Category Archives: Aviation

DARPA Awards Contracts in Search of a 460 MPH Helicopter

DARPA Awards Contracts in Search of a 460 MPH Helicopter

Sikorsky bid for DARPA's VTOL Experimental Plane (VTOL X-Plane) program. DARPA Photo

Sikorsky bid for DARPA’s VTOL Experimental Plane (VTOL X-Plane) program. DARPA Photo

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded contracts to four companies to design a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft that is much faster than a helicopter but retains excellent hover capability. Read More

Opinion: In Defense of Navy's Science and Engineering Emphasis

Opinion: In Defense of Navy’s Science and Engineering Emphasis

Lt. Brittny Lambert talks to a midshipman about flight operations in the landing signal officer shack aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110). US Navy Photo

Lt. Brittny Lambert talks to a midshipman about flight operations in the landing signal officer shack aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110). US Navy Photo

According to a recent opinion piece in USNI News, Naval commissioning programs’ preference for officers with science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) degrees is a misguided policy that will create an officer corps devoid of critical thinking skills. Read More

Navy Pulls Second Destroyer from Search for Missing Malaysian Airliner, Moves Search Aircraft Closer to Australia

Navy Pulls Second Destroyer from Search for Missing Malaysian Airliner, Moves Search Aircraft Closer to Australia

Crew members on board a P-8A Poseidon assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 man their workstations while assisting in search and rescue operations for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on March, 16 2014. US Navy Photo

Crew members on board a P-8A Poseidon assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 man their workstations while assisting in search and rescue operations for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on March, 16 2014. US Navy Photo

USS Kidd (DDG-100) has been pulled from search and rescue operations to look for a Malaysian Airlines plane that went missing last week, according to U.S. 7th Fleet in a statement released on Tuesday morning. Read More

Navy to Hold Contest for New Anti-Surface Missile

Navy to Hold Contest for New Anti-Surface Missile

An artist's concept of a Lockheed Martin LRASM fired from a U.S. Navy VLS tube. Lockheed Martin image.

An artist’s concept of a Lockheed Martin LRASM fired from a U.S. Navy VLS tube. Lockheed Martin image.

The Navy plans to hold a competition for an anti-ship missile that could be used from the air or ships and possibly submarines to beef up the service’s ability to take on surface threats, service officials told USNI News this week. Read More

Why the Navy Wants More Growlers

Why the Navy Wants More Growlers

EA-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 during night flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). US Navy Photo

EA-18G Growler from Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 during night flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70). US Navy Photo

The Navy is eyeing expanding its fleet of electronic attack aircraft to better fit into the service’s next generation plan for fighting a high end air war. Read More

2013 Prowler Crash That Killed Three Found to Be Result of 'Pilot Error'

2013 Prowler Crash That Killed Three Found to Be Result of ‘Pilot Error’

The scene following the March, 11 crash of a EA-6B Prowler outside of Harrington, Wash. taken by Stan Dammel, manager of the nearby Odessa Municipal Airport.

The scene following the March, 11 crash of a EA-6B Prowler outside of Harrington, Wash. taken by Stan Dammel, manager of the nearby Odessa Municipal Airport.

A U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Manual Investigation (JAGMAN) into the March 11, 2013, crash of a VAQ-129 Grumman EA-6B Prowler that killed three sailors in rural Washington has found that the accident was the result of pilot error. Read More

Document: JAGMAN on 2013 Prowler Crash

Document: JAGMAN on 2013 Prowler Crash

The following is a U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General Manual Investigation (JAGMAN) investigation on the March 11, 2013 crash of an EA-6B Prowler resulting in the death of three sailors. Read More