Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

By Piotr Butowski
A recent trip by Moscow’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin to GosMKB Vympel—a visit that marked the state-owned company’s 70th anniversary—served as a prime opportunity to open the doors of its facility and display a number of interesting missiles, including the R-77 (AA-12 Archer), which it manufactures on site.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Bill Carey
Airlines would have to retrofit thousands of in-service Boeing 737NG narrowbodies with redesigned engine cowls if the FAA enforces an NTSB recommendation stemming from an engine failure on Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 in April 2018.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Bradley Perrett
The Japanese government is promoting technological cooperation between local industry and Boeing in aircraft electrification and high-rate composites manufacturing, aiming at expanding the country’s traditionally limited roles in aircraft manufacturing.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Bradley Perrett
Rising demand for the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-JM is the key reason for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) setting up an advanced factory at Nagasaki to exclusively build the combustor for the engine, which is used on the Airbus A320neo family.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Tony Osborne
A series of software-based upgrades is planned for the international fleet of NH90 land-based and naval helicopters.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

By Bradley Perrett
The KF-X has cleared its critical design review. A radar technology demonstrator has flown.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Bradley Perrett
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has assembled the second stage of the first H3 medium-lift space launcher.
Defense and Space

Marhalim Abas
The Philippines defense department will decide in December on the type of multi-role fighter (MRF) aircraft to be purchased by the air force, its chief says.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

By Bradley Perrett, Steve Trimble
The U.S. has approved a possible sale to South Korea of AIM-120D Amraams, foreshadowing introduction into Asia of the latest standard of the Raytheon air-to-air missile.
Defense and Space

By Bradley Perrett, Guy Norris
A cruise missile featured in China’s Oct. 1 National Day parade appears to be designed for high-supersonic flight.
Defense and Space

By Bradley Perrett
Lockheed Martin expects South Korea to order another batch of PAC-3 MSE surface-to-air missiles within two years, adding to 64 that the country decided to buy in 2018.
Defense and Space

Bradley Perrett
Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) is aiming to develop an electronic warfare version of the P-1 maritime patroller.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

By Bradley Perrett, Tony Osborne
Avic is emphasizing the adaptability of the Z-20 utility military helicopter, as the Chinese army presents the type for close inspection for the first time.
Defense and Space

By Bradley Perrett
A crude plastic mockup of an improbable doughnut-shaped military helicopter was displayed at the China Helicopter Expo, held here Oct. 10-14.
Defense and Space

By Bradley Perrett
Avic’s project to produce the Advanced Heavy Lifter (AHL) helicopter should soon be ready to present to the state group’s head office for launch approval, an industry source said.
Defense and Space

By Bradley Perrett
Technology acquisition for a future Taiwanese fighter is at a very preliminary stage. Propulsion and electronic systems are seen as main areas of difficulty.
Defense and Space

Bradley Perrett
Taiwan’s air force should be a little less anxious. Needing to replace worn out jet trainers as soon as possible, the service is seeing Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC) execute the replacement program approximately on schedule.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

By Bradley Perrett
The DF-17 has much the same configuration as the DARPA Falcon HTV-2. Its gliding vehicle should extend range and challenge defenses with maneuvers.
Defense and Space

Chen Chuanren
France’s Safran Nacelles is planning to increase its nacelle footprint in Asia-Pacific, stationing field representatives in the region and eventually opening a nacelle shop in the region.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Bradley Perrett
The large number of Asia-Pacific prospects, plus others elsewhere, raises the likelihood that one contract or another will come up before Bell finishes making long-lead parts for AH-1Zs under current contracts, probably around 2021.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Bradley Perrett
The Japanese defense ministry has proposed to launch Future Fighter development in the fiscal year beginning in April 2020, and said it should proceed even if a hoped-for international partnership cannot be arranged.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Tony Osborne
Leonardo has lifted the lid on a comprehensive concept upgrade for Poland’s multirole W-3 Sokol helicopters.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Marhalim Abas
The Indonesian police force reportedly has signed a letter of intent for the purchase of 11 twin-engine, medium-size Leonardo helicopters—nine AW169s and two AW189s. Scheduling delivery of the aircraft batches next year, the deal was initially agreed to in December 2018, Indonesian police air unit director Anang Syarif Hidayat told Airspace Review, an Indonesian industry news service. If the deal goes through, the air unit will be the first Indonesian government agency to operate both the AW169 and AW189.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Bradley Perrett
Planning an enlarged acquisition of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightnings, the Japanese defense ministry hopes local industry can gain a larger share of manufacturing in the program, though not with government investment.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN

Original Text by Marhalim Abas
The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) introduced two types of Russian general-purpose bombs into service.
Asia Aerospace & Defense EN