DefenceTalkIndia’s defense ministry has ordered an investigation into the purchase of jet fighter engines from Britain’s Rolls-Royce in a deal reportedly worth $1.6 billion, an official said Monday. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will probe allegations of kickbacks over the deal for Rolls-Royce to supply engines to state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) between 2007 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/india-orders-bribery-probe-into-rolls-royce-deal-58919/

DefenceTalkNorthrop Grumman recently supported the successful test of the Minuteman III Propulsion System Rocket Engine (PSRE) at NASA’s White Sands Testing Facility in Las Cruces, N.M. The PSRE is the liquid post-boost upper stage of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This was a designated product quality assurance (PQA) test, which is a full […]https://www.defencetalk.com/northrop-supports-propulsion-system-rocket-engine-test-48346/

DefenceTalkAn F-35B Lightning II completed the first short takeoff and vertical landing during a test mission at night to expand the flight envelope and deliver capability to the warfighter. Marine Corps test pilot Maj. C.R. Clift conducted the flight April 2 to gather data on the helmet and lighting conditions for night time operations.The test […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35b-conducts-first-night-time-vertical-landing-47397/

DefenceTalkAll F-35s have been grounded as a precaution after a routine engine inspection revealed a crack on an engine blade, Defense Department officials said Feb. 22 here. Officials call this a “cautionary suspension of flight.” The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps fly F-35s. Inspectors found the crack in an F135 engine installed in an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35s-grounded-as-precaution-after-crack-found-in-engine-blade-46917/

DefenceTalkThe U.S. Department of Defense and Pratt & Whitney have reached an agreement in principle for a production contract for F135 propulsion systems to power the F-35 Lightning II. The low rate initial production (LRIP) contract would cover the fifth lot of engines, including program management, engineering support, production non-recurring effort, sustainment and spare parts. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35-program-office-details-lrip-5-engine-agreement-46699/

DefenceTalkThe first of the world’s most powerful marine gas turbines has been installed in the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth at Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard in Scotland. A computer-generated image of new Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth at sea The Rolls-Royce MT30, at 36 megawatts (around 50,000 horsepower), is the world’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/navys-new-carrier-receives-first-massive-gas-turbine-46569/