July 03, 2015 Military Aviation News

Iraq receives four more Russian combat helicopters

07/03/2015

The Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 2 July that it has taken delivery of four more "advanced combat helicopters" from Russia. It did not identify the type of aircraft that has been delivered. Iraq currently has Mi-28NE Night Hunter attack helicopters and Mi-35M assault helicopters on order from Russia.

A-10 Warthog "Is Ruthlessly Effective, and the Grunts on the Ground Absolutely Love It Because It Keeps Them Safe"

07/03/2015

The Air Force claims shutting down the A-10 program would save $4.2 billion over five years, but a new report from the Government Accountability Office shoots that down, finding USAF analysis incomplete. More worrying (and unsurprising, to anyone who’s been paying attention), the GAO report says dropping the A-10 would “create potential gaps” in close air support.

Can the F-35 Beat the F-16 After all?

07/03/2015

The Pentagon argues that a recently leaked report does not ‘tell the entire story.’ Yesterday, in an attempt to defend the $400 billion F-35 Lighting II procurement program, the Department of Defense responded to the recent revelations that an F-35A was defeated by a two-seat F-16D in simulated aerial combat (see: “F-35 Loses Dogfight to Fighter Jets From the 1980s”).

Predator shootdown raises questions about Syrian air threat

07/03/2015

The U.S.-led coalition in Southwest Asia is confident in its ability to conduct flights over Syria without coordinating with the Assad regime, even after a U.S. Predator remotely piloted aircraft was shot down earlier this year.

Lockheed's F-35 Live-Bomb Drops Hit Targets

07/03/2015

The first live-bomb drops for Lockheed Martin 's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in a nontest environment were successful as the Marine Corps gets ready to declare the jet combat ready. Fourteen pilots dropped 30 weapons last week over a restricted area in southeastern California, and all of the high-explosive weapons went off.

Egypt's warplanes strike back at militants in troubled Sinai

07/03/2015

Egyptian warplanes launched new airstrikes and troops went house-to-house Thursday in the troubled Sinai Peninsula, a day after Islamic State-linked militants set off the area's bloodiest fighting in decades in an unprecedented, coordinated attack.

Russia's Once-Mighty Fighter Jet Firm MiG Struggling as Rivals Make Gains

07/03/2015

Once one of the world's most famous aircraft designers, Russia's MiG aircraft company has fallen on hard times. Though MiG aircraft continue to populate almost 30 world air forces, the firm has not won a major design competition or aircraft tender in its post-Soviet history.

RAF faces struggle to find extra firepower after cuts

07/03/2015

The admission by the UK government that it would not increase the small number of combat aircraft committed to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) in Iraq should it get a mandate to launch strikes in Syria reflects the reality that the Royal Air Force would struggle to muster much extra firepower.

China Nearly Finished With Runway on 'Wall of Sand' Island in S. China Sea

07/03/2015

The images, taken on June 28, show the rapid progress made by the Chinese government in building the 10,000-foot runway on Fiery Cross Reef. Large enough to support almost every type of military aircraft, the airstrip is also accompanied by an apron and taxiway.

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