Current Events in the Americas

From Defence Aerospace Legendary Fighter Pilot and Designer Says the F-22 Raptor is the Wrong Weapon at the Wrong Time Source: Project On Government Oversight (POGO); issued March 11, 2005 In concert with the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), Col. Everest Riccioni (USAF ret.), a pioneer in combat fighter design, has published his critical analysis of the Air Force's F/A-22 Raptor fighter jet program. Riccioni, who pioneered supersonic cruise technology and the F-16 Lightweight Fighter Program, says the decades-old F/A-22 Raptor program is broken and too expensive to fix. From his unique vantage point, Riccioni traces the history of the escalating cost…

From http://www.defence-aerospace.com V-22 Cleared to Begin Operational Evaluation Source: Bell Helicopter; issued March 2, 2005 FORT WORTH, Texas --- The Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) testing program for the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey has now been approved. On February 24, Tom Laux, the Program Executive Officer for Air Anti-Submarine Warfare, Assault, and Special Mission Programs, certified that the V-22 Osprey aircraft is ready for operational testing and evaluation. "This is great news signifying a crucial step forward in reaching our goal of getting this tremendous aircraft to our customers," declared Robert Kenney, Bell Helicopter vice president and di…

From http://www.defence-aerospace.com Predator Reaches Initial Operating Capacity Source: US Air Force; issued March 1, 2005 LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. --- One of the most heavily used and valued weapons systems of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom has reached initial operating capability, Air Combat Command officials here announced March 1. The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle was officially declared IOC March 1 by Lt. Gen. William Fraser III, ACC’s vice commander. The milestone was reached after the MQ-1 completed eleven requirements including supportability, maintainability and aircraft and parts availability. Initially fielded as…

From DefenseNews.com http://www.defensenews.com Boeing Rolls Out First KC-767 Tanker By TOM KINGTON, ROME Boeing on Feb. 24 rolled out its first 767 tanker transport aircraft at its Wichita, Kan., plant for its first client, the Italian Air Force. Italy has ordered four of the KC-767A aircraft and expects to take delivery of the first in 2006, once flight tests and certification are completed, Boeing said in a statement. Boeing is producing the aircraft at its Everett, Wash., plant before cargo doors and refueling equipment are added in Wichita. The other three Italian tankers will be converted to tanker transport format by Officine Aeronavali, a unit of F…

Defence Minister Kicks Off Phase II of CF-18 Upgrades NR-05.016 - February 18, 2005 OTTAWA — The second phase of the CF-18 Modernization Project kicked off today during a ceremony that saw the Boeing Company sign a contract with the Department of National Defence for $117 million. Defence Minister Bill Graham and Lieutenant-General Ken Pennie, Chief of the Air Staff, attended the ceremony held by Boeing in Mirabel, Québec. “The CF-18 is Canada’s primary aircraft for maintaining air defence and air superiority,” said Minister Graham. “The $2.1-billion CF-18 modernization program will ensure that the CF-18s continue to provide security to Canadians and defend …

CF-18 Modernization BG-05.003 - February 18, 2005 A total of 80 CF-18 Hornetaircraft are undergoing a thorough mid-life upgrade to ensure that the Canadian Forces have a modern and interoperable fighter fleet until 2017. Various modernization projects are combined in two distinct phases of the overall aircraft modernization program. Of the 138 CF-18s procured between 1982 and 1988, 121 aircraft remain: 15 were lost to accidents, one aircraft was rendered unflyable as part of testing procedures, and one aircraft (number 901) has been inducted into the Canada Aviation Museum. A total of 92 aircraft will be kept operational until the Phase I modernization of a total…

News from CNN, 18 February 2005 Experts: New submarine can tap fiber-optic cables The USS Jimmy Carter, set to join the nation's submarine fleet Saturday, will have some special capabilities, intelligence experts say: It will be able to tap undersea cables and eavesdrop on the communications passing through them. ... More here: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/02/18/submarine...s.ap/index.html