But it's getting other U.S. aircraft as well as part of the $100 billion Middle Eastern arms deal announced by the Pentagon in February.

These include Boeing KC-135 aerial tankers that will greatly extend Israel's strategic reach.

No number has been specified, but expanding Israel's in-flight refueling capacity, potentially doubling it, greatly enhances its prospects in mounting preventive airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.

The air force is also getting as many as 30 Italian-built M-346 Master advanced jet trainers as part of a $1 billion contract signed in early 2012 with Alenia Aermacchi.

These will replace the air force's venerable Vietnam-era Douglas A-4 Skyhawks. At one time the air force had 200 of the agile jets that saw combat in several Middle Eastern wars.

The first nine M-346s are slated to arrive in mid-2014, with all delivered by 2015. The jets will be based at the Hazerim flying school near Beersheba in the southern Negev Desert.

The first of 20 multirole, single-engine F-35s ordered by Israel in October 2010 at a cost of $2.75 billion are scheduled to arrive in 2016 at the earliest, but the air force is already setting up a new infrastructure to absorb the stealth jets.

The first F-35 squadron is expected to be deployed at the sprawling Nevatim airbase in the Negev, which already holds two F-16 squadrons and one operating Lockheed C-130 Hercules transports.

Israel's military plans to move "significant resources into southern Israel," The Jerusalem Post recently reported in what is seen as a strategic dispersal blueprint amid concerns of a sustained missile bombardment by Iran and its Middle Eastern allies in a future conflict.

The Israeli business daily Globes recently reported new bomb-proof underground pens for the fifth-generation jets are being built to accommodate the F-35s along with special testing installations that minimize the noise of the jets' Pratt & Whitney F125 engines.

The Israeli government has approved the acquisition of a second batch of 20 F-35s despite the plethora of problems and setbacks that continue to plague Lockheed Martin's development program.

Ultimately, the Israeli air force wants 75 F-35s. These will replace Lockheed Martin's F-16I Sufas and Boeing's F-15 Ra'ams as the air force's strategic strike force.

The air force currently has 100 Sufas and 25 Ra'ams, backed by about 185 lower performance F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-15 Eagles.

If all goes according to plan, the air force will have 40 F-35s operational by the end of the decade.

The F-35 acquisition is critical for the Israelis if they are to maintain their long-held technological military advantage in the Middle East.

"A substantial portion of Israel's air power is based on an array of aircraft that will become obsolete in the next few years," Globes defense expert Yuval Azulai observed.

"Many of the F-16s and F-15s have served the air force for more than three decades."

The U.S. arms package announced in February, which also includes advanced weapons for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to counter the Iranian threat, will extend the Israeli air force's acquisition of U.S.-produced weapons systems and complement the F-35 purchases.

"The arms deal is particularly interesting in light of what is appropriated for Israel: aerial refueling tankers," the U.S. global security consulting firm Stratfor observed.

To hit multiple nuclear targets in Iran, Israeli strike jets would need to fly more than 1,550 miles, which would require in-flight refueling.

The 10 Boeing KC-707 tankers -- converted airliners -- and Lockheed 130Hs, which are converted Hercules transports, Israel currently possesses would not support the number of strike jets required.

That would mean the Israelis "would be operating at the margins in terms of risk and reserve capacity," Stratfor noted.

The KC-135 Stratotankers "will enable Israel to deploy more fighter aircraft in any strike against Iran. ... Broadly speaking, a single KC135 could theoretically support anywhere from four to eight Israeli aircraft in a strike against Iran."

But, like the F-35s, it may take a few years for Israel to get these aircraft, and it's possible Israel will have to deal with the Iranian threat much sooner than that.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Bangalore, India (UPI) Jun 7, 2013 - The Indian air force inducted the first 12 of 75 Swiss-manufactured Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II basic training aircraft at a ceremony at the Dundigal Air Force Academy near Hyderabad.

Minister of State for Defense Jitendra Singh unveiled the tandem-seat turboprop aircraft that is capable of aerobatics as well as tactical and night flying, The Hindu reported.

"The induction of PC Mk-II is a very important landmark in our nation's quest for modernizing its armed forces," Singh said.

"The need to train pilots on modern trainers is crucial to prepare them for the requirements of combat flying."

India ordered the low-wing Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II aircraft for ab initio trainee pilots including those in the navy and coast guard, The Hindu report said.

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said the Pilatus will prove to be "the ideal platform" to expose initial trainees to basic flying, modern avionics and navigation aids.

"PC-7 would provide a solid foundation and facilitate a seamless transition from the ab initio stage through intermediate and advanced stages into full-fledged operational flying for all streams," Browne said.

India ordered the Pilatus in a $520 million deal as a direct replacement for the aging turbo-prop Deepak HPT-32 trainer made by the Indian firm Hindustan Aeronautics.

Getting the Pilatus aircraft commissioned has been critical for the air force, NDTV reported last year.

Until 2009, every pilot -- fighter, transport and helicopter -- started training in the HPT-23 but the aircraft was grounded in 2009 after a series of crashes.

Cadets now start straight into operating the Kiran Mk-1, the intermediate jet trainer that is the mainstay Stage 2 pilot training aircraft.

The shift into the two-seat Kiran, which was inducted into the air force in 1968, is putting more hours on the aircraft, which reaches its lifespan by 2015 and will have to be decommissioned, NDTV reported.

All 75 of the Pilatus are expected to be delivered by August 2015 and India has an option for 37 more that the Defense Ministry said it is considering, The Hindu reported.

Arrival of the Swiss-made aircraft will reduce flying hours on the Kirans.

But another problem could be ahead for air force training if the Sitara, HAL's new Intermediate Jet Trainer replacing the Kiran, isn't ready soon, The Business Standard reported in February.

Initial prototypes used a SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac 04-H-20 turbofan engine. Production versions will use an NPO Saturn AL-55I turbofan engine.

General technical problems have delayed production several times.

An initial 12 Sitara aircraft were ordered but delivery is at least three years away, The Business Standard reported.

"The Intermediate Jet Trainer has been a very poorly planned program by HAL and a decade-long delay is unacceptable in a trainer aircraft," The Business Standard quoted an unnamed senior air force official as saying.

"Given how much time and money the Indian air force has already committed, we have to stick with the IJT program and induct it into service as a Stage-2 trainer," the official said.

A senior air marshal told The Business Standard if the IJT isn't delivered within three years, the air force would consider using the Pilatus PC-7 Mark II as a Stage-2 trainer, in addition to its primary job as a Stage-1 trainer.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Fairfax VA (SPX) Jun 05, 2013 - A U.S. Army and Boeing team completed the first flight of the first of four Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) Engineering, Manufacturing and Development aircraft on May 22.

The aircraft was in the air for more than four hours and completed all first-flight test objectives, including evaluation of aerodynamic handling qualities, aircraft systems performance, and autopilot functions.

The flight took place at the Beechcraft facility in Wichita, Kan., following ground tests that included a high-speed taxi. This milestone is a key event on the path to Limited User Tests and the Milestone C low rate initial production decision.

EMARSS will provide the Army the ability to detect, locate, classify, identify, and track surface targets in nearly all weather conditions, day or night, with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Patuxent River, MD (SPX) Jun 06, 2013 - Squadron Leader Jim Schofield became the first Royal Air Force pilot to complete a vertical landing of a Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) Lightning II on May 28. Following the flight, Schofield commented on the F-35B's handling capabilities.

"The F-35 has truly revolutionised STOVL flying," said Schofield.

"With legacy types, such as Harrier, the pilot was always working hard to land the aircraft onto a hover pad or ship. Now with F-35B, at the press of a button the aircraft transforms into 'short take-off or vertical landing' mode whereupon the aircraft can take off or hover hands-off.

"This means pilots will require less training and operating the aircraft will be much safer than legacy types. It's a fantastic aircraft to fly."

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to declare Initial Operational Capability with the STOVL in 2015.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Cairo (AFP) June 06, 2013 - A hot air balloon accident that killed 19 tourists in Egypt was caused by the "grave" pilot error that caused a gas leakage, a police forensic report has found.

The interior ministry report blamed the manager of the hot air balloon port and the pilot for the February 26 accident that killed the Asian and European tourists.

The report, prepared by a ministerial forensic team, said "a grave error" led to a gas leakage that ignited the balloon in mid air, but did not elaborate.

The balloon was carrying 21 people at an altitude of 300 metres (1,000 feet) during a sunrise flight over the ancient temple city of Luxor when it caught fire.

Victims included nine Hong Kong tourists, and Japanese, British, French and Hungarian.

Two people survived by jumping out of the basket before the balloon hit the ground.

The pilot, who survived by leaping out before it went up in flames, was subsequently arrested.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Sydney (AFP) June 06, 2013 - A firm founded by Macau casino tycoon Stanley Ho has paid US$66 million for a third of new budget airline Jetstar Hong Kong for US$66 million, Australia's Qantas said Thursday.

Shipping and property giant Shun Tak Holdings will hold an equal share in the low-cost carrier, a joint venture involving Qantas and China Eastern Airlines that plans launch this year flying to China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia.

Qantas chief Alan Joyce said the transaction would see his airline reduce its investment from US$99 million so that all three entities had a third share, with Jetstar Hong Kong's market value unchanged at US$198 million.

"This adds to the strategic partnerships we have across Asia with companies that have chosen to invest in the Jetstar brand," said Joyce in a statement to the Australian stock market.

"There is clear potential for a local low-cost carrier in Hong Kong to stimulate new travel demand, particularly given the proximity to mainland China and the ability to connect with existing parts of the Jetstar network," he added. Qantas owns the Jetstar brand and has other joint ventures in Japan, Singapore and Vietnam.

The move will help Jetstar Hong Kong in its application for regulatory approval in the city, which has tough rules for foreign-owned firms looking to set up locally.

Hong Kong-listed Shun Tak Holdings is run by managing director Pansy Ho, daughter of Macau casino mogul Stanley.

-- Dow Jones Newswires contributed to this story --

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Beijing (AFP) June 02, 2013 - China's first Boeing 787 arrived in the country on Sunday, state-run media said, less than two weeks after Beijing regulators approved the aircraft, which had faced safety problems.

The high-tech Dreamliners were cleared to return to service worldwide in April after all 50 were grounded in mid-January following two overheated battery incidents.

The plane delivered to China Southern Airlines, one of the country's industry leaders, "has been installed with improved batteries that had passed various tests", China Radio International reported on its website.

"The 787 arrived Sunday in Guangzhou," a southern city where the company is headquartered, it said.

China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines have each ordered 10 of the planes, while Air China has ordered 15.

The president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airlines, Ray Conner, called the delivery of the first plane a "significant new milestone in the strengthening partnership between Boeing and China".

Regulators grounded the 787 after a battery fire on one aircraft parked at a US airport and a smouldering battery on another caused smoke and fumes, forcing an emergency landing.

US officials in April cleared the planes to fly following alterations to the plane's lithium-ion batteries.

The first Dreamliner resumed flights later that month and since then more than half of all of the aircraft have been put back into service.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Cape Town (AFP) June 03, 2013 - The global airline industry on Monday adopted a resolution calling for a single, industry-wide standard to manage emissions as it targets carbon-neutral growth from 2020.

The resolution was adopted with "overwhelming support" at the International Air Transport Association's annual general meeting, said Paul Steele, IATA's director of aviation environment.

"We want to avoid a patchwork quilt of measures where each state tries to solve the problem by itself," he told journalists.

As the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) mulls options to reduce emissions, IATA says the world's airlines believe that a single mandatory offsetting scheme would be the simplest way forward.

It will submit its position to ICAO, a 191-member-state agency, which holds its general assembly later this year.

In March, the European Union put its controversial carbon tax on intercontinental airline flights on hold until April 2014 while talks at ICAO continued.

"We're saying the most effective way to address this issue is by having a global rather than any regional or national unilateral initiative," said Steele.

The IATA resolution text urges members "strongly to encourage governments" to adopt "a commonly agreed, single global" market-based measure at the ICAO assembly.

This would be "applied to offsetting the industry's growth in emissions post 2020," the text adds.

It offers principles on how governments could set up the single measure, and use it as part of efforts to achieve carbon-neutral growth by 2020, which has been an industry target for several years.

"We're asking them to regulate us and put a measure in place that will help us reach the targets that we have on the table," said Steele.

The pact also includes provisions to ensure the burden of containing the industry's collective emissions would be fairly distributed among the different airlines.

The resolution passed with overwhelming support, despite objections from Chinese and Indian airlines.

The aviation industry contributes two percent of global man-made emissions, and currently pays $7 billion in emissions-related charges, according to IATA.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Montevideo, Uruguay (UPI) May 28, 2013 - Latin American plans to develop a low-cost trainer aircraft are moving forward but too slowly to raise hopes about the original aim of having the first of a new fleet of trainer aircraft in the air by 2015.

The joint trainer project is a long-delayed undertaking by the Union of South American Nations, often compared with the European Union but increasingly seen to be extending its role in defense and military coordination among members.

Several Unasur members -- Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela -- are also members of other regional organizations, including the Mercosur trade bloc and Andean Community of Nations.

In addition, Unasur's joint trainer project is seen by analysts as running counter to extensive defense and aviation development programs under way in Brazil.

Despite those apparent contradictions, Unasur is determined that member nations should have one type of locally manufactured aircraft that regional air forces can train on. The aim, says Unasur, is to move toward defense and security integration.

In April, Unasur appeared to advance the project with the announcement a Unasur-7 prototype was on track for completion next year. Official participants in the Latin American defense and security show in Rio de Janeiro offered scant details but previous reports in the Uruguayan news media indicated most of the work might be in progress in Uruguay rather than Brazil.

Five key Unasur member countries -- Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Uruguay -- are also partners in a more advanced tactical transport plan being developed by Brazilian aviation giant Embraer.

Embraer's KC-390 tactical transport plane project has been securing international partners as part of a strategy to take on bigger rivals including Lockheed Martin. Embraer sees its KC-390 filling the gap to be left by a global phasing out of Lockheed Martin's C-130 Hercules. But it's far from clear how Embraer regards the launch of Unasur's joint trainer program.

Brazilian Neiva T-25 Universal is among trainers due to be phased out. The propeller-driven basic trainer and ground attack aircraft was manufactured by Industria Aeronautica Neiva in the 1960s as a Brazilian air force replacement for the T-6 Texan Fokker S-11 and S-12 then in use.

The problem is that delays in Unasur actually implementing the joint trainer program have encouraged other manufacturers to try to enter the market.

Unasur has been talking about the trainer development program but hasn't said who will design and build it. An April announcement by Unasur defense ministers left many of those questions unanswered but released instead a long list of specifications that officials said would be "good to have."

In November last year, Unasur's South American Defense Council agreed an "action plan" for developing the joint trainer aircraft. Uruguayan air force sources told Uruguay's El Pais newspaper they would be taking part in the development of a joint trainer aircraft.

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Leiden, Netherlands (UPI) May 24, 2013 - With South Korea edging closer to deciding on a contractor for its $7.3 billion KF-X fighter program, a European competitor is dangling a new carrot to its bid.

EADS, based in the Netherlands and part of the consortium that builds the Eurofighter Typhoon, says if the aircraft is chosen to replace South Korea's antiquated F-4 and F-5 fleets, it will invest $2 billion "and its technology in the KF-X to help Korea to become a fighter jet producer."

The announcement follows that of Eurofighter, which promised to assemble 53 of 60 aircraft to be produced in South Korea. It's estimated the local assembly would lead to creation of 50,000 jobs.

EADS has also said it would build a maintenance repair and overhaul facility for the aircraft in South Korea and an aerospace software center.

"If Korea chooses Eurofighter as its next generation fighter jet and EADS invests more than 2 trillion KRW [$2 billion] in the KF-X program, it will bring bigger economic effect than the SURION and Korea will be the fifth country [that] produces Eurofighter, high-level fighter jets," EADS said.

"It will also create strong political and military ties with Europe."

SURION is a Korean utility helicopter developed by Korea Aerospace Industries with technology obtained from Eurocopter, an EADS subsidiary headquartered in France.

"The SURION raised Korea to the 11th helicopter manufacturer in the world," EADS said, and created 25,000 jobs.

In its news release, EADS emphasized its business ties to the country. KAI, it noted, has supplied parts for Airbus aircraft since 1998.

Airbus, located in France, is another EADS subsidiary.

Other competitors for the KF-X contract are U.S. companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Lockheed is offering its F-35 Lightning II fighter while Boeing is offering its F-15 Silent Eagle.

A news report from Seoul says the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration expects to make a final decision on a contractor next June.

"The price negotiations have been completed and we don't plan to have another round of negotiations," DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyeong told a news briefing. "We plan to conduct the auction within June."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency reports the South Korean government has requested possible procurement of weapons in support of a "potential Direct Commercial Sale" of F-15 SE aircraft.

The package, if approved by Congress and if it goes through, would include associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support.

The deal would be worth $823 million.

Among items requested: Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, Joint Directed Attack Munition Tail Kits, small diameter bombs, general purpose bombs, AIM-9X-2 (Blk II) tactical missiles, containers, missile support and test equipment, provisioning, spare and repair parts.

"The proposed sale will provide the ROK with aircraft weapons for the F-15SE," the agency said. "These aircraft and weapons will provide the ROK with a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces."

]]> Wed, 12 JUN 2013 00:49:30 AEST Subscribe to our daily selection of space, military, environment and energy newsletters responseText http://visitor.constantcontact.com/manage/optin/ea?v=0016gbbKsaiGSpQFojVO8ZoHw%3D%3D