal marks just the start of a long and arduous process for the French firm to secure a final contract, analysts say. Dassault won the right to enter exclusive negotiations with India to supply 126 fighters after...

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French firm Dassault has won a multi-billion-dollar contract to provide 126 fighter jets to the Indian military, a government source in New Delhi told AFP on Tuesday. Dassault will sell its Rafale multi-role jet to India after beating the Eurofighter consortium to secure the long-awaited contract,...

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The defence and security company Saab is proud to announce that Hungary is taking a long-term strategic decision to continue operating Gripen and ensuring the continued development of its national capability. Sweden and Hungary are extending the cooperation for another ten years, until 2026....

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NHI is pleased to announce the delivery of the first NH90 tactical transport helicopter to the French DGA (Delegation Générale de l’Armement). This event took place according to the contractual schedule, in Marignane Eurocopter facility, where the helicopter has been produced. The NH90 TTH...

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Lockheed Martin's C-130 Hercules program has reached yet another historic milestone with the delivery of its 2,400th aircraft. The aircraft is an MC-130J Combat Shadow II assigned to U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command and will be operated by the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air...

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The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $47.2 million contract for the purchase and integration of two more Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) payloads on two existing Block 20 Global Hawk aircraft. BACN is a high-altitude, airborne communications and information...

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French aircraft maker Dassault has made a new offer to Switzerland for its Rafale fighter jets after the government decided in November to buy Sweden's Gripen planes instead, a report said Sunday. Dassault has sent a letter to parliament -- which has yet to approve the November decision -- offering...

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Iraqi officials have expressed outrage at the United States' use of a small fleet of surveillance drones to help protect the US embassy, consulates and American personnel in Iraq, The New York Times reported. The newspaper said the State Department began operating some drones in Iraq last year on a...

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More than 30 potential civilian contract companies were in attendance during Industrial Days sponsored by the Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Jan. 9-11. The event, hosted by the Air Force Combat Rescue Helicopter Program, gave potential contractors a glimpse...

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Boeing subsidiary Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) and Thales Australia today named the Eurocopter EC135 as the preferred platform for their bid on the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Project AIR 9000 Phase 7 – Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS). "Boeing and Thales' individual expertise and...

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The German government is looking to open up the country's airspace for unmanned drones that were only used for military purposes previously. For hobby spy-enthusiasts, they have been available in Germany for quite a while: For 300 euros ($393), you can pick up a drone at most electronics stores....

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The deck of the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers may be the size of four football pitches and supported by the best part of 65,000 tonnes of steel but, from three miles (5km) out, when viewed through the BAE Systems simulator at Warton, it's tiny and the target area for landing looks...

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