DefenceTalkThe flight trials of the Mil Mi-28NM (NATO reporting name: Havoc) advanced upgraded attack helicopter have been kicked off in Russia, according to the Izvestia daily. A prototype of the Mi-28NM upgraded attack helicopter, also known as Product 296, has flown its early test sorties for its controls and engines to be tested and its […]https://www.defencetalk.com/advanced-mi-28nm-helicopter-starts-flight-tests-68305/

DefenceTalkThis year, as part of a Strategic Portfolio Analysis and Review, or SPAR, the Army will “rank order” all 780 or so of its equipment programs — from helicopters to boots to rifles — in terms of their impact on warfighting. The results of that analysis will be made available to Army leaders to help […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-ranking-780-programs-for-modernization-68235/

DefenceTalkThe Chinese and Russian navies staged a mission to seize an island on Sunday as part of an eight-day exercise in the South China Sea. As the key element of the annual drill, the navies dispatched warships, marine forces, helicopters and amphibious armored equipment for the mission. The exercise demonstrated the Chinese and Russian navies’ […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-russia-naval-drill-ends-with-island-invasion-mission-68199/

DefenceTalkThe People’s Liberation Army has equipped all of its ground force aviation units with advanced WZ-10 combat helicopters, according to PLA media. Several WZ-10s have been delivered to an aviation brigade of the PLA 13th Group Army under the Western Theater Command, the military’s TV news channel reported. This means that all of the Army’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-delivers-wz-10-attack-helicopters-to-army-68118/

DefenceTalkU.S. Marine Corps has begun a full reset of its CH-53E Super Stallion heavy lift helicopters, an effort aimed at significantly increasing the number of operationally fit aircraft and addressing systemic issues, which in recent years drove the platform’s readiness level to unsustainable depths. The issue first came to light following the January 2014 crash […]https://www.defencetalk.com/usmc-launches-ch-53e-refurbishment-upgrade-program-67996/

DefenceTalkRussia’s Armed Forces received 58 planes and 34 helicopters in the second quarter of 2016, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said. During this period, Russian servicemen also received a brigade set of the Iskander-M (NATO reporting name: SS-26 Stone) tactical ballistic missile system and a regiment set of the S-400 (SA-21 Growler) air defense missile […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russias-armed-forces-receive-58-planes-34-helicopters-in-2016-67852/

DefenceTalkThe State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel for Excess SH-60F Sea-Hawk Helicopter equipment and support. The estimated cost is $300 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on July 5, 2016. The Government of Israel has requested to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-to-sell-surplus-sh-60f-helicopter-equipment-to-israel-67798/

DefenceTalkRussia’s Rostvertol plant, manufacturing military and commercial helicopters, plans to supply domestic and foreign customers with over 120 Mi-28NE attack helicopters and multirole Mi-35M helicopters in 2016-2018, the company said in its annual report for 2015. According to the report, the Rostvertol plant, which is part of the Russian Helicopters company, delivered 14 Mi-26 heavy […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-plans-to-sell-over-120-mi-28ne-mi-35m-helicopters-in-2016-2018-67770/

DefenceTalkOver 35 NATO helicopters from the Polish 1st Army Aviation Brigade, 25th Air Cavalry Brigade and the U.S. 12th Combat Aviation Brigade “Task Force Griffin,” participated in a battalion size air assault of over 400 Sky Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade, during exercise Anakonda 16, June 10-11, at the 21st […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-polish-forces-execute-battalion-air-assault-during-anakonda-16-67640/

DefenceTalkUS Apache helicopters have struck an Islamic State target for the first time in Iraq, the Pentagon said Monday. The sophisticated attack choppers destroyed an IS car bomb Sunday near Qayyarah, which is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Mosul, the group’s main stronghold in Iraq. “The government of Iraq approved the use of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-apache-helicopters-strike-isis-for-first-time-in-iraq-67634/