France and Germnay announced they are planning to develop a new joint fighter plane following a French-German cabinet meeting Thrusday.

French president Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the plan at a news conference following the meeting. The two leaders also confirmed their countries committment to the "Euro-drone" program and other defense and economic programs.

"This is a revolution, but we're not afraid of revolutions when they are peaceful, well-thought and meant to last," Macron said.

The proposed fighter would replace the French Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets currently in service by the 2030-2040 timeframe. The first unmanned aerial vehicles under Euro-drone are expected be delivered by 2020.

"I believe that we have shown shortly after the new government here was installed that we are ready to activate Franco-German relations with a new impetus," Merkel said.

Absent from the announcement was any role that the Britain might play in the project. Britain was a main participant in the Eurofighter consortium that built the Typhoon. The "Brexit," Britain's exit from the European Union, has led to complications concerning joint European military programs. Britain is Europe's leading military spender.

The new fighter would provide competition for the United States' F-35 Lightening II and other 5th generation platforms for worldwide sales, but so far is only in its conceptual stages.

Northrop Grumman to handle logistical support for E-11A
Washington (UPI) Jul 13, 2017 - Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $41.2 million contract for logistical support of the E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node aircraft.

The contract is for maintenance and product support for four E-11A communications relay aircraft engaged in Overseas Contingency Operations, the Department of Defense announced on Wednesday .

Work will be conducted in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and Maryland, with an expected completion date of Jan. 23, 2019. Fiscal 2017 OCO operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3.6 million have already been obligated.

The E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node is designed to be able to integrate all supported military communications systems from disparate sources including tactical and command level networks. It is specially suited for communications relays in mountainous terrain, where line-of-sight communications are unreliable. The same equipment is mounted on the Global Hawk EQ-4B unmanned aerial vehicle for similar missions.

The E-11A is a modified version of the Bombadier BD-700 business jet with a maximum range of 9,000 miles and a top speed of Mach 0.9. It first saw operational use in 2008 supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Four are in service alongside three Global Hawk EQ-4Bs

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Honeywell, Pratt and Whitney contracted by Air Force for power system support
Washington (UPI) Jul 13, 2017
Honeywell International and Pratt and Whitney have received requirements contracts totaling $27 million for engineering and research and development on secondary power systems for multiple platforms of the U.S. Air Force. The twin contracts, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, will cover much of the U.S. Air Force's existing air fleet. The companies have been tasked ... read more

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