Chris Pocock
Defense Correspondent
Chris Pocock has been covering the defense beat for AIN for over 30 years. He is a British citizen and a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Chris worked in the air cargo business for ten years before becoming a full-time writer in 1983. He subsequently edited two air cargo journals before becoming AIN’s Defense Editor. He retired from that position in 2018, but still contributes to the publication. Chris has written extensively on aerial reconnaissance, including four books on the history of the U-2 spyplane. He also lectures on this and other topics related to intelligence-gathering in the Cold War.
Latest from Chris Pocock
Aircraft
Turkey’s Own Cruise Missile Makes First Flight
Turkey has designed and test-flown an air-launched cruise missile.
Aircraft
Scan Eagle Proved Worth Over Libya, Maker Insitu Says
The use of another UAV over Libya during NATO Operation Unified protector was revealed, when Insitu stated that the Scan Eagle system was employed.
Aircraft
Raytheon Pitches SM-3 to European Countries for Ballistic Missile Defense
Raytheon has proposed that 10 European warships be equipped with the company’s standard SM-3 missile, so that the burden of providing a missile defense shi
Aircraft
Japan Proceeding with F-X Competition, Official Says
Japan is apparently proceeding on schedule with the 
Aircraft
Lockheed Martin IRST Confirmed for U.S. Navy Super Hornet Fleet
Boeing gained a $135 million contract to add the Lockheed Martin 
Aircraft
NATO Airpower Costly But Effective Over Libya
By the time that Tripoli fell with surprising ease to rebel forces, NATO had flown more than 20,000 sorties during Operation Unified Protector.
AIN Blog: UAVs Fly as Feathered Friends over Unfriendly Territory
News that the U.S.
Aircraft
F-35s Flying Again, but Face Continued Test Challenges
Flight tests of the Lockheed Martin F-35 resumed after a two-week grounding.
Aircraft
New Export Gains for Boeing CH-47s and Sikorsky UH-60s
Boeing and Sikorsky are gaining new export business worth over $2 billion for Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters, respectively.
Aircraft
MAKS 2011: Sukhoi T-50 Stealth Fighter Debuts as Russian Air Force Updates Re-equipment Plan
Russia’s first stealth fighter, the Sukh
Aircraft
C295s for Ghana, C-27Js for Mexico
Airbus Military and Alenia announced new orders for their rival medium-size tactical transports.
Aircraft
Alarm Sounded as Cyber Attacks on U.S. Defense Base Multiply
Newly released information on cyber attacks against the U.S.
Aircraft
High-altitude Airship Destroyed after Aborted Demo Flight
The flight of the Lockheed Martin high-altitude long endurance-demonstrator (HALE-D) airship ended after less than three hours last week in a forced landin
Aircraft
Electrical Power Problems Ground Lockheed Martin F-35s Again
All 20 Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters now flying were grounded August 3, following the failure of the integrated power pack (IPP) on an F-35A d
Aircraft
MALE Decision in Paris Delays Anglo-French UAV Project
French Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said a French version of the 
Aircraft
Embraer Confirms V2500 Engine for the KC-390
Embraer announced that the V2500 commercial turbofan produced by the International Aero Engines (IAE) consortium will power its twin-engine KC-390 tanker/t
Aircraft
India Finally Approves Mirage 2000 Upgrade
India confirmed that it will upgrade its 51 Mirage 2000H fighters, and entered final negotiations with Thales, which will act as prime contractor.
L-3 Offers Multi-sensor King Air 350 for Export
L-3 Communications has unveiled another ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) conversion of the Hawker Beechcraft King Air series, which will
Aircraft
First F-35s Arrive for Training, While Senator McCain Presses on Costs and Dutch Defer Deliveries
The first two production Lockheed Martin F-35s for operational training have been delivered to Eglin AFB, Florida, about one year behind schedule.
Aircraft
Orion Air Group Breaks Cover To Describe Special Mission Work
The Orion Air Group upped its profile by displaying a Gulfstream IISP modified as an R&D testbed at the Royal I
Aircraft
Risks in British Switch to Carrier Version of F-35 Identified
Risks arise from the decision by the UK Ministry of Defence to switch its Joint Strike Fighter selection to the F-35C carrier version.
Aircraft
Lockheed Martin Delivers Unmanned K-Max Helicopter for Evaluation
Lockheed Martin flew a K-Max helicopter to NAS Patuxent River to start an evaluation that will result in an 
Aircraft
Indonesian Aircraft Maker Gets Help From Airbus Military
Airbus Military signed a strategic collaboration agreement with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), “to assist in the revitalization” of the state-owned compan
Rotorcraft
More U.S. Airlifters for India; Helicopter Orders Imminent
The commander of the Indian Air Force (IAF) said that the IAF would likely acquire at least six more Boeing C-17s and another six Lockheed Martin C-130J ai
Aircraft
Neuron UCAV Enters Final Assembly
Dassault released photographs of the Neuron UCAV (unmanned comba
Libyan Campaign Cutbacks as Gates Slams European NATO Partners
A week after U.S.
Engines
Pratt and Whitney: F-35B Engine Problems Solved
Pratt & Whitney is confident that the problems with the STOVL version of the F135 engine powering the F-35B have been solved.
