http://www.aviationtoday.com Aviation Today en-us 2013 Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:46:55 EDT The fickle Indian Ministry of Defense’s approach to the procurement market appears to be veering away from its more traditional preference for “Made in Russia,” at least as far as military helicopter acquisitions seem to be heading. Boeing has been “the lucky winner” in matching... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/Boeing-Beats-Mil-In-Indian-Helicopter-Procurement-Battle-Twice!_78008.html Wed, 12 Dec 2012 0:00:00 EST The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has signaled the beginning of a new race to supply the next Presidential helicopter. The release by the Program Office (PMA-274) on Nov. 23, 2012, of draft request for proposal (RFP) for the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program (VXX) contract had been... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/NAVAIR-Sets-Ball-Rolling-Again-for-Presidential-Helicopter-VXX-Replacement_77864.html Tue, 27 Nov 2012 0:00:00 EST What all of the competitors for the Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) acquisition seem to agree on is a satisfaction that the U.S. Army team conducting the evaluation of the different proposals is doing a great job. This has been a three-step process: 1) Request for Information (RfI) 2) Discussions with the... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/Industry-Gives-Army-AAS-Testers-Thumbs-Up_77648.html Wed, 31 Oct 2012 0:00:00 EDT A British Army Air Corps Captain has just deployed to Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan for his second tour of duty. Hardly headline news until the name Captain Wales is mentioned, aka Prince Harry and third in line to the throne of the British Royal Family. The news incited an immediate response... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/Apache-Pilot-With-a-Difference-Hes-Been-a-JTAC-as-Well_77268.html Tue, 18 Sep 2012 0:00:00 EDT The U.S. Marine Corps is not letting go of its K-Max unmanned aerial system (UAS). Having deployed two K-Max K-1200 UAS and three ground control stations in November 2011, with the aim of trailing them until May 2012, that deadline was extended up to the end of the fiscal year of Sept. 30, 2012. However... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/USMC-Looks-at-K-Max-in-Afghanistan-to-September-2013-Wider-Mission-Profile-Possible_77050.html Tue, 21 Aug 2012 0:00:00 EDT It is rare for any product that was first delivered 50 years ago to be still selling “like hot cakes,” but that is the story of Boeing’s H-47 Chinook. This is the 50th anniversary year of Boeing delivering its first H-47 helicopter and the defence/aviation media have been busy speculating... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/Why-the-Chinook-Still-Sells-at-50_77051.html Tue, 21 Aug 2012 0:00:00 EDT AgustaWestland has “a deal with Russian Helicopters to develop a new technology 2.5-ton single engine helicopter for the export and internal markets,” said CEO Bruno Spagnolini, speaking on the second day of the Farnborough Airshow in the UK. “This is a great opportunity to expand the... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/Spagnolini-Bonds-with-Russian-Helicopters-as-the-Bear-Looks-Over-His-Shoulder_76828.html Tue, 24 Jul 2012 0:00:00 EDT With the traditional festival of flight that is usually encapsulated by Farnborough Airshow (alternating in the odd years with Le Bourget in Paris), the outlook for military rotorcraft orders from Europe is not good. For those who still do not wish to believe that the good times of defense spending in the... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/Money-for-Old-Rope-Demise-of-the-Manned-Helicopter_76595.html Tue, 26 Jun 2012 0:00:00 EDT RAF Shawbury, the home of the United Kingdom’s tri-service Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS), is the first customer to receive a part task gunnery training system from virtual reality company Virtalis. The gunnery element is an additional upgrade to the existing Helicopter Crew Reality (HCR)... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/UK-Ab-initio-Crewman-Add-Virtual-Gunnery-to-CRM-Skills_76445.html Tue, 29 May 2012 0:00:00 EDT Although the Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) program could be officially declared as “off and running” with the announcement of a Request for Information (RfI) on April 25 by U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal (ACC-RSA), there should be no expectation that this will result in a major new... http://www.aviationtoday.com/rw/eletters/military/insidersnotebook/Armed-Aerial-Scout-Comes-Second-to-Future-Vertical-Lift_76296.html Tue, 8 May 2012 0:00:00 EDT