1.
Paris Air Show
–
The Paris Air Show claims to be the worlds calendar-oldest air show. Established in 1909, it is held every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in north Paris. The 2015 Paris Air Show, from 15–21 June 2015, became the 51st, the format is similar to the Farnborough International Airshow in Britain and the ILA Berlin Air Show, both of which are staged in alternate years to the Paris show. The Paris event starts with four days closed to the general public. The Paris Air Show is organised by the French aerospace industrys primary representative body, according to GIFAS, the 2011 Paris show attracted 151,500 professional visitors and 204,000 members of the general public, and 3,250 journalists from 80 countries. It is a commercial event, with a major purpose being to demonstrate military. It claims to be the most prestigious aircraft exposition in the world, major aircraft sales contracts are announced by manufacturers during the show. All major international manufacturers, as well as representatives of the forces of many countries. The Paris Air Show traces its history back to the first decade of the 20th century, in 1908 a section of the Paris Motor Show was dedicated to aircraft. The following year, an air show was held at the Grand Palais from 25 September to 17 October, during which 100,000 visitors turned out to see products. There were four further shows before the First World War, the show restarted in 1919, and from 1924 it was held every two years before being interrupted again by the Second World War. It restarted again in 1946 and since 1949, has held in every odd year. The air show continued to be held at the Grand Palais, in 1953, the show was relocated from the Grand Palais to Le Bourget. Since the 1970s, the show emerged as the international reference of the aeronautical sector. Among major accidents, there were two crashes of Convair B-58 Hustler bombers, in 1961 and 1965, at the Paris Air Show on June 3,1973, the second Tupolev Tu-144 production aircraft crashed during its display. It stalled while attempting a rapid climb, the cause of this accident remains controversial. A Mikoyan MiG-29 crashed during a flight with no loss of life. The then Soviet space shuttle Buran and its aircraft the Antonov An-225 were displayed
Paris Air Show
–
The first day of the 2007 Paris Air Show
Paris Air Show
–
The first Salon de la locomotion aérienne, 1909,
Grand Palais, Paris.
Paris Air Show
–
SNCASE SE-212 Durandal experimental jet/rocket fighter aircraft at the 1957 Air Salon
Paris Air Show
–
An-225 with
Buran at Le Bourget, 1989
2.
Stealth aircraft
–
Well-known modern examples of stealth of U. S. aircraft include the United States F-117 Nighthawk, the B-2 Spirit, the F-22 Raptor, and the F-35 Lightning II. Stealth is the combination of low observable features and active emitters such as Low Probability of Intercept Radars, radios. It is accomplished by using a design philosophy to reduce the ability of an opponents sensors to detect, track. This philosophy also takes account the heat, sound. Full-size stealth combat aircraft demonstrators have been flown by the United States, Russia, the U. S. military has adopted three stealth designs, and just recently adopted the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. During World War I, the Germans experimented with the use of Cellon, single examples of the Fokker E. III Eindecker fighter monoplane, the Albatros C. I two-seat observation biplane, and the Linke-Hofmann R. I prototype heavy bomber were covered with Cellon. In fact, sunlight glinting from the material made the even more visible. Celon was also found to be quickly degraded both by sunlight and in-flight temperature changes so the attempt to make transparent aircraft was not proceeded with. In 1916, the British modified a small SS class airship for the purpose of aerial reconnaissance over German Empire lines on the Western Front. Nearly three decades later, a serious attempt at radar invisibility was tried with the Horten Ho 229 flying wing fighter-bomber. In addition to the shape, the majority of the Ho 229s wooden skin was bonded together using carbon-impregnated plywood resins designed with the purported intention of absorbing radar waves. The nearly complete Ho 229 V3 prototype airframe was captured at the Gotha factory at Friederichsrodaon April 14,1945 and it was assigned the number T2-490 and was shipped to the United States. Where it ended up in the H. H. Hap, Arnold collection of the Air Force Technical Museum as intentions to bring it to flying status at Park Ridge and it was later transferred to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Echo made it possible to predict the radar signature of a made with flat panels. Lockheed built a model called the Hopeless Diamond, a reference to the famous Hope Diamond, reduced radar cross section is only one of five factors the designers addressed to create a truly stealthy design such as the F-22. The F-22 has also designed to disguise its infrared emissions to make it harder to detect by infrared homing surface-to-air or air-to-air missiles. Designers also addressed making the less visible to the naked eye, controlling radio transmissions. The first combat use of purpose-designed stealth aircraft was in December 1989 during Operation Just Cause in Panama, on 20 December 1989, two United States Air Force F-117s bombed a Panamanian Defense Force barracks in Rio Hato, Panama
Stealth aircraft
–
An
F-117 Nighthawk stealth strike aircraft flying over
Nevada in August 2002.
Stealth aircraft
–
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber of the
U.S Air Force
Stealth aircraft
–
In a 1994
live fire exercise near
Point Mugu, California, a
B-2 Spirit dropped forty-seven 500 lb (230 kg) class
Mark 82 bombs, which represents about half of a B-2's total ordnance payload in Block 30 configuration
Stealth aircraft
–
Schlieren photograph of T-38 shock waves
3.
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
–
An unmanned combat aerial vehicle, also known as a combat drone or simply a drone, is an unmanned aerial vehicle that usually carries aircraft ordnance such as missiles. Aircraft of this type have no human pilot. These drones are usually under real-time human control, with varying levels of autonomy and they are used in drone strikes. Equipment necessary for a pilot are not needed, as the operator runs the vehicle from a remote terminal, resulting in a lower weight. One of the earliest explorations of the concept of the drone was by Lee De Forest, an early inventor of radio devices, and U. A. Sanabria. They presented their idea in an article in a 1940 publication of Popular Mechanics, the modern military drone as known today was the brainchild of John Stuart Foster Jr. a nuclear physicist and former head of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In 1971, Foster was a model airplane hobbyist and had the idea this hobby could be applied to building weapons and he drew up plans and by 1973 DARPA built two prototypes called Praeire and Calere. They were powered by a modified engine and could stay aloft for two hours while carrying 28-pounds of load. In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel used unarmed U. S. Ryan Firebee target drones to spur Egypt into firing its entire arsenal of anti-aircraft missiles and this mission was accomplished with no injuries to Israeli pilots, who soon exploited the depleted Egyptian defenses. In the late 1970s and 80s, Israel developed the Scout and the Pioneer, Israel pioneered the use of Unmanned aerial vehicles for real-time surveillance, electronic warfare, and decoys. In the late 1980s, Iran deployed a drone armed with six RPG-7 rounds in the Iran–Iraq War, impressed by Israels success, the US quickly acquired a number of UAVs, and its Hunter and Pioneer systems are direct derivatives of Israeli models. The first UAV war was the first Gulf War, according to a May 1991 Department of the Navy report, after the Gulf War successfully demonstrated their utility, global militaries invested widely in the domestic development of combat UAVs. The first kill by an American UAV was on October 7,2001 in Kandahar, in recent years the U. S. has increased its use of drone strikes against targets in foreign countries and elsewhere as part of the War on Terror. In January 2014, it was estimated that 2,400 people have died from U. S. drone strikes in five years, in June 2015 the total death toll of U. S. drone strikes was estimated to exceed 6,000. Note, Some of these are not aircraft prototypes but technology demonstrators that are not expected to enter service, various Chinese UCAV concepts have also materialized. WZ-2000, UCAV versions of the Xianglong high altitude are long endurance UAV, Taranis is a British demonstrator programme for unmanned combat air vehicle technology. It is part of the UKs Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicle programme, the Taranis demonstrator will have an MTOW of about 8000 kilograms and be of comparable size to the BAE Hawk – making it one of the worlds largest UAVs. It will be stealthy, fast, and able to deploy a range of munitions over a number of targets, as well as being capable of defending itself against manned, the first steel was cut in September 2007 and ground testing started in early 2009
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
–
A
MQ-9 Reaper during a training mission
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
–
A
BAE Raven during flight testing
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
–
The
EADS Barracuda on the
Manching Air Base in Germany
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle
–
BAE Taranis model, one of the largest design concepts
4.
Dassault Aviation
–
Dassault Aviation SA is an international French aircraft manufacturer of military, regional, and business jets, a subsidiary of Dassault Group. It was founded in 1929 by Marcel Bloch as Société des Avions Marcel Bloch or MB, after World War II, Marcel Bloch changed his name to Marcel Dassault, and the name of the company was changed to Avions Marcel Dassault on 20 January 1947. In 1971 Dassault acquired Breguet, forming Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation, in 1990 the company was renamed Dassault Aviation. The Dassault Aviation Group is headed by Eric Trappier since 9 January 2013, the Société des Avions Marcel Bloch was founded by Marcel Bloch in 1929. In 1935 Bloch and Henry Potez entered into an agreement to buy Société Aérienne Bordelaise, in 1936 the arms industry in France was nationalised as the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Sud Ouest. Marcel Bloch was asked to act as delegated administrator of the Minister for Air, during the occupation of France the countrys aviation industry was virtually disbanded. Marcel Bloch was imprisoned by the Vichy government in October 1940, in 1944 Bloch was deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp by the German occupiers where he remained until it was liberated on 11 April 1945. On 20 January 1947 Société des Avions Marcel Bloch became Société des Avions Marcel Dassault to reflect the name adopted by its owner, from the 1950s to late 1970s exports become a major part of Dassault’s business, major successes were the Dassault Mirage series and the Mystere-Falcon. In 1965 and 1966 the French government stressed to its various defense suppliers the need to specialize to maintain viable companies, Dassault was to specialise in combat and business aircraft, Nord Aviation in ballistic missiles and Sud Aviation civil and military transport aircraft and helicopters. On 27 June 1967 Dassault acquired 66% of Breguet Aviation, under the merger deal Société des Avions Marcel Dassault was dissolved on 14 December 1971, with its assets vested in Breguet, to be renamed Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet Aviation. Dassault Systèmes was established in 1981 to develop and market Dassault’s CAD program, Dassault Systèmes was to become a market leader in this field. In 1979 the French government took a 20% share in Dassault and established the Societé de Gestion de Participations Aéronautiques to manage this, in 1998 the French government transferred its shares in Dassault Aviation to Aerospatiale. On 10 July 2000, Aérospatiale-Matra merged with other European companies to form EADS, in 2000 Serge Dassault resigned as chairman and was succeeded by Charles Edelstenne. Serge Dassault was appointed honorary chairman, the American company Atlantic Aviation based in Wilmington, Delaware, was acquired in October 2000. On 18 December 2000, Dassault Aviation was the first French company to be certified ISO 9001/2000 by BVQI, within fifteen years or so, thanks to developments in I. T. the industrial design offices went from using drawing boards to computerized 3D-modelling. Physical models were replaced by virtual digital mock-ups enabling a first version to be produced that is directly operational and this veritable industrial revolution was made possible thanks to PLM software from Dassault Systemes. Virtual plateau technology, allowing all the offices to work together simultaneously within short deadlines, was deployed for the Falcon 7X trijet program. In this way, for the first time, the primary parts, airbus sold some of its ownership back to Dassault in 2014, and further reduced its share to 27% in 2015
Dassault Aviation
–
Marcel Bloch - around 1914
Dassault Aviation
–
A
Dassault Falcon 900 and a
Dassault Falcon 7X business jet at
Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport (2010)
Dassault Aviation
–
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet of the UK defence technology organisation
QinetiQ
Dassault Aviation
–
Serge Dassault - 2009
5.
France
–
France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
France
–
One of the
Lascaux paintings: a horse –
Dordogne, approximately 18,000 BC
France
–
Flag
France
–
The
Maison Carrée was a temple of the
Gallo-Roman city of Nemausus (present-day
Nîmes) and is one of the best preserved vestiges of the
Roman Empire.
France
–
With
Clovis ' conversion to Catholicism in 498, the
Frankish monarchy,
elective and
secular until then, became
hereditary and of
divine right.
6.
BAE Systems Taranis
–
The BAE Systems Taranis is a British demonstrator programme for unmanned combat aerial vehicle technology, under development primarily by the defence contractor BAE Systems Military Air & Information. The aircraft, which is named after the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, a semi-autonomous unmanned warplane, the Taranis is designed to fly intercontinental missions, and will carry a variety of weapons, enabling it to attack both aerial and ground targets. It will utilise stealth technology, giving it a low radar profile, an operational derivative of the Taranis, the proposed Future Combat Air System is expected to enter military service after 2030. The Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicles Integrated Project Team, or SUAV IPT, was given responsibility for auditing and overseeing the Taranis project, the Taranis project is led by BAE Systems, and also involves Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation Systems, QinetiQ and the Ministry of Defence. BAE Systems and QinetiQ collaborated on all aspects relating to the autonomy of the system, GE Aviation Systems is responsible for providing Taranis fuel-gauging and electrical power systems. Rolls-Royce is responsible for the UCAVs propulsion system, having a 5% workshare in the project and it follows the completion of risk-reduction activities to ensure the mix of technologies, materials and systems used are robust enough for the next logical step. These risk-reduction activities included several earlier BAE stealth aircraft and UAV programmes, such as Replica, Nightjar I, Nightjar II, Kestrel, Corax, Raven, the first steel for the Taranis prototype was cut in September 2007, and assembly began in February 2008. On 9 January 2009, the Ministry of Defence denied that the Taranis had been flying near the site of a wind turbine. The prototype, which had a development cost of £143 million, was unveiled by BAE Systems at Warton Aerodrome, Lancashire. Ground tests of the began in 2010, and flight trials were initially expected to begin in 2011. However, the aircrafts first flight was delayed to 2012, then delayed further. The prototype has a takeoff weight of about 8,000 kg. It has two weapons bays, and is intended to incorporate full autonomy, allowing it to operate without human control for a large part of its mission. On 25 October 2013, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed that initial flight tests had taken place. Ground tests were conducted in 2010 and flight trials occurred in 2013, the MoD did not officially comment on the Taranis until the initial trials programme had been completed. On 5 February 2014, BAE revealed information on the Taranis flight tests, the UCAVs first flight occurred on 10 August 2013 at Woomera Test Range in South Australia. This flight lasted for approximately 15 minutes, a second sortie was launched on 17 August, and subsequent flights surpassed expectations for the airframe, flying at various speeds and heights for as long as one hour. By 2014, the Taranis development costs had reached £185 million, the Taranis is planned to be operational post 2030 and used in concert with manned aircraft
BAE Systems Taranis
–
Model of BAE Taranis UAV on display at
Farnborough Airshow in 2008.
7.
EADS Barracuda
–
The EADS Barracuda is a jet powered European unmanned aerial vehicle currently under development by EADS, intended for the role of aerial reconnaissance and also combat. The aircraft is a joint venture between Germany and Spain, development of the project was stopped after the first prototype crashed at sea while approaching for landing during a test flight. The program was resumed in 2008, with a prototype being completed in November 2008. The rebuilt Barracuda underwent a series of flight tests in Goose Bay, Canada during July 2009. The Barracuda is primarily in competition with the Dassault nEUROn for strategic, both are stealthy and have a maximum air speed of around Mach 0.85. While Germany and Spain are behind the Barracuda, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Greece, not much is known about the Barracuda as it is still in development. However the Barracuda is thought to have a ceiling of around 20,000 ft. The Barracuda originated as a UAV design study, intended to push EADS into the market for medium-altitude long-range UAVs and its official debut was at the 2006 International Aerospace Exhibition, where military applications and specifications for the Barracuda were revealed. EADS current focus is to get the Barracuda certified for unregulated flight in Germanys designated airspace and they also plan to develop the Barracuda as a modular platform, so that it can be refitted for various roles like maritime patrol. Offensive capabilities are not planned, but it may be refitted to carry weapons if customers express interest for it, the Barracuda may also be capable of carrying weapon systems. The systems would be installed in the payload bay. Germany is also discussing a partnership with Sweden and Italy for a unmanned aerial vehicle effort in order to compete with the French-led Dassault nEUROn programme. Italy and Sweden are already participants in the French-led effort, the Barracudas maiden flight took place in April,2006 at a remote location on the Iberian Peninsula. The flight was a success but the prototype crashed into the water during a test flight just off the Spanish coast on September 23,2006, the Barracuda is based on commercially available off the shelf components, but also many refined systems. Its fuselage is constructed entirely from carbon fibre, which is brittle, the only significant metal component is the wing spar, running through the middle and reinforcing the wings. The wing spar allows for removal of the wings for transportation. The Barracuda uses a specially shaped fuselage to scatter deflected radar, rendering the UCAV stealthy. Germany Spain General characteristics Crew,0 Length,8.25 m Wingspan,7.22 m Height, ft in Wing area, ft Empty weight,2300 kg Useful load, lb Loaded weight, kg Max
EADS Barracuda
–
Barracuda
8.
Boeing X-45
–
The Boeing X-45 unmanned combat air vehicle is a concept demonstrator for a next generation of completely autonomous military aircraft, developed by Boeings Phantom Works. Manufactured by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, the X-45 was a part of DARPAs J-UCAS project, Boeing developed the X-45 from research gathered during the development of the Bird of Prey. The X-45 features an extremely low-profile dorsal intake placed near the edge of the aircraft. The center fuselage is blended into a swept wing, with a small exhaust outlet. It has no control surfaces — split ailerons near each wingtip function as asymmetric air brakes, providing rudder control. Removing the pilot and its facilities from the aircraft dramatically reduces the aircrafts cost. Ground-based pilots execute the higher level decisions, but the flying of the aircraft is autonomous. Boeing built two of the model X-45A, both were scaled-down proof-of-concept aircraft, the first was completed by Boeings Phantom Works in September 2000. The goal of the X-45A technology demonstrator program was to develop the technologies needed to conduct suppression of air defense missions with unmanned combat air vehicles. The first generation of unmanned air vehicles are primarily planned for air-to-ground roles with defensive air-to-air capabilities coupled with significant remote piloting. The X-45A had its first flight on May 22,2002, on April 18,2004, the X-45As first bombing run test at Edwards Air Force Base was successful, it hit a ground target with a 250-pound inert precision-guided munition. On August 1,2004, for the first time, two X-45As were controlled in flight simultaneously by one ground-based pilot. On February 4,2005, on their 50th flight, the two X-45As took off into a pattern and were then alerted to the presence of a target. The X-45As then autonomously determined which vehicle held the position, weapons. After making that decision, one of the X-45As changed course, following a successful strike, another simulated threat, this time disguised, emerged and was subsequently destroyed by the second X-45A. The larger X-45B design was modified to have more fuel capacity. Each wings leading edge spans from the nose to the wingtip, giving the aircraft more wing area, the first of the three planned X-45C aircraft was originally scheduled to be completed in 2006, with capability demonstrations scheduled for early 2007. By 2010, Boeing hoped to complete an aerial refueling of the X-45C by a KC-135 Stratotanker
Boeing X-45
–
X-45
Boeing X-45
–
X-45A underside with weapons bay door open
Boeing X-45
–
The newer, larger X-45C
Boeing X-45
–
X-45 deploying a GPS-guided bomb
9.
Northrop Grumman X-47B
–
The Northrop Grumman X-47B is a demonstration unmanned combat air vehicle designed for aircraft carrier-based operations. The X-47B is a tailless jet-powered blended-wing-body aircraft capable of semi-autonomous operation, in August 2014, the US Navy announced that it had integrated the X-47B into carrier operations alongside manned aircraft, and by May 2015 the aircrafts primary test program was declared complete. The US Navy did not commit to practical UCAS efforts until 2000, the Navy was also interested in procuring UCAVs for reconnaissance missions, penetrating protected airspace to identify targets for following attack waves. Northrop Grummans proof-of-concept X-47A Pegasus, which provided the basis for the X-47Bs development, the J-UCAS program was terminated in February 2006 following the US militarys Quadrennial Defense Review. The US Air Force and Navy proceeded with their own UAV programs, the Navy selected Northrop Grummans X-47B as its unmanned combat air system demonstrator program. The X-47B prototype rolled out from Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California and its first flight was planned for November 2009, but the flight was delayed as the project fell behind schedule. On 29 December 2009, Northrop Grumman oversaw towed taxi tests of the aircraft at the Palmdale facility, the first flight of the X-47B demonstrator, designated Air Vehicle 1, took place at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on 4 February 2011. The aircraft first flew in cruise configuration with its gear retracted on 30 September 2011. A second X-47B demonstrator, designated AV-2, conducted its maiden flight at Edwards Air Force Base on 22 November 2011. The two X-47B demonstrators were initially planned to have a three-year test program with 50 tests at Edwards AFB and NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, however, the aircraft performed so consistently that the preliminary tests stopped after 16 flights. Thereafter, the Navy decided to use the aircraft to demonstrate carrier launches and recoveries, as well as autonomous inflight refueling with a probe and drogue. In November 2011, the Navy announced that aerial refuelling equipment, the Navy also affirmed that the demonstrator aircraft would never be armed. In 2012, Northrop Grumman tested a wearable remote control system, in May 2012, AV-1 began high-intensity electromagnetic interference testing at Patuxent River, to test its compatibility with planned electronic warfare systems. The drones first land-based catapult launch was conducted successfully on 29 November 2012, on 26 November 2012, the X-47B began its carrier-based evaluation aboard the USS Harry S. Truman at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. On 18 December 2012, the X-47B completed its first at-sea test phase, the system was remarked to have performed outstandingly, having proved that it was compatible with the flight deck, hangar bays, and communication systems of an aircraft carrier. With deck testing completed, the X-47B demonstrator returned to NAS Patuxent River for further tests, on 4 May 2013, the demonstrator successfully performed an arrested landing on a simulated carrier deck at Patuxent River. The Navy launched the X-47B from the USS George H. W. Bush on the morning of 14 May 2013 in the Atlantic Ocean, marking the first time that an unmanned drone was catapulted off an aircraft carrier. On 17 May 2013, another first was achieved when the X-47B performed touch-and-go landings and take-offs on the flight deck of the USS George H. W. Bush while underway in the Atlantic Ocean
Northrop Grumman X-47B
–
X-47B UCAS-D
Northrop Grumman X-47B
–
The X-47B's first takeoff at
Edwards Air Force Base,
California, on 4 February 2011
Northrop Grumman X-47B
–
An X-47B demonstrator with folded wings on the aircraft elevator of
USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on 14 May 2013
Northrop Grumman X-47B
–
An X-47B in flight near the Bush on 14 May 2013
10.
DRDO AURA
–
AURA is an autonomous unmanned combat air vehicle, being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. The design work on the UCAV is to be carried out by Aeronautical Development Agency, details of the project are classified. The UCAV will be capable of releasing missiles, bombs and precision-guided munitions, the programme is in its project definition stage. The ADA describes the AURA as a self-defending high-speed reconnaissance UAV with weapon firing capability, the first images released as part of a presentation shows the UAV as having a stealth design. The AURA will cruise at altitude and will be capable of carrying two or more guided strike weapons with on-board sensors for targeting and weapon guidance. The flight control system and data link packages of Aura will be designed and developed jointly by ADA, a non-afterburning variant of Kaveri was said to be used in the UCAV. In 2015 Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed Rajya Sabha that AURA will be powered by a Kaveri derivative engine
DRDO AURA
–
AURA (Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft)
11.
Mikoyan Skat
–
Designed by the Russian firm Mikoyan, the Skat is one of two concept strike UCAV developed for the Russian Defense Ministry. Possible roles include the suppression and attack of enemy air defenses, the first version of Skat to fly is planned to be piloted in order to meet Russian flight regulations. A number of aerodynamic configurations have been tested, including with small twin fins. MiG has settled on a tail-less configuration, the single-engine subsonic design has an 11.5 meter wingspan, and is 10.25 meters long. The UCAV has a maximum weight of 10 tons, with a maximum speed of 800 kilometers per hour at low altitude. It is intended to carry a load of up to two tons, with a combat radius of 2000 km. As CEO of RSK MiG Sergei Korotkov said to the press earlier, by the decision of Russian Defence Ministry Sukhoi Holding became the new Head Developer of the Strike UCAV project. Still, Skat experience would be used by Sukhoi, RSK MiG specialists are expected to work in the new project. On 3 June 2013, MiG signed a research and development contract to build a UCAV based on the Skat design, general characteristics Crew,0 Length,10.25 m Wingspan,11.5 m Powerplant,1 × Klimov RD-5000B
Mikoyan Skat
–
Skat
12.
Flying wing
–
A flying wing is a tailless fixed-wing aircraft that has no definite fuselage. Similar aircraft designs that are not - strictly speaking - flying wings, are referred to as such. These types include blended wing aircraft, and microlights, which typically carry the pilot below the wing. Tailless aircraft have been experimented with since the earliest attempts to fly, from 1910 John William Dunnes swept-wing biplane and monoplane designs displayed inherent stability. Hugo Junkers patented an air transport concept around the same time. He saw it as a solution to the problem of building an airliner large enough to carry a reasonable passenger load. He believed that the flying wings potentially large internal volume and low drag made it a design for this role. His deep-chord monoplane wing was incorporated in the otherwise conventional Junkers J1 in December 1915, however, it still required a short fuselage to house the crew and additional passengers. The flying wing configuration was studied extensively from the 1920s, often in conjunction with other tailless designs, the Soviet Boris Ivanovich Cheranovsky began testing tailless flying wing gliders in 1924 gliders, eventually producing the powered BICh-3. After the 1920s, Soviet designers such as Boris Ivanovich Cheranovsky worked independently, with significant breakthrough in materials and construction methods, aircraft such as the BICh-3, BICh-14, BICh-7A became possible. The BICh-11 by Cheranovsky in 1932 was competing with the Horten brothers H1 and Adolf Galland at the Ninth Glider Competitions in 1933, the BICh-26 was one of the first attempts at a supersonic jet flying wing aircraft, ahead of its time in 1948. The airplane was not accepted by the military and the design died with Cheranovsky, in Germany, Alexander Lippisch worked first on tailless types before progressively moving to flying wings, while the Horten brothers developed a series of flying wing gliders through the 1930s. The H1 glider was flown with success in 1933. In the United States, from the 1930s Jack Northrop and Cheston L. Eshelman each worked on their own designs, the Northrop N-1M scale prototype for a long-range bomber flew in 1940. Other 1930s examples of flying wings include Frenchman Charles Fauvels AV3 glider of 1933. Featuring a self-stabilizing airfoil on a straight wing, by World War II aerodynamic issues were well enough understood for work on production prototypes to begin while research continued. In 1942 Northrop flew the N-9M scale development aircraft for a proposed long-range bomber, the German Horten Ho 229 of March 1944 was the worlds first twin jet engine pure flying wing, and pre-production examples were test-flown during the closing stages of the war. The British Armstrong Whitworth A. W. 52G of 1944 was a glider test bed for tailless resrearch. for the later Armstrong Whitworth A. W.52 jet-powered version
Flying wing
–
The
Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
Flying wing
–
The
Northrop YB-35 was an experimental heavy bomber developed during World War II.
Flying wing
–
Northrop YB-49 flying wing bomber, the YB-35 converted to jet-power
Flying wing
–
Part of a Ho 229 V3, unrestored as of 2007, at the Smithsonian's
Paul Garber Facility
13.
Stealth technology
–
It corresponds to military camouflage for these parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Designers turned to develop a particular shape for planes that tended to reduce detection, radar-absorbent material was also tested and made to reduce or block radar signals that reflect off from the surface of planes. Such changes to shape and surface composition form stealth technology as used on the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. The concept of stealth is to operate or hide without giving enemy forces any indications as to the presence of friendly forces and this concept was first explored through camouflage by blending into the background visual clutter. Some military uniforms are treated with chemicals to reduce their infrared signature, a modern stealth vehicle is designed from the outset to have a chosen spectral signature. The degree of stealth embodied in a design is chosen according to the predicted capabilities of projected threats. The concept of camouflage is known to predate warfare itself, hunters have been using vegetation to conceal themselves perhaps as long as people have been hunting. In England, irregular units of gamekeepers in the 17th century were the first to adopt drab colours as a form of camouflage, following examples from the continent. During World War I, the Germans experimented with the use of Cellon, single examples of the Fokker E. III Eindecker fighter monoplane, the Albatros C. I two-seat observation biplane, and the Linke-Hofmann R. I prototype heavy bomber were covered with Cellon. In fact, sunlight glinting from the material made the even more visible. Celon was also found to be quickly degraded both by sunlight and in-flight temperature changes so the attempt to make transparent aircraft was not proceeded with, in 1916, the British modified a small SS class airship for the purpose of night-time reconnaissance over German lines on the Western Front. Diffused lighting camouflage, a form of counter-illumination camouflage, was trialled by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1941 to 1943. The concept was followed up, but for aircraft, by the Americans and this ability was rendered obsolete by radar. The U-boat U-480 may have been the first stealth submarine and it featured an anechoic tile rubber coating, one layer of which contained circular air pockets to defeat ASDIC sonar. Radar absorbent rubber/semiconductor composite paints and materials were used by the Kriegsmarine on submarines in World War II, tests showed they were effective in reducing radar signatures at both short and long wavelengths. In 1960, the first stealth technology development program was initiated by USAF and this was achieved through specially designed screens over the air intake, radar-absorbent material on the fuselage and a special radar-absorbing paint. Central Intelligence Agency requested funding for an aircraft to replace the existing U-2 spy planes. Radar absorbent material was used on U-2 spy planes, and various plane shapes designed to reduce radar detection were developed in earlier prototypes, in 1964, an optimal plane shape taking into account compactness was developed for another Blackbird, the Lockheed SR-71
Stealth technology
–
F-117 stealth attack plane
Stealth technology
–
Surcouf French stealth frigate
Stealth technology
–
The
F-35 Lightning II offers better stealthy features (such as this landing gear door) than prior American multi-role fighters, such as the
F-16 Fighting Falcon
Stealth technology
–
K32 HMS Helsingborg, a stealth ship
14.
Sweden
–
Sweden, officially the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and Finland to the east, at 450,295 square kilometres, Sweden is the third-largest country in the European Union by area, with a total population of 10.0 million. Sweden consequently has a low density of 22 inhabitants per square kilometre. Approximately 85% of the lives in urban areas. Germanic peoples have inhabited Sweden since prehistoric times, emerging into history as the Geats/Götar and Swedes/Svear, Southern Sweden is predominantly agricultural, while the north is heavily forested. Sweden is part of the area of Fennoscandia. The climate is in very mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence. Today, Sweden is a monarchy and parliamentary democracy, with a monarch as head of state. The capital city is Stockholm, which is also the most populous city in the country, legislative power is vested in the 349-member unicameral Riksdag. Executive power is exercised by the government chaired by the prime minister, Sweden is a unitary state, currently divided into 21 counties and 290 municipalities. Sweden emerged as an independent and unified country during the Middle Ages, in the 17th century, it expanded its territories to form the Swedish Empire, which became one of the great powers of Europe until the early 18th century. Swedish territories outside the Scandinavian Peninsula were gradually lost during the 18th and 19th centuries, the last war in which Sweden was directly involved was in 1814, when Norway was militarily forced into personal union. Since then, Sweden has been at peace, maintaining a policy of neutrality in foreign affairs. The union with Norway was peacefully dissolved in 1905, leading to Swedens current borders, though Sweden was formally neutral through both world wars, Sweden engaged in humanitarian efforts, such as taking in refugees from German-occupied Europe. After the end of the Cold War, Sweden joined the European Union on 1 January 1995 and it is also a member of the United Nations, the Nordic Council, Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Sweden maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides health care. The modern name Sweden is derived through back-formation from Old English Swēoþēod and this word is derived from Sweon/Sweonas. The Swedish name Sverige literally means Realm of the Swedes, excluding the Geats in Götaland, the etymology of Swedes, and thus Sweden, is generally not agreed upon but may derive from Proto-Germanic Swihoniz meaning ones own, referring to ones own Germanic tribe
Sweden
–
A
Vendel-era helmet, at the Swedish Museum of National Antiquities.
Sweden
–
Flag
Sweden
–
A
romantic nationalist interpretation of
Valdemar IV taking control over
Gotland. The final battle outside the walls of Visby in 1361 ended with a massacre of 1,800 defenders of the city.
Sweden
–
Stockholm in mid-17th century
15.
Saab AB
–
Saab Group is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania-Vabis, known as Saab-Scania. The two were de-merged in 1995 by the new owners, Investor AB, despite the demerger, both Saab and Scania share the right to use the griffin logo, which originates from the coat of arms of the Swedish region of Scania. Svenska Aeroplan AB was founded in 1937 in Trollhättan, with the merger of Svenska Aero AB, the style Saab replaced SAAB around 1950. Originally manufacturing aircraft, the company sought ways in which to diversify its business, in the late 1940s the company began manufacturing cars at its Saab Automobile division, based in Trollhättan. The first car was the Saab 92, full-scale production started December 12,1949, in the late 1950s Saab ventured into the computer market with Datasaab. The company was a partly of the need to make a computer that would be small enough to mount in an aeroplane as navigational equipment. During the 1960s several computers were developed and sold to European countries, the aircraft computer was used in 1971 in the Viggen. The company was sold in 1975 to Sperry UNIVAC, while Saab retained its flight computer development, in May 1965, the company name was changed to Saab AB to reflect its broad range of activities. In 1968 Saab AB merged with the Swedish lorry, bus and heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturer Scania-Vabis, in 1990 General Motors bought 51 percent of the car division Saab Automobile, and acquired the rest a decade later. In 1991 Investor AB completed a buyout of Saab-Scania AB. Investor AB acquired all the shares in Saab-Scania for approximately SEK21 billion. Saab-Scania became a wholly owned subsidiary of Investor AB and the company was de-listed, in 1995 Saab-Scania was divided by Investor AB into two independent companies, de-merging into Scania AB and Saab AB. The intention by Investor AB was to broaden ownership in the two companies later, following the sale of 50% of the car division Saab Automobile AB to General Motors, the main reason behind the merger with lorry manufacturer Scania-Vabis in 1968 had disappeared. Saab Military Aircraft and British Aerospace formed in 1995 the joint venture company Saab-BAe Gripen AB, to manufacture, market and this co-operation was extended in 2001 with the formation of Gripen International for the same purpose. From 1998 until 2005 the largest shareholder in Saab was the British aerospace company BAE Systems, following its acquisition of a 35% stake from Investor AB by its predecessor, in January 2005, BAE Systems reduced its shareholding to 20%. Investor AB maintained a 20% share,16 November 1999, Saab announced its intention is to purchase Celsius AB and the acquisition was concluded by early March 2000. In December 2005 Saab joined the Dassault nEUROn project as a major partner, in October 2008 the company announced its intention to merge its operations with that of Simrad Optronics
Saab AB
–
JAS 39 Gripen
Saab AB
–
Saab Group
Saab AB
–
Saab
AT4 portable
anti-tank weapon
Saab AB
–
Saab 340 with Erieye radar
16.
Hellenic Aerospace Industry
–
Hellenic Aerospace Industry is the leading aerospace company of Greece. Original designs include a number of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, first flown in 1982, HAI is located 65 kilometers north-west of Athens, with facilities covering an area of 200,000 sq. m. The company applies Total Quality Management and Six Sigma methodology, in addition, HAI has been inspected, verified and accepted by nearly every major manufacturer in the sector of Aerospace Industries. Furthermore, it has approved and certified as a maintenance center for the C-130 aircraft by Lockheed Aeronautics, King Air aircraft by Raytheon. HAI was founded by the Greek State in 1975 to undertake all aircraft-related construction activity, a huge factory was built in Tanagra,65 km north of Athens eventually employing thousands. In 1979 the development of the E1-79 Pegasus, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, was begun in collaboration with KETA, by 2003 it was already operational, being upgraded in 2005 to Pegasus II level. Other similar projects by HAI include the TELAMON, an advanced, jet-powered UAV, jointly developed with Northrop. It was introduced in 1986 but the project did not proceed, considered too expensive for the Hellenic Air Force requirements. In 1990, HAI developed in collaboration with DASA of Germany, Alenia of Italy and Per Udsen of Denmark the Advanced Amphibious Aircraft which, however, was not produced. Other developments that were not completed mostly for financial reasons at the time, include a trainer for the Hellenic Air Force of own design, in 1996, HAI entered the F-16 Fighting Falcon co-production program with Lockheed Martin. HAI also joined the Eurotrainer development and co-production program with Dassault Aviation, EADS, Saab AB, RUAG, in January 2006, HAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Aermacchi for the M-346 Advanced Trainer co-production project. In March 2007, HAI joined EADS in the Eurofighter project, in April 2007, HAI signed an agreement with the United States Air Force for the structural and electronic upgrade of all US F-16 fighters that harbor in Europe, in its facilities in Greece. This agreement concerns approximately 100 aircraft of the US Air Force, the program begun in November 2007 and the first upgraded US fighter was delivered to the US Air Force in March 2008. Since 2005 HAI has been involved in the design and construction of part of the new Boeing Dreamliner 787. The aircraft is the first environmentally friendly aircraft to be constructed by composite material. HAI looks forward to be the supplier of the CDS worldwide. HAI is also involved in the design and construction, using composite material, in 2010, the Hellenic Aerospace Industry was considered one of several Greek state owned enterprises requiring restructuring, because it had a primary revenue deficit. The Aircraft Maintenance Facilities cover a range of military & civil fixed
Hellenic Aerospace Industry
–
"
nEUROn " Next Generation Fighter (full-scale replica) co-produced with
Dassault,
EADS,
Saab AB, RUAG and
Alenia
Hellenic Aerospace Industry
–
IRIS-T/SL Missile
17.
Airbus
–
Airbus SAS is a division of the multinational Airbus Group SE that manufactures civil aircraft. It is based in Blagnac, France, a suburb of Toulouse, with production and manufacturing facilities mainly in France, Germany, Spain, China, United Kingdom, Airbus began as a consortium of aerospace manufacturers, Airbus Industrie. After a protracted sales process BAE sold its shareholding to EADS on 13 October 2006, Airbus has sixteen key sites in four countries, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom. Final assembly production is based at Toulouse, France, Hamburg, Germany, Seville, Spain, Tianjin, China, Airbus has subsidiaries in the United States, Japan and India. The company produces and markets the first commercially viable digital fly-by-wire airliner, the Airbus A320, and the worlds largest passenger airliner, Airbus Industrie began as a consortium of European aviation firms formed to compete with American companies such as Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed. While many European aircraft were innovative, even the most successful had small production runs, in the mid-1960s, tentative negotiations commenced regarding a European collaborative approach. The same year Hawker Siddeley teamed with Breguet and Nord to study airbus designs, the Hawker Siddeley/Breguet/Nord groups HBN100 became the basis for the continuation of the project. By 1966 the partners were Sud Aviation, later Aérospatiale, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Airbus, later Deutsche Airbus, a request for funding was made to the three governments in October 1966. On 25 July 1967 the three agreed to proceed with the proposal. In the two years following this agreement, both the British and French governments expressed doubts about the project, the MoU had stated that 75 orders must be achieved by 31 July 1968. With concerns at proposal of the A300B proposal in December 1968, and fearing it would not recoup its investment due to lack of sales, West Germany took this opportunity to increase its share of the project to 50%. Given the participation by Hawker Siddeley up to point, France. Thus the British company was allowed to continue as a privileged subcontractor, Hawker Siddeley invested GB£35 million in tooling and, requiring more capital, received a GB£35 million loan from the West German government. Airbus Industrie was formally established as a Groupement dIntérêt Économique on 18 December 1970 and it had been formed by a government initiative between France, West Germany and the UK that originated in 1967. Its initial shareholders were the French company Aérospatiale and the West German company Deutsche Airbus, Aérospatiale and Deutsche Airbus each took a 36. 5% share of production work, Hawker Siddeley 20% and the Dutch company Fokker-VFW 7%. Each company would deliver its sections as fully equipped, ready-to-fly items, in October 1971 the Spanish company CASA acquired a 4. 2% share of Airbus Industrie, with Aérospatiale and Deutsche Airbus reducing their stakes to 47. 9%. In January 1979 British Aerospace, which had absorbed Hawker Siddeley in 1977, the majority shareholders reduced their shares to 37. 9%, while CASA retained its 4. 2%. The Airbus A300 was to be the first aircraft to be developed, manufactured and marketed by Airbus, by early 1967 the A300 label began to be applied to a proposed 320 seat, twin engined airliner
Airbus
–
Airbus A300, the first aircraft launched by Airbus
Airbus
–
Eastern Air Lines was Airbus's first customer in the American market, ordering the
Airbus A300 B4
Airbus
–
Airbus A340 introduced in 1993
Airbus
–
Airbus A330 introduced in 1994
18.
Alenia Aeronautica
–
Alenia Aeronautica was an Italian aerospace company. Its subsidiaries included Alenia Aermacchi and Alenia Aeronavali, Alenia Aeronautica owns ATR, a joint venture with EADS. In January 2012, the company was reorganized as Alenia Aermacchi, Alenia Aeronautica was created in 1990 by concentrating the Finmeccanica aerospace and defense industries Aeritalia and Selenia. Alenia was immediately associated with Eurofighter and other advanced programs, the present Alenia Aeronautica was incorporated in 2002, when Finmeccanica spun off its divisions as independent companies. Alenias C-27J was selected by the US Defense Department as its Joint Cargo Aircraft, and the C-27J team was awarded a contract worth US$2.04 billion for 78 C-27Js in June 2007
Alenia Aeronautica
–
Alenia Aeronautica S.p.A.
19.
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour
–
The Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour is a two-shaft low bypass turbofan aircraft engine developed by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Limited, a joint subsidiary of Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca. The engine is named after the Adour, a river in south western France, the Adour is a turbofan engine developed primarily to power the Anglo-French SEPECAT Jaguar fighter-bomber, achieving its first successful test run in 1968. It is produced in versions with or without reheat, as of July 2009 more than 2,800 Adours have been produced, for over 20 different armed forces with total flying hours reaching 8 million in December 2009. The U. S. military designation for this engine is the F405-RR-401, bench engines Ten prototype engines were built for testing by both Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca. Flight development engines Development engines for the Jaguar prototypes,25 built, Adour Mk 101 - First production variant for the Jaguar,40 built. Adour Mk 102 - Second production variant with the addition of part-throttle reheat, Adour Mk 104 - Much more powerful version available in early 80s, with higher operating temperature, capable of about 5,500 kgf dry and 8,000 lb with max A/B. Adour Mk 106 - Replacement for the Jaguars Mk104 engine with a reheat section, the RAF refitted its fleet with this engine as part of the GR3 upgrade. In May 2007, following the retirement of the last 16 Jaguars from No.6 Squadron RAF, based at RAF Coningsby, bAe-built Jaguars were initially powered with two Adour 804E turbofans. Adour Mk 821 - Engine upgrade of Mk804 and Mk811 engines, currently under development, Adour Mk 951 - Designed for the latest versions of the BAE Hawk and powering the BAE Taranis and Dassault nEUROn UCAV technology demonstrators. The Adour Mk 951 is a more fundamental redesign than the Adour Mk 106, with improved performance and it features an all-new fan and combustor, revised HP and LP turbines, and introduces Full Authority Digital Engine Control. The Mk 951 was certified in 2005, f405-RR-402 - Upgrade of F405-RR-401, incorporating Mk 951 technology, certified 2008. Did not enter service due to funding issues
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour
–
Adour
Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour
–
Adour Mk 811 displayed at
HAL Aerospace Museum
20.
SEPECAT Jaguar
–
A carrier-based variant was also planned for French service, but this was cancelled in favour of the cheaper Dassault Super Étendard. The airframes were manufactured by SEPECAT, a joint venture between Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation, one of the first major joint-Anglo-French military aircraft programs, the Jaguar was exported to India, Oman, Ecuador and Nigeria. In the Gulf War, the Jaguar was praised for its reliability and was a valuable coalition resource, the aircraft served with the French Air Force as the main strike/attack aircraft until 1 July 2005, and with the Royal Air Force until the end of April 2007. It was replaced by the Panavia Tornado and the Eurofighter Typhoon in the RAF, in both countries several companies tendered designs, BAC, Hunting, Hawker Siddeley and Folland in Britain, Breguet, Potez, Sud-Aviation, Nord, and Dassault from France. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in May 1965 for the two countries to two aircraft, a trainer based on the ECAT, and the larger AFVG. Cross-channel negotiations led to the formation of SEPECAT in 1966 as a joint venture between Breguet and the British Aircraft Corporation to produce the airframe. As a result, the initial Br.121 design needed a thinner wing, redesigned fuselage, a rear cockpit. A separate partnership was formed between Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca to develop the Adour afterburning turbofan engine, the Br.121 was proposed with Turbomecas Tourmalet engine for ECAT but Breguet preferred the RR RB.172 and their joint venture would use elements of both. The new engine, which would be used for the AFVG as well, would be built in Derby, Dassault favoured its own Mirage G aircraft above the collaborative AFVG, and in June 1967, France cancelled the AFVG on cost grounds. The RAF had initially planned on a buy of 150 trainers, however, the RAFs strike line-up was at this point intended to consist of American F-111s plus the AFVG for lighter strike purposes. While the RAF had initially planned to buy 150 trainers, the TSR2, as a result, by October 1970, the RAFs requirements had changed to 165 single-seat strike aircraft and 35 trainers. The Jaguar was to replace the McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2 in the air support, tactical reconnaissance and tactical strike roles. Both the French and British trainer requirements had developed significantly, and were eventually fulfilled instead by the Alpha Jet, from these apparently disparate aims would come a single and entirely different aircraft, relatively high-tech, supersonic, and optimised for ground-attack in a high-threat environment. The first of eight prototypes flew on 8 September 1968, a two-seat design fitted with the first production model Adour engine and this aircraft later went supersonic on its third flight but was lost on landing on 26 March 1970 following an engine fire. The second prototype flew in February 1969, a total of three prototypes appeared in flight at the Paris Air Show that year, the first French A prototype flew in March 1969. In October a British S conducted its first flight, an M prototype flew in November 1969. The M had an airframe, an arrestor hook and different undercarriage, twin nosewheel. After testing in France it went to RAE at Thurleigh for carrier landing trials from their land based catapult, in July 1970 it made real take offs and landings from the French carrier Clemenceau
SEPECAT Jaguar
–
Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
–
RAF Jaguar T2 in flight displaying underside, 1,187 litre tanks and CBLS (carrier, bomb, light store) fitted to its underwing pylons.
SEPECAT Jaguar
–
RAF Jaguar GR3 with view of overwing AIM-9L Sidewinder missile.
SEPECAT Jaguar
–
RAF Jaguar GR3 during mid-air refueling.
21.
SNECMA M88
–
The Snecma M88 is a French afterburning turbofan engine developed by Snecma for the Dassault Rafale fighter. The program for the M88 arose from a need for a propulsion system for air-superiority. In 1983, Dassault Aviation planned to produce a technology demonstrator for the Avion de Combat eXpérimental, although the M88 was intended to be fitted to the definitive aircraft. It was not expected to be ready in time, and the ACX was therefore initially powered by the General Electric F404. Due to the application of the new engine, it was necessary for the engine to have a high thrust-to-weight ratio, low fuel consumption in all flight regimes. Additional considerations were afforded to good maintainability, and upgrade potential, the program was officially launched in 1986. It was decided to flight test the engine, the M88-2, aboard the Dassault Breguet, indeed, after having replaced the aircrafts left F404, the engine was first flight tested aboard the Rafale A on 27 February 1990. By now, the fourteen M88-2s had accumulated 1,600 hours of running time, the demonstrator thereafter reached supersonic speed without afterburners, reached a height of 50,000 ft, endured load factors of -2g and +9g and flown at an angle of attack of 30 degrees. Within 14 months of its flight aboard the Rafale A, the M88-2 had amassed 75 hours on 65 flights. The purpose of this release is to reduce cost of ownership of the M88 and longer intervals of the main modules by increasing the lifetime of the hot. Archived from the original on 18 October 2014, archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Superfighters, The Next Generation of Combat Aircraft, M88 page on Snecmas web site Snecma M88s pdf Flight Global article on M88-2
SNECMA M88
–
M88
22.
Dassault Rafale
–
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The Rafale is referred to as an aircraft by Dassault. In the late 1970s, the French Air Force and Navy were seeking to replace, in order to reduce development costs and boost prospective sales, France entered into an arrangement with four other European nations to produce an agile multi-purpose fighter. Subsequent disagreements over workshare and differing requirements led to Frances pursuit of its own development program, Dassault built a technology demonstrator which first flew in July 1986 as part of an eight-year flight-test programme, paving the way for the go-ahead of the project. Originally scheduled to service in 1996, the Rafale suffered significant delays due to post-Cold War budget cuts. The aircraft is available in three variants, Rafale C single-seat land-based version, Rafale B twin-seat land-based version. Introduced in 2001, the Rafale is being produced for both the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations in the French Navy. The Rafale has been marketed for export to countries, and it has been selected for purchase by the Indian Air Force, the Egyptian Air Force. The Rafale has been used in combat over Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq, several upgrades to the weapons and avionics of the Rafale are planned to be introduced by 2018. In the mid-1970s, both the French Air Force and Navy had requirements for a new generation of fighters to replace those in or about to enter service, because their requirements were similar, and to reduce cost, both departments issued a common request for proposal. In 1975, the French Ministry of Aviation initiated studies for a new aircraft to complement the upcoming and smaller Dassault Mirage 2000, in 1979, the French company Dassault joined the MBB/BAe European Collaborative Fighter project which was renamed the European Combat Aircraft. A number of factors led to the split between France and the other four countries. Around 1984 France reiterated its requirement for a version and demanded a leading role. It also insisted on a fighter that was lighter than the design favoured by the other four nations. West Germany, the UK and Italy opted out and established a new EFA programme. In Turin on 2 August 1985, West Germany, the UK and Italy agreed to go ahead with the Eurofighter, despite pressure from France, Spain rejoined the Eurofighter project in early September 1985. The four-nation project eventually resulted in the development of the Eurofighter Typhoon, in France, the government proceeded with its own programme. The French Ministry of Defence required an aircraft capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground, all-day, during October–December 1978, prior to Frances joining of the ECA, Dassault received contracts for the development of project ACT92
Dassault Rafale
–
Rafale
Dassault Rafale
–
The Dassault "Rafale A" technology demonstrator in 2006
Dassault Rafale
–
A two-seater Rafale B during an aerial refueling
Dassault Rafale
–
A French Navy Rafale M with tail hook deployed during landing aboard
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
23.
Rafale
–
The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. The Rafale is referred to as an aircraft by Dassault. In the late 1970s, the French Air Force and Navy were seeking to replace, in order to reduce development costs and boost prospective sales, France entered into an arrangement with four other European nations to produce an agile multi-purpose fighter. Subsequent disagreements over workshare and differing requirements led to Frances pursuit of its own development program, Dassault built a technology demonstrator which first flew in July 1986 as part of an eight-year flight-test programme, paving the way for the go-ahead of the project. Originally scheduled to service in 1996, the Rafale suffered significant delays due to post-Cold War budget cuts. The aircraft is available in three variants, Rafale C single-seat land-based version, Rafale B twin-seat land-based version. Introduced in 2001, the Rafale is being produced for both the French Air Force and for carrier-based operations in the French Navy. The Rafale has been marketed for export to countries, and it has been selected for purchase by the Indian Air Force, the Egyptian Air Force. The Rafale has been used in combat over Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq, several upgrades to the weapons and avionics of the Rafale are planned to be introduced by 2018. In the mid-1970s, both the French Air Force and Navy had requirements for a new generation of fighters to replace those in or about to enter service, because their requirements were similar, and to reduce cost, both departments issued a common request for proposal. In 1975, the French Ministry of Aviation initiated studies for a new aircraft to complement the upcoming and smaller Dassault Mirage 2000, in 1979, the French company Dassault joined the MBB/BAe European Collaborative Fighter project which was renamed the European Combat Aircraft. A number of factors led to the split between France and the other four countries. Around 1984 France reiterated its requirement for a version and demanded a leading role. It also insisted on a fighter that was lighter than the design favoured by the other four nations. West Germany, the UK and Italy opted out and established a new EFA programme. In Turin on 2 August 1985, West Germany, the UK and Italy agreed to go ahead with the Eurofighter, despite pressure from France, Spain rejoined the Eurofighter project in early September 1985. The four-nation project eventually resulted in the development of the Eurofighter Typhoon, in France, the government proceeded with its own programme. The French Ministry of Defence required an aircraft capable of air-to-air and air-to-ground, all-day, during October–December 1978, prior to Frances joining of the ECA, Dassault received contracts for the development of project ACT92
Rafale
–
Rafale
Rafale
–
The Dassault "Rafale A" technology demonstrator in 2006
Rafale
–
A two-seater Rafale B during an aerial refueling
Rafale
–
A French Navy Rafale M with tail hook deployed during landing aboard
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71)
24.
Eurofighter Typhoon
–
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter. NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency manages the project and is the prime customer, the aircrafts development effectively began in 1983 with the Future European Fighter Aircraft programme, a multinational collaboration among the UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Disagreements over design authority and operational requirements led France to leave the consortium to develop the Dassault Rafale independently. A technology demonstration aircraft, the British Aerospace EAP, first took flight on 6 August 1986, the aircrafts name, Typhoon, was adopted in September 1998, the first production contracts were also signed that year. The Royal Air Force of Oman and the Kuwait Air Force are export customers, the Eurofighter Typhoon is a highly agile aircraft, designed to be a supremely effective dogfighter in combat. The Typhoon had its debut during the 2011 military intervention in Libya with the Royal Air Force. The type has also taken responsibility for air-defence duties for the majority of customer nations. The UK had identified a requirement for a new fighter as early as 1971, the AST403 specification, issued by the Air staff in 1972, led to the P.96 conventional tailed design presented in the late 1970s. The P.96 design had potential for growth. However, the simultaneous West German requirement for a new fighter had led by 1979 to the development of the TKF-90 concept and this was a cranked delta wing design with forward close-coupled-canard controls and artificial stability. In 1979, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm and British Aerospace presented a proposal to their respective governments for the ECF. In October 1979 Dassault joined the ECF team for a tri-national study and it was at this stage of development the Eurofighter name was first attached to the aircraft. The development of different national prototypes continued, the UK produced two designs, the P.106 was a single-engined lightweight fighter, superficially resembling the JAS39 Gripen, the P.110 was a twin-engined fighter. The RAF rejected the P.106 concept on the grounds it had half the effectiveness of the aircraft at two-thirds of the cost. West Germany continued to refine the TKF-90 concept, consequently, the Panavia partners launched the Agile Combat Aircraft programme in April 1982. The ACA was very similar to the BAe P.110, having a delta wing, canards. One major external difference was the replacement of the engine intakes with a chin intake. The ACA was to be powered by a version of the RB199
Eurofighter Typhoon
–
Eurofighter Typhoon
Eurofighter Typhoon
–
British Aerospace EAP (for "Experimental Aircraft Programme") at the
Farnborough Air Show, 1986
Eurofighter Typhoon
–
EJ200 engine on display at
Paris Air Show 2013
Eurofighter Typhoon
–
Close up view of an
RAF Typhoon F2, showing the deflected
canard control surface immediately below the pilot.
25.
JAS 39 Gripen
–
The Saab JAS39 Gripen is a light single-engine multirole fighter aircraft manufactured by the Swedish aerospace company Saab. It was designed to replace the Saab 35 Draken and 37 Viggen in the Swedish Air Force, the Gripen has a delta wing and canard configuration with relaxed stability design and fly-by-wire flight controls. It is powered by the Volvo RM12, and has a top speed of Mach 2, later aircraft are modified for NATO interoperability standards and to undertake in-flight refuelling. In 1979, the Swedish government began development studies for a capable of fighter, attack. A new design from Saab was selected and developed as the JAS39, following two crashes during flight development and subsequent alterations to the aircrafts flight control software, the Gripen entered service with the Swedish Air Force in 1997. Upgraded variants, featuring more advanced avionics and adaptations for longer mission times, in order to market the aircraft to export customers, Saab has formed several partnerships and collaborative efforts with multiple overseas aerospace companies. One example of efforts was Gripen International, a joint partnership between Saab and BAE Systems formed in 2001. A further version, designated Gripen JAS 39E/F, is under development as of 2014, the changes include the adoption of a new powerplant, the General Electric F414G, an active electronically scanned array radar, and significantly increased internal fuel capacity. Saab has proposed other derivatives, including a navalised Sea Gripen for carrier operations, Sweden and Brazil have ordered the Gripen E/F and Switzerland initially selected it for procurement. As of 2013, more than 247 Gripens have been built, in the late 1970s, Sweden sought to replace its ageing Saab 35 Draken and Saab 37 Viggen. One goal was for the aircraft to be smaller than the Viggen while equalling or improving on its payload-range characteristics, several foreign designs were also studied, including the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, the Northrop F-20 Tigershark and the Dassault Mirage 2000. Ultimately, the Swedish government opted for a new fighter to be developed by Saab, several Saab designs were reviewed, the most promising being Project 2105, recommended to the government by the Defence Materiel Administration. The preferred aircraft was a single-engine, lightweight single-seater, embracing fly-by-wire technology, canards, the powerplant selected was the Volvo-Flygmotor RM12, a license-built derivative of the General Electric F404−400, engine development priorities were weight reduction and lowering component count. On 30 June 1982, with approval from the Riksdag, the FMV issued contracts worth SEK 25.7 billion to Saab, covering five prototypes and an initial batch of 30 production aircraft. By January 1983, a Viggen was converted to a flying test aircraft for the JAS 39s intended avionics, the JAS39 received the name Gripen via a public competition, which is the heraldry on Saabs logo. The first Gripen was rolled out on 26 April 1987, marking Saabs 50th anniversary, originally planned to fly in 1987, the first flight was delayed by 18 months due to issues with the flight control system. On 9 December 1988, the first prototype took its 51-minute maiden flight with pilot Stig Holmström at the controls, during the test programme, concern surfaced about the aircrafts avionics, specifically the fly-by-wire flight control system, and the relaxed stability design. On 2 February 1989, this led to the crash of the prototype during an attempted landing at Linköping
JAS 39 Gripen
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JAS 39 Gripen
JAS 39 Gripen
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Czech Gripen deploying defensive flares, 2011
JAS 39 Gripen
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Saab Gripen NG demonstrator at RIAT 2010
JAS 39 Gripen
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Underside of a Gripen in flight, 2012
26.
MQ-1 Predator
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The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator is an American remotely piloted aircraft built by General Atomics and used primarily by the United States Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency. The aircraft, in use since 1995, has seen combat in war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the NATO intervention in Bosnia, Serbia, Iraq War, Yemen, Libyan civil war, the intervention in Syria, the USAF describes the Predator as a Tier II MALE UAS. The UAS consists of four aircraft or air vehicles with sensors, a control station. Powered by a Rotax engine and driven by a propeller, the air vehicle can fly up to 400 nmi to a target, loiter overhead for 14 hours, then return to its base. Civilian applications have included border enforcement and scientific studies, and to monitor wind direction, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon began experimenting with unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in the early 1980s. The CIA preferred small, lightweight, unobtrusive drones, in contrast to the United States Air Force, in the early 1990s, the CIA became interested in the Amber, a drone developed by Leading Systems, Inc. The companys owner, Abraham Karem, was the chief designer for the Israeli Air Force. Karems company had gone bankrupt and been bought up by a U. S. defense contractor. Karem agreed to produce an engine for the vehicle, which had until then sounded like a lawnmower in the sky. The new development became known as the Predator, first flight took place on 3 July 1994 at the El Mirage airfield in the Mojave Desert. The aircraft itself was a derivative of the GA Gnat 750, during the ACTD phase, three systems were purchased from GA, comprising twelve aircraft and three ground control stations. From April through May 1995, the Predator ACTD aircraft were flown as a part of the Roving Sands 1995 exercises in the U. S. The exercise operations were successful, and this led to the decision to deploy the system to the Balkans later in the summer of 1995. By the start of the United States Afghan campaign in 2001, the USAF had acquired 60 Predators, few if any of the losses were from enemy action, the worst problem apparently being foul weather, particularly icy conditions. Some critics within the Pentagon saw the loss rate as a sign of poor operational procedures. In response to the losses caused by weather conditions, a few of the later USAF Predators were fitted with de-icing systems, along with an uprated turbocharged engine. This improved Block 1 version was referred to as the RQ-1B, or the MQ-1B if it carried munitions, the Predator system was initially designated the RQ-1 Predator. The R is the United States Department of Defense designation for reconnaissance, the 1 describes it as being the first of a series of aircraft systems built for unmanned reconnaissance
MQ-1 Predator
–
RQ-1 / MQ-1 Predator
MQ-1 Predator
–
At
Paris Air Show 2007
MQ-1 Predator
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A Predator flies on a simulated Navy aerial reconnaissance flight off the coast of southern California on 5 December 1995.
MQ-1 Predator
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Predator operators at Balad Camp Anaconda, Iraq, August 2007
27.
Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems
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Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems, or J-UCAS, was the name for the joint U. S. Navy and U. S. Air Force unmanned combat air vehicle procurement project. The two vehicles involved in the project were the Boeing X-45 and Northrop Grumman X-47, J-UCAS was managed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The program was revitalized into a Navy-only program named UCAS-D, of course, the candidates for the J-UCAS program included developments of the follow-ons to the Boeing X-45A and the Northrop Grumman X-47 Pegasus. Two were to be built, but before any metal could be bent for the two X-45B prototypes planned, the Air Force redirected the effort to a more capable machine. The X-45C, as envisioned, will be a flying wing powered by a single F404-GE-102D turbofan engine. Current specs include, The payload and range specifications are as defined by J-UCAS requirements, the operational radius specification is for a strike to a predefined target and back home again. A secondary range specification dictates a two-hour loiter capability at a radius of 1,850 kilometers. The alliance, which repeats the successful teamup that won the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter effort, is focused on building a modular stealthy UCAV that could be adapted to a range of missions. It would have a speed of Mach 0.8 at 10,670 meters, the goal of the J-UCAS effort is to select a single contractor to provide from 10 to 12 machines for operational evaluation in the 2007-2008 time frame. Current plans are to obtain two X-45Cs and two X-47Bs to perform an evaluation and then select a winner for development in the 2010 time frame. Specifications for the J-UCAS are still evolving, right now, both services envision a stealthy machine with a pricetag of $10 to $15 million USD, which is actually modest for a sophisticated stealthy combat aircraft. The USAF envisions that J-UCAS will feature, Stores pylons on the wings for external fuel tanks or additional munitions, a narrow field-of-view SAR-MTI system for targeting and post-strike damage assessment. The USAF has envisioned an operational UCAV as being stored in broken-down form inside a container that can be airlifted and it would be removed from the container every few years for inspections and could be checked with an electronic test system. The Air Force would also like to use an operational UCAV as the basis of a penetrating jammer platform that would penetrate enemy airspace to blind hostile radars and it would replace the Grumman EA-6B Prowler manned electronic warfare aircraft in this role. A reconnaissance payload is also being considered, however, the Air Force wants to focus on the strike role first. Over the long term, the Air Force is interested in using a UCAV as a platform to carry directed-energy weapons, initially a high power microwave weapon to fry adversary electronic systems. The HPM weapon would be fired out an aperture on the front of the aircraft, the HPM weapon could be followed by a high power laser weapon. A big concern of program officials is to ensure that widespread use of UCAVs does not increase the number of friendly fire incidents or collateral damage to civilian targets, the evaluation program will investigate this matter in detail
Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems
–
Boeing X-45 at the
National Museum of the United States Air Force
28.
Mirage 2000
–
The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a French multirole, single-engine fourth-generation jet fighter manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It was designed in the late 1970s as a fighter based on the Mirage III for the French Air Force. The Mirage 2000 evolved into an aircraft with several variants developed. The variants include the Mirage 2000N and 2000D strike variants, the improved Mirage 2000-5, over 600 aircraft were built and it has been in service with nine nations. The first production Mirage 2000C flew on 20 November 1982, deliveries to the AdA began in 1983. The first 37 Mirage 2000Cs delivered were fitted with the Thomson-CSF RDM and were powered by the SNECMA M53-5 turbofan engine, the 38th Mirage 2000C had an upgraded SNECMA M53-5 P2 turbofan engine. The Radar Doppler Impulse built by Thales for the Mirage 2000C entered service in 1987 and it has a much improved range of about 150 km, and is linked to Matra Super 530D missiles, which are much improved compared to the older Super 530F. Look-down/shoot-down capabilities are improved as well, but this radar is not usually used for air-to-surface roles. By the late 1980s, the Mirage 2000 was beginning to age compared with the latest models of F-16 fighters, in particular, attention was drawn to the aircrafts inability to engage multiple target simultaneously and the small load of air-to-air missiles it could carry. Consequently, Dassault in April 1989 announced that it would be working on a privately funded update of the Mirage 2000C which was to be named the Mirage 2000-5. A two-seat Mirage 2000B prototype was modified as the first Mirage 2000-5 prototype. A Mirage 2000C prototype was reworked to a similar standard. The first front-line aircraft variant to have been designed specifically in response to the market, Taiwan was the first country to order the type in 1992. The type was first delivered in 1996 and entered service in 1997, the upgraded aircraft were redesignated Mirage 2000-5F, and became operational in 2000. They retained the old system with the Serval/Sabre/Spirale units and did not receive the ICMS2 system. A two-seat version was developed as well, whose rear seat has a HUD but not an associated head-level display and lacks a built-in cannon, at the urging of the United Arab Emirates, Dassault worked on a further modification of the Mirage 2000-5. The aircraft uses retractable tricycle landing gear by Messier-Dowty, with twin nosewheels. A runway tailhook or a fairing for a parachute can be fitted under the tail
Mirage 2000
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Mirage 2000
Mirage 2000
–
Mirage 2000 C/B/D/N/5F
Mirage 2000
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French Air Force Mirage 2000D taxis for takeoff at the Royal International Air Tattoo.
Mirage 2000
–
Armament of a French Air Force Mirage 2000C
29.
European defence procurement
–
European multilateral defence procurement refers to the collective armaments purchasing policies of European nations. In the modern era, reduced budgets and increasing complexity make it difficult for most countries to develop their own weapon systems. Furthermore, identical projects in differing countries were recognised as a waste of resources, however the same countries often do not wish to purchase American systems because of the perception of a loss of sovereignty and the profits going to American companies. Therefore, some European nations are attempting to pool their resources to create multinational programmes to create a more independent, the European Defence Agency was established in 2004 to create such a stronger European market for military equipment. The Eurofighter Typhoon is the latest in a line of joint aircraft projects between the Western European powers, previously the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy had cooperated in producing the Panavia Tornado in the 1970s, and the UK and France had cooperated in producing the SEPECAT Jaguar. The Eurocopter Tiger is developed by France and Germany and was bought by Spain. Franco-Italian naval projects include the Horizon class frigates and FREMM multipurpose frigates, European countries also purchase a great deal of hardware from the US, and many former Eastern bloc countries have a great deal of legacy equipment produced by the USSR and other Warsaw Pact regimes. While European military budgets remain fragmented and massive duplication in research and development exists, British Aerospace was widely expected to merge with Germany’s DASA to form the first major European military-industrial giant. Instead in 1999 BAe merged with another British company, GECs military-industrial businesses, as a result, in 2000, DASA merged with Aerospatiale-Matra to form EADS. Further consolidation of the smaller military-industrial firms cannot be ruled out, other major players include AgustaWestland Dassault Aviation DCNS Diehl BGT Defence Eurocopter Eurofighter GmbH IDV Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Krauss-Maffei Leonardo S. p. A. Aircraft and missiles, A400M – replacing C-130 and Franco/German Transall Eurofighter Typhoon – replacing F-4 Phantom II, F-16s, Mirage F-1, there are several examples where one country continues to pursue purely national programmes because collaboration would be unacceptable or undesirable. For example, both the UK and France continue to develop and operate independent nuclear deterrent, likewise Frances desire for military and industrial independence has motivated its continued pursuit of high-technology projects, e. g. Dassault Rafale. Multinational programmes can fail because of disagreements about price or capability, for example, while the UK terminated its collaboration with France and Italy on the next generation frigate and started a national Type 45 programme. However the warships will share some systems, primarily the MBDA Aster missile, the DOD also argued that to spend limited budgetary resources on such duplication was foolish. The previous generation American fighter plane was sold throughout Europe. The European Union has adopted a code of conduct with the objective to inject transparency, as of 2009 the code is adopted by Norway and all EDA members except Romania, who may join later. 113, November 2008, European Union Institute for Security Studies
European defence procurement
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Africa & the Middle East
30.
BAE Taranis
–
The BAE Systems Taranis is a British demonstrator programme for unmanned combat aerial vehicle technology, under development primarily by the defence contractor BAE Systems Military Air & Information. The aircraft, which is named after the Celtic god of thunder Taranis, a semi-autonomous unmanned warplane, the Taranis is designed to fly intercontinental missions, and will carry a variety of weapons, enabling it to attack both aerial and ground targets. It will utilise stealth technology, giving it a low radar profile, an operational derivative of the Taranis, the proposed Future Combat Air System is expected to enter military service after 2030. The Strategic Unmanned Air Vehicles Integrated Project Team, or SUAV IPT, was given responsibility for auditing and overseeing the Taranis project, the Taranis project is led by BAE Systems, and also involves Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation Systems, QinetiQ and the Ministry of Defence. BAE Systems and QinetiQ collaborated on all aspects relating to the autonomy of the system, GE Aviation Systems is responsible for providing Taranis fuel-gauging and electrical power systems. Rolls-Royce is responsible for the UCAVs propulsion system, having a 5% workshare in the project and it follows the completion of risk-reduction activities to ensure the mix of technologies, materials and systems used are robust enough for the next logical step. These risk-reduction activities included several earlier BAE stealth aircraft and UAV programmes, such as Replica, Nightjar I, Nightjar II, Kestrel, Corax, Raven, the first steel for the Taranis prototype was cut in September 2007, and assembly began in February 2008. On 9 January 2009, the Ministry of Defence denied that the Taranis had been flying near the site of a wind turbine. The prototype, which had a development cost of £143 million, was unveiled by BAE Systems at Warton Aerodrome, Lancashire. Ground tests of the began in 2010, and flight trials were initially expected to begin in 2011. However, the aircrafts first flight was delayed to 2012, then delayed further. The prototype has a takeoff weight of about 8,000 kg. It has two weapons bays, and is intended to incorporate full autonomy, allowing it to operate without human control for a large part of its mission. On 25 October 2013, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed that initial flight tests had taken place. Ground tests were conducted in 2010 and flight trials occurred in 2013, the MoD did not officially comment on the Taranis until the initial trials programme had been completed. On 5 February 2014, BAE revealed information on the Taranis flight tests, the UCAVs first flight occurred on 10 August 2013 at Woomera Test Range in South Australia. This flight lasted for approximately 15 minutes, a second sortie was launched on 17 August, and subsequent flights surpassed expectations for the airframe, flying at various speeds and heights for as long as one hour. By 2014, the Taranis development costs had reached £185 million, the Taranis is planned to be operational post 2030 and used in concert with manned aircraft
BAE Taranis
–
Model of BAE Taranis UAV on display at
Farnborough Airshow in 2008.
31.
MiG Skat
–
Designed by the Russian firm Mikoyan, the Skat is one of two concept strike UCAV developed for the Russian Defense Ministry. Possible roles include the suppression and attack of enemy air defenses, the first version of Skat to fly is planned to be piloted in order to meet Russian flight regulations. A number of aerodynamic configurations have been tested, including with small twin fins. MiG has settled on a tail-less configuration, the single-engine subsonic design has an 11.5 meter wingspan, and is 10.25 meters long. The UCAV has a maximum weight of 10 tons, with a maximum speed of 800 kilometers per hour at low altitude. It is intended to carry a load of up to two tons, with a combat radius of 2000 km. As CEO of RSK MiG Sergei Korotkov said to the press earlier, by the decision of Russian Defence Ministry Sukhoi Holding became the new Head Developer of the Strike UCAV project. Still, Skat experience would be used by Sukhoi, RSK MiG specialists are expected to work in the new project. On 3 June 2013, MiG signed a research and development contract to build a UCAV based on the Skat design, general characteristics Crew,0 Length,10.25 m Wingspan,11.5 m Powerplant,1 × Klimov RD-5000B
MiG Skat
–
Skat
32.
Boeing Phantom Ray
–
The Boeing Phantom Ray is an American demonstration stealth unmanned combat air vehicle being developed by Boeing using company funds. The autonomous Phantom Ray is a wing around the size of a conventional fighter jet. It will conduct a program of test flights involving surveillance, ground attack, the developers say it can carry 4,500 pounds of payload. The Phantom Ray project, called Project Reblue internally at Boeing, was first conceived in mid-2007, the project was secret within the company, except for a small number of executives and engineers, until May 2009. The Phantom Ray was unveiled on May 10,2010, in St. Louis, in November 2010, low-speed taxi tests were carried out in St. Louis. Boeing anticipates that the Phantom Ray will be the first of a series of new prototype aircraft, the Phantom Ray flew to 7,500 feet and reached a speed of 178 knots, flying for a total of 17 minutes. Values for the X-45 are marked with an asterisk
Boeing Phantom Ray
–
Phantom Ray
Boeing Phantom Ray
–
The Phantom Ray being carried on the
Shuttle Carrier Aircraft in Missouri in December 2010.
33.
Lockheed Martin Polecat
–
The Lockheed Martin Polecat was an unmanned aerial vehicle by Lockheed Martin. It was developed by the companys Advanced Development Programs division in Palmdale, Polecat is a colloquialism for a skunk, in an apparent reference to the popular Skunk Works nickname for the Lockheed Martins Advanced Development Programs division. Designated P-175, the Polecat was funded internally by Lockheed Martin at the beginning of 2005, the prototype was unveiled at the 2006 Farnborough Airshow. It was developed over a period of 18 months
Lockheed Martin Polecat
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Polecat
34.
Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus
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The Northrop Grumman X-47 is a demonstration Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle. The X-47 began as part of DARPAs J-UCAS program, and is now part of the United States Navys UCAS-D program to create a carrier-based unmanned aircraft, unlike the Boeing X-45, initial Pegasus development was company-funded. The original vehicle carries the designation X-47A Pegasus, while the naval version is designated X-47B. The US Navy did not commit to practical UCAV efforts until mid-2000, the Navy was also interested in using their UCAVs for reconnaissance missions, penetrating protected airspace to identify targets for the attack waves. The Navy went on to give Northrop Grumman a contract for a naval UCAV demonstrator with the designation of X-47A Pegasus, the proof-of-concept X-47A vehicle was built under contract by Burt Rutans Scaled Composites at the Mojave Spaceport. The Pegasus demonstrator looks like a simple black arrowhead with no vertical tailplane and it has a leading edge sweep of 55 degrees and a trailing edge sweep of 35 degrees. The demonstrator has retractable tricycle landing gear, with a nose gear and dual-wheel main gear. The inlaids are small flap structures mounted on the top and bottom of the forward of the wingtips. The X-47A is powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5C small high-bypass turbofan engine with 3,190 lbf thrust and this engine is currently in use with operational aircraft such as the Aermacchi S-211 trainer. The engine is mounted on the back, with the inlet on top behind the nose. The inlet duct has a serpentine diffuser to prevent radar reflections off the engine fan, however, to keep costs low, the engine exhaust is a simple cylindrical tailpipe, with no provisions for reducing radar or infrared signature. The X-47As airframe is built of materials, with construction subcontracted out to Burt Rutans Scaled Composites company. The airframe consists of four main assemblies, split down the middle with two assemblies on top and two on bottom. The X-47A was rolled out on 30 July 2001 and performed its first flight on 23 February 2003 at the US Naval Air Warfare Center at China Lake, the Pegasus was also used to evaluate technologies for carrier deck landings, though the demonstrator did not have an arrestor hook. The J-UCAS program was terminated in February 2006 following the US militarys Quadrennial Defense Review, the US Air Force and US Navy proceeded with their own UAV programs. The Navy selected Northrop Grummans X-47B as its Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator program
Northrop Grumman X-47A Pegasus
–
X-47A Pegasus
35.
List of unmanned aerial vehicles
–
The following is a list of unmanned aerial vehicles developed and operated in various countries around the world. Listed with primary mission and year of first flight, acauã VANT Experimental UAV of the Brazilian Air Force to develop electronic systems for future Brazilian UAVS. XMobots Apoema 1000B LALE AGPlane UAV of AGX/Aeroalcool. Agricultural and civilian surveillance UAV, arara T1 Small UAV/target of AGX/Aeroalcool for the Brazilian Navy. Azimute Santos Lab Comercio e Industria Aerospacial Ltda, bQM-1BR First Brazilian UAV/target of the CBT. Caçador, developed from Israeli IAI Heron Carcara Infantry portable UAV, Carcara II New version of Carcara for the Navy, Santos Lab Comercio e Industria Aerospacial Ltda. DELTA SR target of the Brazilian Air Force, DELTA CR target of the Brazilian Air Force. Dumont - New Technologies, Echar 20A UAV of XMobots, gyro 200 ED mini-UAV Quadcopter of the Gyrofly Innovations. Gyro 500 Mini-UAV Quadcopter of the Gyrofly Innovations, Harpia This is a medium size tactical UAV of the Harpia Systems, halted in January 2016 Hornet H2 UAV of the BRVANT. Jabirú Santos Lab Comercio e Industria Aerospacial Ltda, aeromot K1AM UAV/Target drone for the Brazilian Navy, based in Northrop KD2R-5 Drone. Nauru 500A UAV of XMobots Proton UAV of the BRVANT, sARVant Surveillance UAV developed by a consortium of OrbiSat Aeroalcool and AGX. Sea Runner target of the Brazilian Air Force, tiriba Brazilian mini UAV by AGX Tecnologia. Chilean Air Force Vantapa Lascar UAV, reconnaissance Navigator X2 Iris UAV Araknos V2, QAE 108-200 by Quetzal Aeroespacial an UAS capable to perform vertical photography and orthophotography. QAE 108-300 by Quetzal Aeroespacial an UAS capable to perform remote perception with a multispectral camera and these circumstances forced Pakistan to initiate an indigenous effort to develop UAV technology in the early and mid-2000s. In Pakistan, UAVs are now being designed and manufactured by several state-owned and private defence production, prominent among them are the National Engineering and Scientific Commission, Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Integrated Dynamics, SATUMA and GIDS. Ababeel, developed by PAC Ababeel III, developed by Albadeey Technologies, baaz UAV, developed by PAC Border Eagle, developed by Integrated Dynamics. Explorer UAV, developed by Integrated Dynamics, falco UAV Firefly UAV, under development by Integrated Dynamics. Flamingo UAV, Reconnaissance Drone built by SATUMA, hawk MK-V UAV, developed by Integrated Dynamics. Hornet UAV, developed by Integrated Dynamics, HUMA I, developed by Integrated Defence Systems
List of unmanned aerial vehicles
–
A
Boeing 720 being flown under remote control as part of
NASA 's
Controlled Impact Demonstration
List of unmanned aerial vehicles
–
CL-289, reconnaissance (1990)
List of unmanned aerial vehicles
–
UAV Stardust II
List of unmanned aerial vehicles
–
Georgian Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
36.
Air International
–
AIR International is a British aviation magazine covering current defence aerospace and civil aviation topics. It has been in publication since 1971 and is published by Key Publishing Ltd. The magazine was first published in June 1971 with the name Air Enthusiast, in January 1974 its title was changed to Air Enthusiast International and finally to Air International in July 1974. Air International is published by Key Publishing Limited, the magazine has its headquarters in Stamford, Lincolnshire. Sister publications include Air Forces Monthly, Airliner World, Airports International, list of Air International issues with article index
Air International
–
AIR International magazine, December 1999 issue
37.
International Standard Serial Number
–
An International Standard Serial Number is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title, ISSN are used in ordering, cataloging, interlibrary loans, and other practices in connection with serial literature. The ISSN system was first drafted as an International Organization for Standardization international standard in 1971, ISO subcommittee TC 46/SC9 is responsible for maintaining the standard. When a serial with the content is published in more than one media type. For example, many serials are published both in print and electronic media, the ISSN system refers to these types as print ISSN and electronic ISSN, respectively. The format of the ISSN is an eight digit code, divided by a hyphen into two four-digit numbers, as an integer number, it can be represented by the first seven digits. The last code digit, which may be 0-9 or an X, is a check digit. Formally, the form of the ISSN code can be expressed as follows, NNNN-NNNC where N is in the set, a digit character. The ISSN of the journal Hearing Research, for example, is 0378-5955, where the final 5 is the check digit, for calculations, an upper case X in the check digit position indicates a check digit of 10. To confirm the check digit, calculate the sum of all eight digits of the ISSN multiplied by its position in the number, the modulus 11 of the sum must be 0. There is an online ISSN checker that can validate an ISSN, ISSN codes are assigned by a network of ISSN National Centres, usually located at national libraries and coordinated by the ISSN International Centre based in Paris. The International Centre is an organization created in 1974 through an agreement between UNESCO and the French government. The International Centre maintains a database of all ISSNs assigned worldwide, at the end of 2016, the ISSN Register contained records for 1,943,572 items. ISSN and ISBN codes are similar in concept, where ISBNs are assigned to individual books, an ISBN might be assigned for particular issues of a serial, in addition to the ISSN code for the serial as a whole. An ISSN, unlike the ISBN code, is an identifier associated with a serial title. For this reason a new ISSN is assigned to a serial each time it undergoes a major title change, separate ISSNs are needed for serials in different media. Thus, the print and electronic versions of a serial need separate ISSNs. Also, a CD-ROM version and a web version of a serial require different ISSNs since two different media are involved, however, the same ISSN can be used for different file formats of the same online serial
International Standard Serial Number
–
ISSN encoded in an EAN-13 barcode with sequence variant 0 and issue number 5
38.
Wayback Machine
–
The Internet Archive launched the Wayback Machine in October 2001. It was set up by Brewster Kahle and Bruce Gilliat, and is maintained with content from Alexa Internet, the service enables users to see archived versions of web pages across time, which the archive calls a three dimensional index. Since 1996, the Wayback Machine has been archiving cached pages of websites onto its large cluster of Linux nodes and it revisits sites every few weeks or months and archives a new version. Sites can also be captured on the fly by visitors who enter the sites URL into a search box, the intent is to capture and archive content that otherwise would be lost whenever a site is changed or closed down. The overall vision of the machines creators is to archive the entire Internet, the name Wayback Machine was chosen as a reference to the WABAC machine, a time-traveling device used by the characters Mr. Peabody and Sherman in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, an animated cartoon. These crawlers also respect the robots exclusion standard for websites whose owners opt for them not to appear in search results or be cached, to overcome inconsistencies in partially cached websites, Archive-It. Information had been kept on digital tape for five years, with Kahle occasionally allowing researchers, when the archive reached its fifth anniversary, it was unveiled and opened to the public in a ceremony at the University of California, Berkeley. Snapshots usually become more than six months after they are archived or, in some cases, even later. The frequency of snapshots is variable, so not all tracked website updates are recorded, Sometimes there are intervals of several weeks or years between snapshots. After August 2008 sites had to be listed on the Open Directory in order to be included. As of 2009, the Wayback Machine contained approximately three petabytes of data and was growing at a rate of 100 terabytes each month, the growth rate reported in 2003 was 12 terabytes/month, the data is stored on PetaBox rack systems manufactured by Capricorn Technologies. In 2009, the Internet Archive migrated its customized storage architecture to Sun Open Storage, in 2011 a new, improved version of the Wayback Machine, with an updated interface and fresher index of archived content, was made available for public testing. The index driving the classic Wayback Machine only has a bit of material past 2008. In January 2013, the company announced a ground-breaking milestone of 240 billion URLs, in October 2013, the company announced the Save a Page feature which allows any Internet user to archive the contents of a URL. This became a threat of abuse by the service for hosting malicious binaries, as of December 2014, the Wayback Machine contained almost nine petabytes of data and was growing at a rate of about 20 terabytes each week. Between October 2013 and March 2015 the websites global Alexa rank changed from 162 to 208, in a 2009 case, Netbula, LLC v. Chordiant Software Inc. defendant Chordiant filed a motion to compel Netbula to disable the robots. Netbula objected to the motion on the ground that defendants were asking to alter Netbulas website, in an October 2004 case, Telewizja Polska USA, Inc. v. Echostar Satellite, No.02 C3293,65 Fed. 673, a litigant attempted to use the Wayback Machine archives as a source of admissible evidence, Telewizja Polska is the provider of TVP Polonia and EchoStar operates the Dish Network
Wayback Machine
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Wayback Machine
39.
Dassault MD 315 Flamant
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The Dassault MD315 Flamant is a French light twin-engined transport airplane built shortly after World War II by Dassault Aviation for the French Air Force. Design work on a light transport started in 1946 with the MD303, a development of an earlier project for an eight-seat communications aircraft. The prototype MD303 first flew on 26 February 1947 powered by two Béarn 6D engines, designed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a communications aircraft. A re-engined version was ordered into production at the new Dassault factory at Bordeaux-Mérignac, the production aircraft was a low-wing monoplane with twin tail surfaces and a tricycle undercarriage, powered by two Renault 12S piston engines. Three main versions of the now named Flamant were produced. The MD315 ten-seat colonial communication aircraft, the MD312 six-seat transport aircraft, the MD311 had a distinctive glazed nose for its role as both a bombing and navigation trainer. During the Algerian War of Independence the plane was used for attack with the Nord SS.11 and AS.11 antitank missiles or with machine guns, bombs. The SS.11 attacks proved extremely successful and the French Army which had provided the missiles, the Flamant stayed in service until 1981. In addition to the French air force, the Flamant served in Cambodia, Madagascar, Tunisia, MB 30-1 Original proposals for a bombing and navigation trainer. MB 30-2 Original proposals fora medical and colonial roles, MB 30-3 Original proposals for a liaison and training aircraft. MD303 Prototype, one built, powered by two 310 kW Béarn 6D engines, MD311 Bombing, navigation and photography training aircraft,39 built, powered by two 310 kW SNECMA 12S engines. MD312 Six-seat transport and communications aircraft,142 built, powered by two 310 kW SNECMA 12S engines, MD 312B Experimental version with heavier loaded weight, one built, powered by two 310 kW SNECMA 12S engines. Used later for Mirage IV radar development, MD315 Ten-seat utility transport aircraft,137 built, powered by two 310 kW SNECMA 12S engines. MD 316T One prototype fitted with a tail, and two 600 kW Wright R-1300-CB7A1 Cyclone radial piston engines
Dassault MD 315 Flamant
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Flamant
Dassault MD 315 Flamant
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Dassault MD 311 Flamant trainer at the
Paris Air Show 2007
Dassault MD 315 Flamant
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Dassault M.D.315 Flamant
40.
Dassault Ouragan
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The Dassault M. D.450 Ouragan was a French fighter-bomber developed and produced by Dassault Aviation. It has its origins in a venture by Dassault to produce an all-French aircraft which would made use of jet propulsion. The Ouragan was operated by France, India, Israel and El Salvador, while in Israeli service, the type participated in both the Suez Crisis and the Six-Day War. In particular, he was keen to develop the aircraft enough to corner the emerging market for such an aircraft. In early 1946, Bloch renamed both himself and his new company Dassault, after his brothers wartime codename in the French Resistance, due to its interceptor role, an emphasis had been placed on a fast rate of climb. In September 1947, a series of talks outlining the project took place between Dassault and the Bureau dEtudes et Plans dEtat Major. The French governments response to the proposal was positive, however no firm order for the aircraft was placed at this time, in December 1947, the detailed design work phase of the project, which had been allocated the design number M. D.450, commenced. On 7 April 1948, the construction of a prototype began at the factory in Saint-Cloud. On 29 June 1948, Dassaults decision to proceed was met with the issuing of contract No, 2223/48 from the Service Technique de lAéronautique of the Ministère des Armées Air, which ordered the construction of three prototypes. On 28 February 1949, the first prototype of the Ouragan fighter conducted its first flight with Dassault Chief Test Pilot Kostia Rozanoff at the controls and this prototype lacked pressurization, armament, and the distinctive wingtip fuel tanks of subsequent production aircraft. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene 102 centrifugal-flow engine capable of generating 22.27 kN of thrust, during service trials in 1949, the first prototype attained a top speed of 980 km/h and achieved an initial climb rate of 43 m/s. In May 1949, the prototype, M. D. 450-02. This second prototype featured a cockpit and more complete internal equipment. In December 1949, the 450 liter wingtip tanks that would become a feature of all Ouragans first appeared. Testing of the prototype was discontinued following the sustaining of damage during one landing due an undercarriage malfunction. The completion of the prototype was delayed to incorporate lessons learnt from the first two prototypes. On 2 June 1950, the prototype, M. D. 450-03. This third prototype was powered by a Hispano-Suiza-licensed Nene 104, as envisaged for use on production aircraft and it was dispatched to Centre dEssais en Vol de Cazaux to conduct weapons trials while armed with 15 mm and later 20 mm cannons
Dassault Ouragan
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Ouragan
Dassault Ouragan
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MD450 Ouragan on display with wingtip fuel tanks.
Dassault Ouragan
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Ouragan at the Israeli Air Force Museum in Hatzerim.
Dassault Ouragan
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Dassault Ouragan El Salvador Air Force.
41.
Dassault Mirage III
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The Dassault Mirage III is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fighter aircraft produced by Dassault Aviation for the French Air Force and widely exported. Prominent operators included Argentina, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan and Israel, though an older design, the second-generation fighter is a fairly maneuverable aircraft and an effective opponent in close-range dogfighting. In French service it was armed with air-to-ground ordnance or R.550 Magic air-to-air missiles, the versatility of the design enabled production of trainer, reconnaissance and ground-attack versions, as well as the Dassault Mirage 5, Dassault Mirage IIIV and Atlas Cheetah variants. A Mirage III was the first Western European combat aircraft to exceed Mach 2 in horizontal flight.3 in level flight, the aircraft had a tailless delta configuration, with 5% thickness and 60° sweep. The tailless delta configuration has a number of limitations, the lack of a horizontal stabilizer meant that flaps cannot be used, resulting in a long takeoff run and a high landing speed. The delta wing itself limits maneuverability and suffers from buffeting at low altitude due to the wing area. However, the delta is a simple and pleasing design, easily built and robust, capable of speed in a straight line. The first prototype of the Mystère-Delta, without afterburning engines or rocket motor and with a large vertical stabilizer. After a redesign, the stabilizer was reduced in size, afterburners. In late 1955, the prototype attained Mach 1.3 in level flight without rocket assist, the small size of the Mirage I restricted its armament to a single air-to-air missile, and it was decided during flight trials that it was too small for a useful armament load. After trials, the Mirage I prototype was eventually scrapped.2 kN, the Atar was an axial-flow turbojet, derived from the German World War II BMW003 design. The new fighter was named the Mirage III, like the Mirage I, the Mirage III had provision for a booster rocket engine. The success of the Mirage III prototype resulted in an order for 10 pre-production Mirage IIIA fighters. These were almost 2 meters longer than the Mirage III prototype, had a wing with 17. 3% more area, a chord reduced to 4. 5%, and an Atar 09B turbojet with afterburning thrust of 58.9 kN. The SEPR841 rocket engine was retained, it was fitted with Thomson-CSF Cyrano Ibis air intercept radar, operational avionics. The first Mirage IIIA flew in May 1958 and eventually was clocked at Mach 2.2, the tenth IIIA was rolled out in December 1959. One was fitted with a Rolls-Royce Avon 67 engine with thrust of 71.1 kN as a test model for Australian evaluation and this variant flew in February 1961, but the Avon powerplant was not adopted. The first major production model, the Mirage IIIC, first flew in October 1960, the IIIC was largely similar to the IIIA, being less than a half meter longer and having a full operational fit
Dassault Mirage III
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Mirage III
Dassault Mirage III
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The Mirage prototype with the large vertical stabilizer
Dassault Mirage III
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South African Air Force Mirage IIIBZ
Dassault Mirage III
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Cutaway view of the Cyrano radar system
42.
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
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The Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet is a light attack jet and advanced trainer aircraft co-manufactured by Dassault Aviation of France and Dornier Flugzeugwerke of Germany. It was developed specifically to perform the trainer and light attack missions, both the French Air Force and German Air Force procured the Alpha Jet in large numbers, the former principally as a trainer aircraft and the latter choosing to use it as a light attack platform. As a result of post-Cold War military cutbacks, Germany elected to retire its own fleet of Alpha Jets in the 1990s and has many of these aircraft to both military and civilian operators. The Alpha Jet has been adopted by a number of air forces across the world and has seen active combat use by some of these operators. In the early 1960s, European air forces began to consider their requirements for the coming decades, britain and France established a collaborative program to pursue development of what was initially intended to become a supersonic jet aircraft. This aircraft was to be produced in two variants for different roles, trainer and light attack aircraft. As such, the Jaguar was not well suited for the training mission. France also valued military cooperation with West Germany, wanting to break a perceived German ideological preference for American aircraft, in 1968, a joint specification was produced out of these talks. One substantial change to the requirements was that the trainer was now specified to be subsonic, supersonic trainer aircraft having proven to be superfluous to practical requirements. At one point, both the German government and the German Air Force had been keen to relocate pilot training activities from the United States to France as part of the project, each of these proposals were to be powered by twin SNECMA Turbomeca Larzac turbofan engines. On 23 July 1970, the Breguet-Dassault-Dornier TA501 was declared the winner of the competition, in February 1972, the approval to proceed with full development was issued. In May 1972, the first project meeting was held in Bordeaux, by November 1972, the project had passed its first mock-up review. Two prototypes were to be built by Dassault in France and a further two were to be built by Dornier in Germany, the remaining two prototypes were in the air before the end of 1974. Manufacture of Alpha Jet sub-assemblies was divided between France, Germany and Belgium, each country performing final assembly and checkout of the type in separate facilities. A total of 4,500 people were employed in the manufacturing of the Alpha Jet in Germany, both Belgium and Egypt, who were early export customers for the Alpha Jet, domestically performed the final assembly of their French-configuration Alpha Jet E aircraft. On 4 November 1977, the first production made its first flight. In September 1978, deliveries of production Alpha Jets formally commenced, prototype 01 was specifically used early on to support the development of the Larzac engine. Initial flight was on 9 April 1982, cameroon obtained seven and Egypt obtained 15
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
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Alpha Jet
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
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Alpha Jet owned by
Red Bull
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
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Six French Alpha Jet aircraft of the
Patrouille de France flight demonstration team flying in formation during Air Fete '88
Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet
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Royal Thai Air Force Alpha Jet A during Children's Day 2007 in Wing6
Don Mueang AFB.
43.
Dassault Balzac V
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The Dassault Balzac V was a French vertical takeoff and landing testbed of the early 1960s. It was built by Dassault Aviation from a prototype Mirage III aircraft to test the configuration for the Mirage IIIV, the sole example was badly damaged during its second flight test accident and was not repaired. Eight Rolls-Royce RB108 lift engines were installed, each with a maximum takeoff thrust of 9.83 kN. The Mirage IIIs SNECMA Atar G.2 propulsion engine was replaced with an unreheated Bristol Siddeley Orpheus BOr 3 with a thrust of 21.57 kN. The Balzac V began tethered hovering on 13 October 1962 and achieved the first free hover only six days later, the first accelerating transition from vertical takeoff to horizontal flight took place on its seventeenth sortie on March 18,1963. The aircraft crashed on 10 January 1964, on its 125th sortie, the loss was attributed to loss of control because the stabilising limits of the three-axis autostabilisation systems puffer pipes were exceeded in roll. Although airframe damage was light, the Centre DEssai en Vol test pilot, Jacques Pinier, did not eject. The aircraft was rebuilt, and resumed flight testing on 2 February 1965, on 8 September 1965, the aircraft suffered another fatal crash, once again while in a low altitude hover. The aircraft was being evaluated by United States Air Force Major P. E. Neale, Major Neale made an unsuccessful ejection outside the ejection seats escape envelope. The findings of the accident investigation were never made public and it was speculated that hydraulic control difficulties coupled with excessive use of the lift engines resulted in fuel starvation and the flameout of all nine engines. Once again, the damage was not irreparable, but this time the aircraft was not rebuilt, the Balzac V gained its name from the co-incidence of its serial number with the telephone number of a well-known Paris movie advertising agency
Dassault Balzac V
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Balzac V
44.
Dassault Mirage IIIV
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The Dassault Mirage IIIV, also spelled Mirage III V, was a French vertical take-off and landing prototype fighter aircraft of the mid-1960s. The Mirage IIIV model followed the Dassault Mirage III and featured eight small vertical lift jets straddling the main engine, the design was in response to a NATO specification for a VTOL strike fighter. One of the two aircraft built was destroyed in an accident and the project was abandoned, the aircraft is on public display. Fitted with eight Rolls-Royce RB.108 lift engines and an unreheated Bristol Orpheus BOr 3 as the main engine, the Balzac began tethered hovering on 12 October 1962 and achieved the first free hover only six days later. The first accelerating transition from vertical take-off to horizontal flight took place on its 17th sortie on March 18,1963, the aircraft had two fatal accidents, one in January 1964 and one in September 1965. After the last accident the aircraft was not repaired, in the meantime, the Balzac had led to the actual Mirage IIIV, which was twice as big. The TF104 was originally evaluated on a trials machine, the Mirage IIIT. The TF104 engine was replaced by an upgraded TF106 engine, with thrust of 74.5 kN. It later attained Mach 1.32 in test flights, the second prototype featured a TF306 turbofan for forward thrust of 82.4 kN, and first flew in June 1966. In September of that year, it attained Mach 2.04 in level flight, the Mirage IIIV was never able to take off vertically and successfully go supersonic in the same flight. The loss of the second prototype effectively killed the program, the French preferred the Mirage IIIV, and the international cooperation needed to make the P.1154 a reality never materialized. Some of the P.1154 work contributed to the final operational vertical take-off fighter based on the Kestrel, the Mirage IIIV was never a realistic combat aircraft. The eight lift engines would likely have been a maintenance nightmare, the cockpit and ancillary electronics of the Mirage IIIV were re-used in the Mirage IIIF, later Mirage F1
Dassault Mirage IIIV
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Mirage IIIV
Dassault Mirage IIIV
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Dassault Mirage IIIV
45.
Dassault Mirage IV
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The Dassault Mirage IV was a French jet-propelled supersonic strategic bomber and deep-reconnaissance aircraft. Developed by Dassault Aviation, the entered service with the French Air Force in October 1964. For many years it was a part of the nuclear triad of the Force de Frappe. The Mirage IV was retired from the strike role in 1996. The Mirage IV was ultimately not adopted by any other operators beyond the French Air Force, thus, the development of a supersonic bomber designed to carry out the delivery mission started in 1956 as a part of the wider development of Frances independent nuclear deterrent. In May 1956, the Guy Mollet government drew up a specification for a supersonic bomber capable of carrying a 3-metric-ton,5. 2-meter-long nuclear bomb 2,000 km. According to aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Gilchrist, the inclusion of supersonic speed was surprising to many at the time. The final specifications, jointly defined by government authorities and Dassault staff, were approved on 20 March 1957.9, in April 1957, Dassault were informed that they had won the design competition. Dassaults resulting prototype, dubbed Mirage IV01, looked a lot like the Mirage IIIA, even though it had double the wing surface, the Mirage IV also carried three times more internal fuel than the Mirage III. The aircrafts aerodynamic features were similar to the IIIs but required an entirely new structure. This prototype was 20 metres long, had a 11 metres wingspan,62 square metres of wing area, the 01 was an experimental prototype built to explore and solve the problems stemming from prolonged supersonic flight. The sizable technological and operational uncertainties were only one part of the problem, the weapon-related issues were the other. It took 18 months to build the 01 in Dassaults Saint-Cloud plant near Paris, in late 1958, the aircraft was transferred to the Melun-Villaroche flight testing area for finishing touches and ground tests. On 17 June 1959, French General Roland Glavany, on a leave from the French Air Force since 1954. For its third flight, on 20 June 1959, the 01 was authorized to fly over the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport in front of Frances President Charles de Gaulle. On 19 September 1960, René Bigand increased the record for speed on a 1000-kilometre closed circuit to 1,822 km/h around Paris. Flight 138, on 23 September, corroborated the initial performance and pushed the record on a 500 km closed circuit to an average of 1,972 km/h, flying between Mach 2.08 and Mach 2.14. The Mirage IV01 prototype underwent minor modifications during testing in the autumn of 1959, most noticeably, the tail was enlarged.4, the Mirage IVB proposal had been instigated as a response to interest by Charles de Gaulle in ensuring that two-way strike missions could be flown
Dassault Mirage IV
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Mirage IV
Dassault Mirage IV
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Mirage IV on the ground, 2004
Dassault Mirage IV
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Mirage IV at the
Royal International Air Tattoo, 2000
Dassault Mirage IV
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Underside of a low-flying Mirage IV, 1986
46.
Dassault Mirage 5
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The Dassault Mirage 5 is a supersonic attack aircraft designed in France by Dassault Aviation during the 1960s, and manufactured in France and a number of other countries. It was derived from Dassaults popular Mirage III fighter, and spawned several variants of its own, the aircraft is capable of nuclear weapons delivery. The Mirage 5 grew out of a request to Dassault from the Israeli Air Force, in September 1966, the Israelis placed an order for 50 of the new aircraft. The first Mirage 5 flew on 19 May 1967 and it looked much like the Mirage III, except that it had a long slender nose that extended the aircrafts length by about half a metre. A pitot tube was moved from the tip of the nose to below the nose in the majority of Mirage 5 variants. The Mirage 5 retained the IIIEs twin DEFA guns, but added two additional pylons, for a total of seven, provision for the SEPR rocket engine was deleted. Rising tensions in the Middle East led French President Charles de Gaulle to embargo the Israeli Mirage 5s on 3 June 1967. The Mirages continued to roll off the line, even though they were embargoed, and by 1968 the batch was complete. The French government became suspicious when the Israelis also tried to obtain long-range fuel tanks, the Israelis finally gave up trying to acquire the aircraft and accepted a refund. Officially, Israel claimed to have built the aircraft after obtaining complete blueprints, like the Mirage IIIE, the Mirage 5 was popular with export customers, with different export variants fitted with a wide range of different avionics. While the Mirage 5 had been oriented to the clear-weather attack role. Reconnaissance and two-seat versions of the Mirage 5 were sold, with the designation Mirage 5R, however, a little consideration of the differences between a Mirage III and a Mirage 5 quickly shows that these designations were simply for marketing purposes. There was no dividing line between the configuration of a Mirage III reconnaissance or trainer version and that of a Mirage 5 equivalent, and were one. The Mirage 5 was sold to Abu Dhabi, Belgium, Colombia, Egypt, Gabon, Libya, Pakistan, Peru, Venezuela, the Belgian aircraft were fitted with mostly US avionics, and Egyptian aircraft fitted with the MS2 attack avionics system from the Dassault-Dornier Alpha Jet. In 1978 and 1980, Israel sold a total of 35 of their Neshers plus four Nesher trainer aircraft to Argentina, south Africa purchased five Nesher trainers for trials during its own Atlas Cheetah fighter programme. All the aircraft were upgraded to Cheetah D standard. Chile incorporated some Mirage 5s under name Mirage Elkan, a total of 582 Mirage 5s were built, including 51 Israeli Neshers. In 1968, the Belgian government ordered 106 Mirage 5s from Dassault to re-equip No 3 Wing at Bierset air base, all aircraft but the first one were to be license-built by SABCA in Belgium
Dassault Mirage 5
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Mirage 5
Dassault Mirage 5
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French Air Force Mirage-5F.
Dassault Mirage 5
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A Mirage 5 of the
Belgian Air Component parked at an airbase on 15 May 1978 during exercise Tactical Air Meet '78.
Dassault Mirage 5
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A PAF Mirage 5 sits on the flight-line while an
F-16D taxies out in the background.
47.
Dassault Mirage F1
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The Dassault Mirage F1 is a French fighter and attack aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation as a successor of the Mirage III family. The Mirage F1 entered service in the French Air Force in 1974, powered by a single SNECMA Atar turbojet providing about 7 tonnes-force of thrust, the Mirage F1 has been used as a light multipurpose fighter and has been exported to about a dozen nations. More than 720 Mirage F1s have been produced, although it has a smaller wingspan than the Mirage III, the F1 nevertheless proved to be superior to its predecessor. It can carry up to 43% more fuel, has a shorter take-off run, the first prototype made its maiden flight on 23 December 1966. Despite the prototype crashing on 18 May 1967 due to flutter, killing its pilot, in order to comply with the French Air Forces requirement for an all-weather interceptor, the first production Mirage F1C was equipped with a Thomson-CSF Cyrano IV monopulse radar. The later Cyrano IV-1 version added a limited look-down capability, however Mirage F1 pilots reported that the radar can easily overheat, reducing its efficiency. First deliveries to the French Air Force took place in May 1973, initially, the aircraft was armed with two internal 30 mm cannons, and a single Matra R530 medium-range air-to-air missile carried under the fuselage. It was replaced after 1979, when the improved Matra Super 530 F entered into service with the French Air Force, in 1977, the R550 Magic was released. The F1 has these missiles mounted on rails on the wingtips, the 79 aircraft of the next production run were delivered during the period March 1977 to December 1983. These were of the Mirage F1C-200 version with a refuelling probe. The Mirage F1 served as the main interceptor of the French Air Force until the Dassault Mirage 2000 entered service, French Air Force Mirage F1s were first deployed operationally in 1984 during Operation Manta, the French intervention in Chad, to counter growing Libyan encroachment. Four Mirage F1C-200s provided air cover for a force of four Jaguars, two F1CRs also flew pre and post-strike reconnaissance missions. To avoid the risk of being mistaken for Iraqi Mirage F1s, following the end of the Persian Gulf War, France deployed Mirage F1CRs to Turkey as part of Operation Provide Comfort to protect Kurds from Iraqi aggression. In November 2004 and in response to an Ivorian air attack on French peacekeepers three Mirage F.1 jets attack Yamoussoukro airport and destroy two Su-25 aircraft and three attack helicopters. The last French unit to still be equipped with the Mirage F1, was the Escadron de Reconnaissance 2/33 Savoie, home-based at Mont-de-Marsan, the units primary mission was tactical reconnaissance, with a secondary mission of ground-attack. Because of the missions of the 2/33, their unofficial motto among the pilots has become, Find, Identify. The two 2/33 F1CRs operated with three Mirage 2000Ds, also based on rotation from France to Chad, in March 2011, 2/33 Mirage F1CRs were deployed to Solenzara Air Base, Corsica and conducted reconnaissance missions over Libya as part of Opération Harmattan. In 2013 2/33 F1CRs also participated in Operation Serval in Mali, the 2/33 F1CRs provided valuable photo information for strike aircraft flying the next day from France
Dassault Mirage F1
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Mirage F1
Dassault Mirage F1
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French Air Force Mirage F1
Dassault Mirage F1
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Mirage F1C of EC2/30 Normandie-Niemen at the 1975 Paris Air Show
Dassault Mirage F1
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Mirage F1C Armée de l'Air
Media related to Dassault nEUROn at Wikimedia Commons
