UH-1Y Huey fired first APKWS shots

The Navy and Marine Corps recently fired the first shots of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II from a UH-1Y helicopter at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in China Lake, Calif.

The recent shots, part of the program’s low-rate initial production phase, mark the start of APWKS testing on the UH-1Y in preparation for fielding next year. During the tests, Marine pilots fired a total of six shots from a UH-1Y against stationary targets with ranges varying from 1.5-5 kilometers. The initial shots from UH-1Y mark the first time a MK152 warhead has been fired from any aircraft, allowing safer operation aboard ships than the previous M151 warhead.

“I am very excited to bring this new capability to our Marines in combat,” said Capt. Brian Corey, APKWS program manager.

APKWS II, a semi-active laser guidance section that integrates with current 2.75-inch rocket motors and warheads, provides aviators with a highly precise weapon that is effective against soft and lightly armored targets while minimizing collateral damage.

“We have seen great success firing APKWS from both AH-1W and UH-1Y helicopters,” said Lt. Cmdr. Nick Green, Airborne Rockets/Pyro deputy program manager for the Direct and Time Sensitive Strike Weapons program office (PMA-242).

“I am very proud of our team for working so hard toward fielding APKWS on our threshold platform, AH-1W, and our objective platform, UH-1Y, at the same time.”

Initial operating capability of APKWS on the Corps’ AH-1W and UH-1Y helicopters is scheduled for second quarter of fiscal year 2012.

Source: Naval Air Systems Command

Blue Angel to Perform Flight Demonstration in Biofuel Aircraft

Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, is slated to perform their flight demonstration with every aircraft powered by a biofuel blend at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River Air Expo Sept. 2-4.

Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus said the Navy and Marine Corps’ use of alternative energy sources addresses critical vulnerabilities and ultimately serves to improve our war fighting capability, while also increasing our energy efficiency and helping lead the nation toward a clean energy economy.

“Changing the kinds of fuels we use and the way we use them is critical to assuring the Navy and Marine Corps remain the most formidable expeditionary fighting force the world has ever known,” said Mabus. “

One objective in successfully testing alternative energy sources is to ensure there is no difference in performance between the biofuel blend and standard petroleum-based JP-5. McWherter, who flew a legacy F/A-18 test flight Aug. 17, said there were no noticeable differences from the cockpit.

The Blue Angels Labor Day weekend performance will be yet another visible demonstration of the Department of the Navy’s commitment to reducing fossil fuel use without compromising capability. All six F/A-18 legacy Hornets will be powered by a 50/50 blend of conventional JP-5 jet fuel and a camelina-based biofuel.

The Labor Day performance is the ultimate demonstration to date of the Department of the Navy’s commitment to reducing dependence on foreign oil, as well as safeguarding our environment through the incorporation cleaner, more sustainable and renewable energy sources.

Source: U.S. Navy

Air Force to throw welcome party for F-35s

Eglin Air Force Base will host a welcome part for the F-35 on Friday. The event celebrates the arrival of two F-35 aircraft at Eglin. The first touched down at the base on July 14 and the second arrived about a week later.

The welcoming ceremony will be hosted by Gen. Edward Rice, commander of the Air Education and Training Command. Other guest speakers include Lockheed Martin executive Larry Lawson, general manager of the F-35 Program, and 33rd Fighter Wing Commander Col. Andrew Toth.

The F-35 Lightning II is a multirole fighter and attack aircraft that will be used by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as several foreign militaries. Eglin will be a primary training center for F-35 flight crew and maintenance personnel.

Eglin’s two F-35 aircraft have been grounded since Aug. 2 when engineers experienced a major engine problem with an F-35 test aircraft.

Source: pnj.com

Navy’s Osprey completes successful biofuel test flight

The Navy and Marine Corps team reached another milestone toward achieving the Secretary of the Navy’s energy goals by successfully flying a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey on biofuel Aug. 10, at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

“This is the first Marine Corps and tilt rotor aircraft to fly on biofuels,” said Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. “This brings us one step closer to reducing our dependence on foreign oil and becoming more energy secure and independent.”

The “Blackjacks” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 flew the Osprey tilt rotor aircraft at altitudes of up to 25,000 feet on a 50/50 blend of camelina based and standard petroleum based JP-5 (aviation) fuel. The camelina sativa plant is a U.S. grown, non-food feedstock plant.

The MV-22 is a multi-mission aircraft, flown by the Marine Corps, and combines the functionality of a helicopter with the long range and high speed of a turboprop aircraft.

“The MV-22 testing builds upon our successful test flights of the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet, F/A-18 C/D legacy Hornet, MH-60S Seahawk as well as extensive testing in the Navy’s Patuxent River fuels lab in demonstrating that Navy and Marine Corps aircraft can safely operate on fuel produced from renewable sources,” said Rick Kamin, the Navy Fuels lead.

Story and photo from navair.navy.mil

C-130 collides with RQ-7 over Afghanistan

An Air Force C-130 cargo plane collided with a drone in Afghanistan, a potentially serious mishap that could give ammunition to critics wary of allowing pilotless aircraft to operate in civilian airspace.

A spokesman for the military in Afghanistan, Capt. Justin Brockhoff,  confirmed that a C-130 cargo plane made an emergency landing Monday at a base in eastern Afghanistan after colliding with an RQ-7 Shadow, an unmanned aerial vehicle that is usually operated by the Army and the Marine Corps.

“The C-130 received light damage during the incident and the aircrew was unharmed,” Capt. Brockhoff said. “We have no reports at this time to indicate any injuries or damages were caused when the Shadow impacted the ground,” Capt. Brockhoff said.

Over the past decade, the U.S. military has built a large fleet of remotely piloted aircraft, including armed Predators that can fire antitank missiles and Global Hawks that take detailed pictures from high altitudes. Even so, collisions between manned aircraft and pilotless spy planes have been rare.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Review of F-35 program delayed

A high-level Pentagon review of Lockheed Martin Corp’s F-35 fighter program has been delayed until later in the year to allow time to gain more test and production data, the Defense Department said on Wednesday.

Cheryl Irwin, Pentagon spokeswoman said the meeting of the Defense Acquisition Board, which includes senior defense officials including Defense Undersecretary Ashton Carter, had been deferred a few months to incorporate information from the fiscal year 2013 budget process and to include the latest updates to the program’s schedule.

The meeting of the panel would likely be rescheduled sometime in October, said a senior defense official who was not authorized to speak on the record.

At the meeting, the panel is due to establish a new procurement baseline for the radar-evading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, currently estimated to cost $382 billion.The review was initially expected in late May, and had been set for mid-June before the current delay.

The F-35 JSF  is a joint, multinational acquisition program for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight cooperative international partners. Expected to be the largest military aircraft procurement ever, the stealth, supersonic F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) will replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft for the U.S.

Source: Reuters, GlobalSecurity.org