May 03, 2014 Military Aviation News
05/03/2014
Seven international military observers taken captive in eastern Ukraine a week ago have been released. Five Ukrainian officers captured with the observers, who are linked to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, were also freed.
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05/03/2014
Held at the Gwalior Indian Air Force range from Feb. 15 to 27, 2004, Cope India 04 exercise gained the headlines not only because it marked the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations between India and US, but also because Indian pilots were able to win more than 90 percent of the mock air engagements conducted against U.S. Air Force F-15C jets from 3rd Wing based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.
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05/03/2014
Just a year after standing up its new Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, NATO learned last fall that the Turkish government was planning to purchase a new missile defense system — from China. That was problematic, because the Chinese manufacturer was under U.S. sanctions for supplying missiles to Iran and Syria. Even worse from NATO’s perspective were the cyber-security concerns raised by the new system.
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05/03/2014
The buildup of F-35 operations at Luke Air Force Base has begun, and the Royal Australian air force will soon be Luke's first international partner to train here on the F-35A Lightning II. The 61st Fighter Squadron and 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit will house the RAAF personnel. The goal is to build a cohesive, working understanding of the F-35A program with Luke's international partners for increased success in joint operations.
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05/03/2014
Two pilots were killed, one briefly abducted, and several wounded -- including an emergency responder - during an attack early Friday in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Four men suspected of using MANPADS in the attack have been detained.
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05/03/2014
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has ranged as far abroad as Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years. Now the crisis in Ukraine is pulling it back to the mission that led to its creation 65 years ago: defending Europe’s eastern rim against Kremlin expansionism. The U.S., Britain, and some other NATO members began deploying troops and fighter jets to Poland and the Baltics last month.
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05/03/2014
The Royal Air Force’s fighter fleet of Tornado GR4 aircraft will receive support services from BAE Systems until retirement in 2019. Under the Availability Transformation: Tornado Aircraft Contract, or ATTAC, from Britain’s Ministry of Defense BAE Systems will provide on and off maintenance of the fighters and also provide capability enhancements.
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05/03/2014
Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned combat air system is to undergo ramped-up testing in preparation for new sea trials, the U.S. Navy reports. The X-47B is an unmanned aerial vehicle, which will enter service with the Navy in 2020, is the size of a normal combat jet and is designed for launch and recovery from an aircraft carrier.
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05/03/2014
Two days after Ukraine’s interim government declared itself all but helpless to control events in the eastern part of the country, Ukrainian military and police forces on Friday resumed their effort to retake this rebel-controlled city, forcing armed separatists from the city’s outskirts with armored vehicles, helicopters and ground troops — and seemingly pushing ever closer to a confrontation with Moscow.
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05/03/2014
Boeing this week delivered, on schedule, the second Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Turkish Armed Forces, further improving the country's self-defense capabilities. The AEW&C aircraft arrived at Konya Air Base, the fleet's main operating base.
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