Australian fighter pilots have been reunited with loved ones after carrying out air strikes against Islamic State in the Middle East

Australian fighter pilots have been reunited with loved ones after carrying out air strikes against Islamic State in the Middle East. https://t.co/3s0lBajiVO @DeptDefence @Aus_AirForce #auspol #7News pic.twitter.com/FkvxiVCQJX

— 7 News Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) January 24, 2018

Boeing Delivers Initial Next-Generation Battlespace Communications System to ADF

Ahead of schedule, Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the initial equipment of an Australian-designed and manufactured battlespace communications solution for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), a major milestone for a system that will transform how the Australian military communicates in the field.

Under the AUD$650 million contract for the ADF’s Project Currawong, Boeing Defence Australia (BDA), a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, achieved Initial Material Release for the transit case version of its networked communications solution. The system transfers secure wideband voice, data and video services over wireless and wired infrastructure between Australia’s land-based deployed forces and headquarters.

BDA Vice President and Managing Director Darren Edwards said the initial delivery ahead of schedule to the Commonwealth of Australia proved Boeing’s ability and agility in supporting the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

“Boeing’s success in creating the hardware and software that meets Australia’s battlespace communications needs within a complex fixed price development program is testament to our partnership with our customer as well as our growing Australian supply chain supporting this important capability,” said Edwards.

“Together, we’ve designed, built, tested and manufactured an Australian-made, highly scalable and agile networking solution to ensure Australia gets exactly what it needs: a communications solution matched to operate in an ever-evolving threat environment.”

Boeing has provided defence personnel from 7th Combat Signal Regiment and 1 Signal Regiment based at Enoggera Barracks and 1 Combat Communications Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley with training and equipment deliveries to use the system ahead of Exercise Hamel in 2018.

This first tranche of the equipment delivered includes 18 deployable communication nodes and an Australian fixed strategic communications anchor site. This incorporates Boeing’s core communication system components, the network access module (NAM) and mission system management (MSM), which connect and manage the communication bearers and services Boeing and its partners are bringing to the program.

Boeing will also design a vehicle mounted version of the solution in parallel with the ongoing rollout of the transit case version to additional Army and Air Force units.

Great footage of the 7th Brigade - Australian Army in action

"Taking care of business (every day)…" 🎵🎵 🕶️
Great footage of the 7th Brigade - Australian Army in action. pic.twitter.com/d7oY0spNiR

— DefenceAustralia (@DeptDefence) November 13, 2017

Australian C-130J flare dispense over RAAF Base Richmond

.@Aus_AirForce C-130J flare dispense over RAAF Base Richmond.

9 June 2016.#YourADF pic.twitter.com/TzC0QpIJhc

— DefenceAustralia (@DeptDefence) September 6, 2017

Aus Air Force F/A-18F Super Hornet flies over Mosul

@Aus_AirForce F/A-18F Super Hornet flies over #Mosul during an #OpOKRA mission to #DefeatDaesh @CJTFOIR pic.twitter.com/hf62SGvcqf

— ADF Middle East (@ADF_MiddleEast) July 25, 2017

Amphibious assault at Talisman Saber 2017

Australia DOD - HIFiRE 4 Hypersonic Scramjet Missile Test Launch

Sights, sounds of Talisman Saber 2017

Australia Poised to Join US on Next Generation Jammer

Australia is nearing an agreement to join the US Navy's (USN's) AN/ALQ-249 Next Generation Jammer-Medium Band (NGJ-MB) programme as it seeks to 'future proof' its new EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack capability.

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) confirmed on 5 July that representatives from the Australian Department of Defence are negotiating with NAVAIR's Airborne Electronic Attack Systems and EA-6B Program Office (PMA-234) and the Navy International Programs Office (Navy IPO) to come on board with the NGC-MB development, previously known as NGJ Increment 1.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is acquiring 12 EA-18G Growler aircraft under Project Air 5349 Phase 3, with initial operating capability planned for mid-2018. The aircraft will enter service with the same AN/ALQ-99 tactical jamming system currently equipping the USN's EA-18G Growlers.

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems was awarded a USD1 billion contract by PMA-234 in April 2016 for engineering and manufacturing development of the NGJ-MB electronic attack pod as a replacement for ALQ-99 from 2021. Intended to provide the EA-18G with enhanced airborne electronic attack (EA) capabilities to disrupt and degrade enemy air defence and ground communication systems, the system represents a step change from ALQ-99 in terms of its software-based digital architecture, and use of high power active electronically scanned arrays based on gallium nitride technology.

PMA-234 completed a Critical Design Review (CDR) for the NGJ-MB in late April 2017. The CDR confirmed the maturity of the design and approved the fabrication and assembly of test articles.

Avalon Air Show Plan Jericho 360 tour

Rheinmetall Boxer CRV and BAESystems Australia - Patria AMV-35 at the Puckapunyal AFV Field Firing Training Area

#Rheinmetall Boxer CRV and #BAESystems Australia - #Patria AMV-35 at the Puckapunyal AFV Field Firing Training Area#Land400 #Australia pic.twitter.com/U7A6rKD85s

— Tom Antonov (@Tom_Antonov) February 26, 2017

Boeing to Provide Malaysia, Thailand, Australia and Other Countries with Harpoon Missile Spares

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded a $12,399,305 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of spares in support of Harpoon and Stand-Off Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) for the Navy (83); and the governments of Saudi Arabia (143), Australia (5,734), Canada (50), Japan (96), Malaysia (17), Turkey (11), India (24), Taiwan (3), and Thailand (1).

Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas (29.56 percent); St. Charles, Missouri (21.51 percent); Black Mountain, North Carolina (15.04 percent); Joplin, Missouri (14.72 percent); Beverly, Massachusetts (4.24 percent); Burnely, United Kingdom (3.30 percent); Galena, Kansas (3.26 percent); Hayward, California (2.83 percent); Lititz, Pennsylvania (1.40 percent); Landsdale, Pennsylvania (1.01 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (0.94 percent); Middletown, Connecticut (0.70 percent); Chandler, Arizona (0.41 percent); Toledo, Ohio (0.29 percent); Skokie, Illinois (0.25 percent); Staten Island, New York (0.16 percent); Roswell, Georgia (0.10 percent); Huntington Beach, California (0.09 percent); Chatsworth, California (0.08 percent); St. Petersburg, Florida (0.07 percent); Irvine, California (0.03 percent); and Carson, New York (0.01 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2018.

Fiscal 2016 weapons procurement (Navy); and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $12,399,305 are being obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) XX.  This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($1,977,154; 15.95 percent); and the governments of Saudi Arabia ($4,913,562; 39.63 percent); Australia ($2,189,643; 17.66 percent); Canada ($1,371,188; 11.06 percent); Japan ($1,101,488; 8.88 percent); Malaysia ($309,852; 2.50 percent); Turkey ($293,895; 2.37 percent); India ($116,138; 0.94 percent); Taiwan ($105,991; 0.85 percent); and Thailand ($20,394; 0.16 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-17-C-0012).

Australian Army this week - live fire training with our Tiger helicopters

Training in the @AustralianArmy this week - live fire #training with our Tiger helicopters in the Top End pic.twitter.com/03DnXLeCSF

— Brigadier Mick Ryan (@LearningArmy) February 16, 2017

Defence Confirms Block 3i Final Upgrade for RAAF F-35As

The Royal Australian Air Force’s first two Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters have been upgraded with the final iteration of the aircraft’s Block 3i interim software release, the Department of Defence has confirmed.

“The two Australian F-35A have been loaded with the final release of Block 3i (3iP6) during September 2016,” a Defence spokesperson told Australian Aviation via emailed statement on January 4.

“Among other capabilities, the 3iP6 software enabled the aircraft to conduct its first weapons release.”

That first weapons release was conducted in December when F-35A A35-002 released a 500lb GBU-12 laser-guided bomb from its starboard side internal weapons bay over the Barry M Goldwater range in southwest Arizona.

A35-002 is one of the first two RAAF F-35As that are currently based at Luke Air Force Base, west of Phoenix. The aircraft were built with an earlier Block 3i software load which restricted them to an interim training and warfighting capability.

“The next block of software is Block 3F, and is the final release of software under the System Development and Demonstration phase, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017,” the Defence spokesperson said.

Exercise Bersama Lima 2016

Australia: Muslim ex-deputy mayor to wife "I’m gonna rape your mum and your f***ing dad! I swear on the Koran!"

Abusing his wife Ayesha

🆘‼️🐸 Australia: Muslim ex-deputy mayor to wife "I’m gonna rape your mum and your f***ing dad! I swear on the Koran!" pic.twitter.com/vpajpYu22I

— Onlinemagazin (@OnlineMagazin) August 29, 2016

Australian LHDs to be Armed with Latest-Configuration Phalanx CIWS

Government approval has been received to install up to three Raytheon Phalanx 20 mm close-in weapon systems (CIWS) on both of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) 27,500-tonne Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessels.

Commodore Rob Elliott, director general for Surface Combatants and Aviation within the RAN's Strategic Command, told IHS Jane's on 5 July that the number of mounts depended on final design and radar cross-section analysis. Installation, he added, was unlikely to begin before 2018 at the earliest.

This is also the anticipated date for the return from the United States of the first of the RAN's current inventory of 12 Phalanx mounts after being upgraded to the Block 1B Baseline 2 configuration.

Australian PC-21s to Get TERPROM

Pilatus has selected UTC Aerospace Systems' TERPROM terrain referenced navigation (TRN) system for the Australian Defense Force's (ADF) Pilatus PC-21 training aircraft. UTC Aerospace announced the selection on 13 June.

The system will be fitted on all 49 ADF PC-21 aircraft, providing trainee crews with obstruction warning and cueing, predictive ground collision avoidance and drift-free terrain referenced navigation.

TERPROM offers TRN capabilities for navigation, including in GPS-denied and low-level environments. It uses a loaded digital map and on-board sensors for ground collision avoidance and obstruction warning, while maintaining zero forward electronic emissions.

UTC Aerospace Systems will also provide simulator software for the ADF's ground-based training equipment.

Kevin Pindard, managing director, UTC Aerospace Systems Sensors and Integrated Systems, said: ‘This combination of ground-based and airborne TERPROM software allows us to support our customer, Pilatus, in delivering world-class pilot training to the ADF. With this innovative technology already in use on the Australian jet trainers, there is commonality for crew across training systems.’

Another Australian success story : Hawkei

Final RAF Voyager MRTT is out from the factory

Airbus has flown the final Voyager MRTT airborne tanker, destined for the Royal Air Force, to Germany for painting and eventual delivery in July.

This final example will be managed by AirTanker consortium as a “surge” tanker for the Royal Air Force.