Formålet med bloggen er å bidra til informasjon om luftfart av alle slag. Også litt om ubåter og forsvarsspørsmål. Nyheter vil du finne her også, en del på engelsk som er det mest brukte luftfartsspråket. Har du selv noe som bør komme ut, så send meg en mail til per.gram@hesbynett.no - Politikk på alle nivåer over hele verden er i kaos. Voldsomme endringer kan finne sted på kort tid, som også kan få innvirkning på forsvarsdisposisjoner. Det må kommenteres.
Army accepts first pilot-optional Black Hawk helicopter for testing
By
COREY DICKSTEIN
STARS AND STRIPES •March 20, 2026
The U.S. Army officially received a groundbreaking H-60Mx Black Hawk helicopter, extensively modified to fly with or without a pilot at the controls. (U.S. Army)The Army this week accepted its first optionally piloted Black Hawk helicopter, a modified version of Sikorsky’s workhorse utility chopper that can be flown by pilots in the cockpit or by troops on the ground, the service announced Friday.
The OPV Black Hawk will soon enter a testing program to determine how and if the Army can integrate the aircraft into its inventory, according to a Friday news release. The delivery comes after more than a decade of work on the first-of-its-kind helicopter led by Sikorsky — which is owned by defense giant Lockheed Martin — and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA.
AerCap
orders 100 additional Airbus A320neo Family aircraft
Toulouse,
France, 18 March 2026
– AerCap Holdings N.V. (“AerCap”) has signed a firm order with
Airbus for 23 A320neo and 77 A321neo aircraft. This transaction
underscores AirCap’s strategy of investing in the world's most
in-demand, fuel-efficient technology to meet the long-term
requirements of its global airline customer base.
“This
order for 100 A320neo Family aircraft reflects our strong belief in
the long-term demand for these highly efficient aircraft and will
help meet the continued demand we see from our customers for both
growth and replacement needs,” said Aengus Kelly, CEO of AerCap.
"As the world’s largest owner of commercial aircraft, our
strategy is clear: we invest in the assets that provide our airline
customers with the best economics and the lowest emissions. This
landmark transaction ensures that AerCap will continue to lead the
industry in fleet modernization well into the next decade.”
“This
order is the largest single direct order for the type ever placed by
AerCap with Airbus, and is a powerful endorsement of the A320neo
Family’s enduring value and market-leading performance,” said
Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Airbus EVP Sales of the Commercial
Aircraft business. “We are extremely grateful and proud to support
AerCap’s vision in accelerating the global transition towards
newer, modern aircraft and more efficient operations.”
The
A320 Family is the world’s most popular single-aisle aircraft,
having won more than 19,000 orders globally. The Family includes the
largest member, the A321neo, offering unparalleled range and
performance. The Family offers at least 20% fuel savings and CO₂
reduction compared to previous generation single-aisle aircraft,
while maximising passenger comfort with one of the widest
single-aisle cabins in the sky.
As
with all Airbus aircraft, the A320 Family is able to operate with up
to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus is targeting to have
its aircraft up to 100% SAF capable by 2030.
The Pentagon has reportedly drawn up plans to send American troops into Iran, possibly to Kharg Island or far deeper into the country to seize enriched Uranium. These moves would represent a huge escalation for Operation Epic Fury. Former CENTCOM commander Joseph Votel offers us exclusive insights into the challenges and dangers of having U.S. boots on the ground in the Islamic Republic, and what it would take to seize Kharg Island or attempt to snatch Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium that could be very challenging to access.
With two Amphibious Ready Groups heading to the Middle East, there is
increasing speculation that the U.S. will try to seize Iran's strategic
Kharg Island.
A-10s are executing one of the lesser-known missions they've trained to
do for decades, hunting down Iranian fast attack boats and mine layers
in the strait.
Trainees
with the 1st Battalion, 19th Infantry Regiment, 198th Infantry Brigade
conduct a mortar live-fire exercise at Skidgel Range on Fort Benning,
Georgia. U.S. Army photo by Patrick Albright
A civilian maintainer helps launch an F-35A for an early morning test mission over the Mojave Desert. U.S. Air Force photo
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96)
departs from Naval Station Rota, Spain. U.S. Navy photo by Jett Morgan
The
Australian Defence Force Drone Racing Team has successfully defended
its sixth consecutive championship title during the Military
International Drone Racing Tournament in Sydney.
Army hypersonic missile battery approaches operational readiness at JBLM
By
Gary Warner
Stars and Stripes •March 20, 2026
U.S. troops assemble the launch systems of the Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System, known as Dark Eagle, during Exercise Talisman Sabre in the Northwest Territory of Australia, July 9, 2025. (Perla Alfaro/U.S. Army)
TACOMA, Wash. — The top general for the Army’s hypersonic weapons program says the Dark Eagle battery based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the Pacific Northwest will receive its first operational missiles soon.
“We are so close to that first battery being fully equipped with all of its capabilities that I don’t want to spoil the surprise when we actually get there, but we’re within a few weeks,” Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano said in a Bloomberg News report published Wednesday.
Det virker særdeles uproffesjonelt av et norsk selskap å bestille en helikoptertype som ikke har fløyet et par års tid i tilbringertjeneste og shuttling. Erfaringsmessig er det veldig utfordrende, spesielt teknisk, å introdusere en ny type med ny teknologi i kanskje verdens mest utfordrende operasjonsområde; Nordsjøen, Norskehavet og ikke minst Barentshavet. Helikopteret er ikke sertifisert for flyging inn i kjent ising. Det er imidlertid testet i arktiske forhold i Manitoba, og har fløyet i simulert tilbringertjeneste ut fra Georgetown i Guyana, men altså ikke i slik tjeneste over en lengre periode i tilsvarende vårt operasjonsområde. Per i dag ser det ut til at først i 2028 kan den komme i virksomhet i Nordsjøen. Tidligst. Sjekk https://tinyurl.com/yc4xw3vb (Red.)
De nye Equinor-helikopterne er
forsinket - nå er et lokalt selskap konkurs
Equinor
har bestilt ti nye Bell-helikoptre, men disse er utsatt. Det er delvis årsaken
til at det lokale Sola-selskapet European Simulation & Training Academy AS
nå går konkurs.
Det
kommer fram i en kjennelse fra Sør-Rogaland tingrett fredag morgen.
European Simulation & Training Academy AS har drevet med
utdanning og opptrening av piloter. Blant annet skal en viktig del av dette
arbeidet ha vært koblet opp mot de nye Bell-helikoptrene til Equinor.
– Men disse er forsinket, sier avokat Flemming Karlsen til
Aftenbladet.
Han er oppnevnt som bostyrer i konkursen til European Simulation
& Training Academy AS. Karlsen opplyser at selskapet har 30 millioner
kroner i samlet gjeld og 17 ansatte.
– Vi ser på muligheten for å selge konkursboet eller deler av
dette, sier Karlsen.
European Simulation & Training Academy
AS har adresse Flyplassvegen i Sola. Ole Petter Bakken er daglig leder,
mens Knut Michael Nygaard er styreleder.
Det var styret i selskapet som meldte oppbud.
I 2024 hadde European Simulation & Training Academy AS inntekter
på 1,6 millioner kroner, mens resultatet før skatt ble minus 9,2 millioner
kroner.
