US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR)
Global V-22 Osprey fleet grounded following fatal crash in Japan
A USAF-operated CV-22B Osprey was lost off Yakushima Island, Japan, on November 29, killing all eight airmen on board and resulting in a global operational stand-down of the tiltrotor
US Coast Guard flies first missionized HC-27J Spartan
The US Coast Guard (USCG) conducted the initial flight of its first missionized HC-27J Spartan at NAS Patuxent River in Maryland on September 6
USMC's first CH-53K test aircraft completes final flight
US Naval Air Systems Command announced on June 9 that the first Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion test aircraft had been retired from use after the heavy-lift transport helicopter completed its final flight earlier in the month
Final USMC TAV-8B to complete overhaul returns to VMA-223
Another major milestone in the drawing down of the USMC’s McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II programme has been passed by the US Navy’s Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) after it recently completed the final overhaul of the last dual-seat TAV-8B fighter-trainer at MCAS Cherry Point in North Carolina
NAVAIR completes 50th RESET maintenance process on CH-53E
US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on September 28 that it has completed the 50th RESET maintenance process on the USMC's Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion heavy-lift transport helicopter fleet
Work progressing on E-3D to E-6B trainer conversion
US Naval Air Systems Command provided an update on October 4 on the progress being made on conversion of a former Royal Air Force Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 into an E-6B Mercury in-flight trainer for the US Navy
US Navy demos new mine countermeasure prototype on MQ-8C Fire Scout
The US Navy has recently demonstrated new mine countermeasure prototype technology aboard a Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter at Eglin AFB in Florida
US Navy orders two additional MQ-4C Tritons
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp has been awarded a contract for two additional low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 5 MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems for the US Navy
‘Tailored’ F-35 variant contract announced for mystery customer
A contract by the US DOD recently revealed that Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $49m contract to design and develop a tailored variant of the F-35 Lightning II for an unspecified Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customer
US Navy completes back-to-back BQM-177 test flights off Japan
NAVAIR has revealed that the US Navy recently completed three back-to-back test flights off the coast of Japan with its newest subsonic aerial target – the BQM-177A – in preparation for the type achieving full operational capability later this year