Sequestration Forces Cancellation Of Military Demonstration Team Performances, Navy Flies UAV From A Carrier

It wasn't a year for major announcements for new military aircraft, although the first flight of Textron's Air/Land Scorpion and the introduction of Bells Valor Next-Generation Tiltrotor were notable exceptions. There were, however, some significant developments in the arena. One of the biggest was the operation of a UAV from the deck of an aircraft carrier which could spell a new era for Naval aviation. Meanwhile, sequestration caused deep cuts in flying hours and killed the air show seasons for the country's premier military demonstration teams. Here are some of the stories from the ANN archive focusing on military aviation.

January

Air Force Announces KC-46A Candidate Bases
The U.S. Air Force announced its candidates for active duty, training, and ANG bases for the KC-46A tanker which is expected to come online beginning in FY2016.

Iran Unveils New Attack Helicopter
Iran unveiled a new attack helicopter it calls the Toufan 2 (Storm 2) which bears a striking resemblance to a Bell AH-1J Cobra.

B-29 Superfortress FIFI Returns To Flight 
The Commemorative Air Force’s (CAF) famous Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, FIFI, which is the only remaining flying example of the aircraft in the world, returned to the sky Saturday, January 13 and flew to her home base in Addison, Texas.

Fuel Line Issue Grounds F-35B 
A problem with a fuel line prompted the Pentagon to ground all F-35B aircraft with no firm date for the resumption of flight operations being set.

February

Air National Guard Director Retires 
Lt. Gen. Harry M. Wyatt III, Air National Guard director, retired after more than 40 years of military service during a ceremony Tuesday hosted by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin at Joint Base Andrews, MD.

F-35s Grounded As Precaution After Crack Found In Engine Blade 
All F-35s were grounded as a precaution after a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on an engine blade, Defense Department officials said Feb. 22 in Washington, D.C. Officials call this a "cautionary suspension of flight."

Sequestration Could Kill 2nd Half Of Blue Angels' Season 
The Blue Angels have more than 30 events on their schedule for the second half of Fiscal Year 2013, and they may not fly any of them if automatic budget cuts go into effect due to sequestration.

The F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team Returns To The CA Capital Airshow 
The F-22 Raptor Demonstration Team planned to return to Sacramento as the headlining act for the United States Air Force at the California Capital Airshow October 5-6.

March

X2 Technology Helicopter Design Proposed To US Army
Sikorsky and Boeing planned to submit a joint proposal to build a demonstrator aircraft -- based on Sikorsky’s X2 Technology rotorcraft design -- for the U.S. Army's Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) Phase 1 program.

Pentagon Lifts F-35 Grounding 
The Defense Department lifted its grounding of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter after analysis concluded that a cracked turbine blade in an engine on a single plane resulted from overuse in test operations, according to an official with the F-35 Joint Program Office.

Thunder Over The Blue Ridge Cancelled By Organizers 
The sequester claimed another air show victim. The Thunder over the Blue Ridge Air Show planned for May 11-12 at Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport has been cancelled following the announcement that the Air Force Thunderbirds would not be performing.

Blue Angels Say They Will 'Wait Until The Last Minute' To Cancel Shows 
The Navy's Blue Angels say they won't be cancelling the entire air show season just yet, but it looks like the team's April performances have already been scratched.

Navy Confirms Three Fatalities In Prowler Accident
The U.S. Navy has issued an official release confirming that all three crew members aboard a Navy EA-6B Prowler jet assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA, were fatally injured when the aircraft went down in an unpopulated area approximately 50 miles west of Spokane, WA.

April

Congressman Wants Guarantee That Beechcraft Is Competitive For USAF Contracts
Kansas Republican Congressman Mike Pompeo is asking the U.S. Air Force for assurances that Beechcraft's loss of the initial LAS contract will not shut the company out of future bidding on the airplane.

F-22 Resumes Normal Flight Operations 
The F-22 Raptor resumed normal flight operations after modifications to aircrew life-support equipment were completed across the fleet, including the upper pressure garment and related hoses, valves and connectors.

Bell Intro's Third-Gen Tiltrotor -- Bell V-280 Valor 
Bell Helicopter used the 2013 Army Aviation Association of America's (AAAA) Annual Professional Forum and Exposition in Fort Worth, as the launching pad for what they call their "Third-Generation" Tiltrotor -- the Bell V-280 Valor.

Federal Judge Denies Beechcraft Challenge In LAS Lawsuit 
Beechcraft was handed another loss in its effort to legally challenge the award of an Air Force LAS contract to Embraer and its U.S. partner Sierra Nevada Corp (SNC). Friday, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims denied the Kansas planemaker's attempt force the USAF to stop work on 20 A-29 Super Tucanos set to be built by Embraer and SNC in Jacksonville, FL.

Civilian 747-400 Supporting Military Operations Down In Afghanistan 
A Boeing 747-400 belonging to National Air Cargo went down at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan. The plane reportedly had eight crew members and five military vehicles on board.

May

X-47B Makes First Arrested Landing 
The first fly-in arrested landing of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator was been successfully completed by the U.S. Navy and prime contractor Northrop Grumman. Later in the month, the aircraft began touch and go landing operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).

LoBiondo Introduces 'AT HOME' Act 
U.S. Representative Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ-02) has introduced legislation that would restrict popular taxpayer-paid aviation demonstration teams from performing at international air shows.

X-51A Waverider Achieves History In Final Flight 
The final flight of the X-51A Waverider test program accomplished a breakthrough in the development of flight reaching Mach 5.1 over the Pacific Ocean on May 1 a little after 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

Recovery Effort Planned For B-25 Down In Alaska 
A 30-year old Michigan man is organizing a recovery team to rescue a downed B-25 from Alaska. This June, Patrick Mihalek from Brighton, MI, is planning to attempt to recover a nearly 70-year old North American B-25J Mitchell bomber (USAAF # 44-30733) from her remote crash site.

June

Mississippians Call On Congress To Restore Funds For Lakota Helicopters 
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper and U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee joined leaders of EADS North America and American Eurocopter at a rally Thursday to call on Congress to restore funding for the Army’s UH-72A Lakota helicopter in the Fiscal Year 2014 budget.
They were later joined in their effort by U.S. Representatives Joe Barton (R-TX) and Marc Veasey (D-TX).

Boeing Begins Assembly Of 1st KC-46A Tanker Aircraft 
The first wing spar for a U.S. Air Force KC-46A aerial refueling tanker was loaded by Boeing workers in Everett Wednesday, starting production of that aircraft and achieving another milestone toward delivering 179 tankers during the next 14 years.

F-35B Celebrates One Year At Eglin 
The Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501 celebrated the one-year anniversary of flying the F-35B Lightning II at Florida's Eglin AFB by continuing to train up the pilots and maintainers on the nation's newest fifth-generation fighter.

Bell V-280 Valor Selected For Army’s JMR-TD Program 
The U.S. Army has selected Bell Helicopter's V-280 Valor, its third generation tiltrotor design, for the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) program. The Army is expected to award JMR-TD contracts by September 2013, with first flight scheduled for 2017.

Boeing EMARSS Aircraft Completes 1st Test Flight 
A U.S. Army and Boeing team completed the first flight of the first of four Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) Engineering, Manufacturing and Development aircraft on May 22.

July

P-8A Passes Initial Operational Test And Evaluation 
After an extensive testing period, the U.S. Navy announced July 1 in an Initial Operational Test and Evaluation report that its new patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, P-8A Poseidon, was found “operationally effective, operationally suitable, and ready for fleet introduction.”

X-47B Completes First-Ever Carrier-Based Arrested Landing 
The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator completed its first-ever carrier-based arrested landing on board USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) off the coast of Virginia July 10.

USAF: Sequestration Impact Looms Despite Resumed Flying Operations 
Air Force leaders announced July 15 that flying training would resume at numerous units, bringing an end to the three-month halt that resulted from the budget sequestration reductions.

First Flight: Australia's MH-60R Romeo Helicopter 
Australia's Minister for Defense Materiel Dr Mike Kelly AM MP announced that the first of 24 MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopters had successfully completed its first test flight.

August

US Navy, Boeing Sign $2 Billion Order For 13 P-8A Poseidon Aircraft 
The U.S. Navy recently awarded Boeing a $1.98 billion contract for 13 additional P-8A Poseidon aircraft, continuing the modernization of U.S. maritime patrol capabilities that will ultimately involve more than 100 P-8As.

Boeing EMARSS Aircraft Begin US Army Flight Tests 
Two Boeing Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) aircraft arrived at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for airborne tests of the target-tracking capabilities they will provide to the U.S. Army.

B-1 Lancer Down In Montana 
A B-1B Lancer with the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB in South Dakota went down near Broadus, MT, during a routine training mission Aug. 19, the Air Force said in a statement.

Dual 1,000th 'Traps' Achieved Aboard USS Nimitz 
Two aviators reached career milestones by achieving their 1,000th carrier arrested landing, or "trap," on the same day, while serving aboard the same aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Aug. 28.

September

US Air Force, Boeing Finalize KC-46A Tanker Aircraft Design 
The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have validated the final design elements of the KC-46A Tanker and concluded that the proposed design embodies and can meet Air Force requirements, clearing the way for production and testing of the next-generation aerial refueling tanker.

Canadian Coast Guard Helo Down In The Arctic Ocean 
A Canadian Coast Guard helicopter flying from the icebreaker Amundsen went down in the water on a fight that was described as a routine check of ice conditions, as well as a familiarization flight for a new crew.

Navy Autonomous Aerial Refueling Tests Underway 
As part of the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) program, the Navy and industry partner Northrop Grumman completed another phase of its Autonomous Aerial Refueling (AAR) test in Niagara Falls, NY to demonstrate the capability to refuel unmanned aircraft in flight.

Sikorsky Set To Begin Final Assembly Of First S-97 Raider 
Final assembly of first Sikorsky S-97 Raider began, putting the company's proposed Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) aircraft on track for a first flight near the end of next year, according to company officials.

October

Canadian Coast Guard Helo Recovered From Arctic Ocean
The Canadian Coast Guard helicopter which went down in the Arctic Ocean September 9 was recovered from the bottom of the ocean.

Marine Corps Abruptly Cancels Miramar Air Show 
People planning to attend the admittedly scaled-back Miramar Air Show at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar this weekend will be disappointed. The base announced that the show had been canceled due to the government shutdown.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin Team For US Air Force Bomber Program 
The Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin Corporation are teaming to compete for the United States Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program, with Boeing acting as the prime contractor and Lockheed Martin as the primary team mate.

Beechcraft Signs Follow-On Contract With Mexican Air Force 
Beechcraft Corporation announced a follow-on sale of its Beechcraft T-6C+ military trainer to the Mexican Air Force (FAM). The T-6C+, an enhanced version of the T-6 military trainer aircraft, is capable of carrying external stores and delivering practice weapons for training purposes.

Blue Angels, Thunderbirds Will Fly In 2014... Just Not So Much 
The Pentagon has released the news that the Blue Angels, Thunderbirds and other military outreach programs will resume next year... but within certain limits.

November

Northrop Grumman, U.S. Navy Complete First Flight Of Next Generation Fire Scout 
The U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman successfully completed the first flight of the next-generation MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, CA.

X-47B Operates Aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt 
The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) conducted flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). The event, the most-recent in a series of carrier-based tests, demonstrated the integration of the latest in naval aviation technology with the most advanced and capable carrier.

Doolittle Raiders Honored With ‘Final Toast’ 
The Air Force hosted the famed Doolittle Tokyo Raiders' final toast to their fallen comrades during an invitation-only ceremony Nov. 9 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

Connecticut Democrats Vow To Fight For New Combat Rescue Helicopter 
U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Chris Murphy (D-CT), and U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) vowed to fight budget cuts to the U.S. Air Force’s combat rescue helicopter program in response to reports that the program was on the chopping block as a result of sequester.

First Airbus Military A400M Makes Its Final Flight 
Nearly four years after its maiden flight, the first Airbus Military A400M new generation airlifter has been retired and is to be placed on public display.

December

P-8A Aircraft Program Achieves Initial Operational Capability
The Navy's newest maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon, achieved initial operational capability (IOC) after the first two P-8A Poseidons departed for deployment.

Blue Angels, Thunderbirds Announce Full 2014 Air Show Season
The U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, will return to its full schedule for the 2014 air show season. The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds finalized their 2014 show schedule. In its 61st season, the team is slated to perform 66 demonstrations at 34 locations.

Navy Launches UAV From Submerged Submarine
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) with funding from SwampWorks at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and the Department of Defense Rapid Reaction Technology Office (DoD/RRTO) demonstrated the launch of an all-electric, fuel cell-powered, unmanned aerial system (UAS) from a submerged submarine.

First Flight! Textron AirLand Scorpion ISR/Strike Aircraft
The joint venture between Textron AirLand and AirLand Enterprises produced a flying prototype of the Scorpion Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)/Strike aircraft.

Sikorsky Innovations Awarded Contract For Phase 1 DARPA X-Plane Program 
Sikorsky Innovations won a contract for Phase 1 of the Vertical Take-Off and Landing Experimental Aircraft (VTOL X-Plane) program by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Navy Looks Beyond The F-35 To New Airplane
Statements from a Navy Admiral would seem to indicate that the service is looking beyond the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to an airplane that would replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets currently in service.

FMI: www.aero-news.net