November, 2016 Military Aviation News
11/29/2016
Switzerland has requested CHF10 million to support replacement of its fighter aircraft and keep some of its current combat inventory active for longer than previously intended, the country said. Swiss voters rejected a proposed acquisition of 22 Saab Gripens in 2014, but in February 2016, Bern indicated that it would initiate a second attempt to purchase new fighters.
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11/29/2016
The message that Israel’s government had opted to purchase 17 additional F-35 fighter jets from the US on Sunday night came in just as a senior Israeli Air Force officer was in the midst of explaining to reporters what this new stealth aircraft could do and what it would mean for Israel’s defense.
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11/29/2016
A colorful graphic insert from the June 2016 Chinese naval magazine Naval and Merchant Ships offers a troubling glimpse of one possible future for the South China Sea. A map on the graphic accurately displays Beijing’s three new long runways that have been built up since 2014 in the Spratlys, alongside overlapping range arcs for HQ-9 air defense systems (200km), YJ-62 truck launched anti-ship cruise missiles (300km), as well as for J-11 and JH-7 fighter/attack aircraft (1500km).
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11/29/2016
The United Engine Corp., part of Rostec state holding company, successfully conducted the first ground-based ignition of the second stage of the engine for the Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation (PAK FA T-50 aircraft). In order to carry out the testing, gas generators had to be prepared for it, in addition to the demonstrator engine.
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11/29/2016
Norway has proposed replacing its aging fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3 Orions and Dassault DA-20 Jet Falcons with five new Boeing P-8 Poseidons, the country's minister of defense announced on 25 November.
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11/29/2016
The Joint Strike Fighter programme intends to award F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin a sole source contract in the third quarter of fiscal year 2017, according to a September announcement posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Under the SLEP contract, Lockheed will examine the aircraft’s airframe, hardware, software and structure, the Joint Programme Office tells FlightGlobal.
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11/29/2016
Holloman AFB in New Mexico has been selected by the US Air Force to be the interim home for two new Lockheed Martin F-16 training squadrons. Established as a result of “critical” pilot shortages in the air force, the two squadrons will temporarily be based at Holloman until a permanent flight training unit (FTU) is established to address the shortage on a long-term basis.
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11/29/2016
The US Department of State has made a determination to approve a possible Foreign Military Sale to Poland for upgrades to F-16 combat aircraft and stand-off missiles, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a release.
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11/29/2016
Su-30SM are air superiority jets of the 4++ generation that combine functions of a fighter and a bomber. They are produced in Irkutsk in southern Siberia. "The handover ceremony took place at the airfield of the Irkutsk aviation factory where pilots of the Russian Navy’s maritime combat aviation corps received another batch of Su-30SM jets," ?apt. 1st Rank Drygalo told reporters.
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11/28/2016
Getting dressed for a combat mission in a U2 “Dragonlady” reconnaissance plane looks almost like the preparations for a space flight, the pilot in a yellow compression suit wearing a massive white helmet. The suits need to be cooled the entire time, otherwise the pilots would die of heat exhaustion in a matter of minutes, but they are necessary to protect the crew members as they fly surveillance missions over Iraq and Syria at more than 70,000 feet scoping out ISIS targets.
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11/28/2016
The Defence Forces’ decision to spend almost €2 million on upgrading their drone systems from an Israeli defence company goes “against the will of our people”, according to a Sinn Féin Senator. Department of Defence documents, released under Freedom of Information (FoI) legislation, reveal plans to “accelerate the upgrade and acquisition” of Orbiter 2B UAV systems by the end of 2017.
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11/28/2016
A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves.
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11/28/2016
Emerging Air Force computer technology can thwart a supersonic mid-air collision by automatically changing the flight path of two fighters headed for a deadly crash. Envision a scenario where two or more supersonic fighter jets are conducting combat maneuvers in such close proximity that they come less than 500-feet away from one another -- when an automatic computer system engineered into the aircraft takes over and re-directs the fighters, saving lives and averting a catastrophic collision.
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11/28/2016
A flotilla of Russian warships in the Mediterranean is providing a high-profile show of force in support of the Syrian regime. But the deployment has also thrown into sharp relief the limits of Moscow’s conventional military. State television broadcasts to the domestic audience Top Gun-style footage of bombers taking off from Russia’s flagship aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov. Foreign observers get to see one of the country’s most important weapons exports, the MiG-29 fighter plane, in ac
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11/28/2016
Commenting on Iran's announcement that it could allow Russia to use the Hamadan air base in western Iran for Moscow's aerial operation against terrorists in Syria, Russian political and military analyst Alexander Perendzhiev said that Tehran might even change its legislation to give Russia a more permanent presence at the base.
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11/27/2016
The U.S. presidential election mercifully has ended. But global conflict continues. And politicians are still attempting to drag America into another tragic, bloody Middle Eastern conflict. To do so would be madness. President-elect Donald Trump appears to recognize that Syria is not America’s responsibility. Unfortunately, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, as well as some of those mentioned for top administration positions, take a more militaristic perspective.
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11/27/2016
Japan scrambled fighter jets Saturday as Chinese air force planes passed the Miyako Strait in Okinawa Prefecture, southwestern Japan, the Defense Ministry said. Six Chinese airplanes believed to include two fighters flew over the strait between Okinawa's main island and Miyako Island, according to the ministry. There was no actual infringement of Japanese territorial air space, it said.
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11/27/2016
Starting in 2017, state-owned aircraft manufacture PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI) will maintain Saudi Arabian military helicopters and aircraft. “We are still processing the contract,” Brig. Gen Jan Pieter Ate, the Defense Ministry’s director of the defense industry and technology, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
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11/27/2016
The MIG-29K is a carrier version of the plane designed by the Mikoyan design bureau. It is a short landing and takeoff aircraft with retractable wings for storage abroad carrier. The plane was in the news recently when it was operating from the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. The plane which took off for a sortie along with 2 others failed to land back and crashed into the sea.Out of the other 2, only one could land back on the carrier.
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11/27/2016
The Iranian Defense Ministry is considering purchase of the Russian Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter jets, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Saturday. "The purchase of Su-30 fighters is on the agenda of the defense ministry," Dehghan said, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
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11/26/2016
Pakistan is in talks with several countries for the sale of JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, and the air force is hoping to finalise some orders at the ongoing IDEAS 2016, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman said on Thursday. “JF-17 is a very potent aircraft. We are in talks with many countries and there will be a number of orders for the supply of the jets,” Sohail Aman said. “This is not just business, such deals would further strengthen Pakistan’s defence ties with friends.”
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11/26/2016
After three years of training, Beijing has announced that its aircraft carrier Liaoning and attached air units are ready for operation. Although the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has formidable air power, the Liaoning would be the only feasible platform for power projection in the foreseeable future, beyond the newly built airstrips in the South China Sea, due to China’s lack of overseas airbases.
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11/26/2016
Finland has received information from five aircraft primes regarding the replacement of its air force’s Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet. The HX fighter replacement programme was kicked off in November 2015 by defence minister Jussi Niinistö. This was followed some weeks later by the issue of a request for information (RFI) from the government to five manufacturers.
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11/26/2016
Canada’s crazily protracted process to acquire a new fighter has been the subject of another unexpected plot twist, with its defence minister announcing a plan to order an interim batch of 18 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
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11/26/2016
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) said Friday it had sent a protest note to the Ukrainian authorities demanding that Kiev stop immediately the preparation of missile drills that violate Russian airspace.
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11/26/2016
A US soldier was killed in a blast in northern Syria November 24. The soldier was killed by an improvised explosive device near Ayn Issa, according to a statement by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Ayn Issa is about an hour from Raqqa, Daesh's self-declared capital in Syria.
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11/26/2016
The Indian Government had put a contract for Heron drones on hold for a year in the hope that defense scientists will produce an alternative. The Indian government has signed a $400 million final contract with Israel Aerospace Industries during Israeli President Reuven Rivlin's last week's India visit for armed drones.
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11/24/2016
Bulgaria's government said on Wednesday it approved an additional expenditure of up to 54.6 million levs ($29.6 million/27.9 million euro) under the defence ministry budget to ensure the airworthiness of the country's Air Force fleet of ageing Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets.
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11/24/2016
Day two of the International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) 2016 saw the signing of some 13 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), which included an agreement with Ukraine for up-gradation of the Al-Khalid tank and another with Turkey for the sale of the primary trainer aircraft, the Super Mushshak.
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11/24/2016
A solemn ceremony took place in Lida, Grodno Oblast on 23 November to hand over four new combat and training aircraft Yak-130 to the 116th Guards Attack Aircraft Air Base of the Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense, BelTA has learned. The aircraft were made by the Russian R&D corporation Irkut.
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11/24/2016
The Indian government is proposing to export its Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas light combat aircraft to other Asian nations. New Delhi hopes that the indigenously developed fighter’s relatively simple design and potentially low maintenance costs will be a selling point for the jet. But India’s prospects for selling the its “new” fighter are highly dubious.
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11/24/2016
The Indian air force has declared initial operation clearance for the latest avionics upgrade to its Sepecat Jaguar attack aircraft. Under the Darin (display, attack, range and inertial navigation) III programme, three Jaguars have received upgraded avionics packages installed by Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL).
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11/24/2016
The Indian Air Force’s Deputy Chief flew a sortie in an upgraded Anglo-French Jaguar fighter as a vote of confidence in these dependable deep penetration strike fighters.
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11/24/2016
Russia will stick to the schedule on supplying Su-35 fighter jets to China under a military-technical deal between the two countries, Khabarovsk Territory's Governor Vyacheslav Shport told Sputnik on Wednesday.
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11/24/2016
The Indian Government on Tuesday disclosed some details of the $ 8.85 billion deal to purchase French combat aircraft. Among them is a promise by French company Dassault Aviation to provide product support for five decades.
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11/24/2016
EU sanctions on fuel supplies to Syria do not affect the Russian air group based at the Hmeymim airbase as its combat operations in the war-torn country are part of Russia's contribution to the fight against terrorism, the Russian Defense Ministry said Tuesday.
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11/22/2016
Airstrikes by Russia’s strategic aviation has destroyed concentrations of armored vehicles and facilities producing weapons for Islamic State militants, says the Russian Defense Ministry. Unlike the previous sorties, this one was carried out by bypassing Europe, while the cruise missiles were launched from the Mediterranean Sea.
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11/22/2016
Shephard understands that likely respondents include Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), part of Textron Airborne Solutions; Draken International; and Discovery Air Defence Services, a subsidiary of Discovery Air. The US Navy is likely to be first to award a contract. Its requirement includes the provision of improved adversary training at its Top Gun school at NAS Fallon in Nevada.
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11/22/2016
After the US denied South Korea export licenses for active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for its future KFX fighter, Seoul is in talks with Washington over acquiring lower technologies for the jet.
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11/22/2016
The South Korean Air Force has been granted a contract worth $1.2 billion to upgrade 134 F-16 combat aircraft, the US defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced in a press release on Monday.
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11/22/2016
A video, produced by RT, offers you a unique opportunity to watch a Sukhoi Su-33 multirole fighter take off from the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the flagship of the Russian Navy. Shot using a panoramic camera, it provides 360-degree visibility for a truly immersive experience.
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11/22/2016
Russia could create new infrastructure at the country’s Hmeymim airbase in Syria, including the construction of the second runway and improvement of its air defense capabilities, a senior lawmaker in Russia's upper house of parliament said.
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11/22/2016
The future Russian naval base in Syria's Tartus will be able to host aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines allowing Moscow to expand its naval presence and role in the Mediterranean, a senior lawmaker in Russia's upper house of parliament said.
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11/21/2016
Currently, onboard the USS America, the USN-USMC team is validating the proof of concept of the Lightning Carrier, i.e., a large deck amphibious ship with combined F-35B and Osprey assault capabilities. The capability to insert ground forces and to support them with a 360 degree combat system overhead will prove to be significant in a wide range of contingencies.
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11/21/2016
The assessment by the Defence Select Committee will endorse widespread concerns that the Royal Navy has been left too small after recent job and spending cuts. The committee's report, called Restoring The Fleet, said the current number of vessels is "woefully low" and raised doubts over the availability of skilled workers in the service.
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11/21/2016
India's new fifth generation stealth fighter will be superior in key aspects to Russia's PAK FA T-50 from which it's derived, and will also have the added advantage of being able to fire the newest iteration of the fearsome BrahMos cruise missile, the BrahMos NG.
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11/21/2016
The Indian Air Force is experimenting with the sleeping pattern of its fighter pilots to find out how fatigue affects flight performance in an unforgiving environment. A sleep deprivation study conducted on 40 fighter pilots has revealed significant deviations in their performance and now the IAF will kick off field studies on a larger scale, officers familiar with the research told Hindustan Times.
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11/21/2016
President-elect Donald Trump wants a much bigger military. All he needs to do is find the money and political support to make it happen. Less than two weeks into the Republican businessman's transition from unlikely presidential candidate to unlikely commander in chief, many details of his plans for the Defense Department remain unsettled.
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11/21/2016
NATO multinational military exercise Iron Sword 2016 kicked off in Lithuania, with 4,000 troops participating, the country's Defense Ministry announced on Sunday. The exercise, set to last through December 3, will train soldiers from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania and Slovenia.
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11/20/2016
As a pilot, I have had multiple “near miss” events. Most pilots I know have had similar experiences. Some of these events still scare me today when I think about them, others were less intense and grave, but I also remember all of them…and what they taught me.
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11/20/2016
The official Russian passenger Ilyushin Il-96 aircraft was carrying journalists to cover the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economic summit, held in Lima, Peru, when three military jets suddenly appeared to accompany it while it flew through Swiss airspace.
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11/20/2016
On the morning of Nov. 12, J-10 fighters from China’s prestigious Ba Yi Air Demonstration Team practiced maneuvers over Yutian county, northeast of the city of Tianjin. Sitting in the instructor’s seat of one of the delta-wing J-10s was Capt. Yu Xu, a flight leader and one of four women pilots trained to operate the domestically-designed multi-role fighter.
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11/20/2016
The deliveries of the Russian Su-35 fighter jets to China have not started yet, works on the aircraft to be supplied continue in accordance with the bilateral deal, Alexander Fomin, the director of the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), said.
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11/19/2016
Britain has taken delivery of the first of a new generation of aircraft set to revitalize its fixed-wing military pilot training capabilities. Affinity Flying Training Services delivered two Grob G-120TPs to the British Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Cranwell on Nov. 17, kicking off a program which will see 38 aircraft across three different types handed over by the end of 2018 to replace Britain’s aging stock of trainers.
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11/19/2016
This is not the first time a major US defence industry has shuttered its office in Taipei due to a wide variety of excuses. In 2006 Boeing closed its Taipei offices and moved staff to Singapore in an effort to placate Beijing for better opportunities in the commercial passenger aircraft market.
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11/19/2016
Several units of the Su-30MKI, Jaguar deep penetration strike aircraft and other frontline planes have been moved to forward areas in Punjab and Rajasthan and have been retained there, a senior IAF source told Mail Today. Even as Pakistan is flexing its muscles along the Indian border near Punjab, the Indian Air Force is maintaining "high operational tempo" by packing the western front with its lethal combat aircraft.
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11/19/2016
Terrorists and Western defence equipment had a bad time at this year’s Airshow China in Zhuhai. Hardened bunkers, speeding trucks and warships were no match for the barrage of missiles and bombs launched by Chinese-built fighters and unmanned air vehicles – all seemingly co-ordinated by emotionless men in sterile control rooms. F-15s, F-16s, F/A-18s and even AH-64 attack helicopters had a tough time, as easy prey for a relentless flow of air-to-air missiles.
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11/19/2016
Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force have finished repairs on the last of 13 F-35As affected by a faulty insulation issue earlier this year, though work continues on Lockheed’s production aircraft.
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11/19/2016
Pending Congressional approval, the sales of 72 Boeing F-15QA Strike Eagles to Qatar and 40 F/A-18Es and F/A-18Fs Super Hornets to Kuwait are expected to go through, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced this week.
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11/19/2016
The Brazilian military has awarded Embraer a provisional type certificate for the basic configuration of the KC-390 tanker-transport, a step on the way to achieving initial operational capability with the air force in the second half of 2017.
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11/19/2016
New Delhi’s is trying to export its indigenously assembled LCA `Tejas’ to cost-conscious countries in Asia. It is not known whether export permissions are required from foreign suppliers of critical equipment to the aircraft.
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11/19/2016
Turkey is in talks with Russia on the purchase of S-400 missile systems, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said Friday. "As for missile defense, work is continuing. We are negotiating on S-400 not only with Russia, but with other countries that have similar systems. Russia's position on this issue now is positive," Isik said in an interview with Turkey's NTV broadcaster.
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11/18/2016
The pièce de résistance at the Zhuhai air show in Guangdong province was the long-awaited Chinese J-20 stealth fighter jet. The 60-second flypast in a first ever, public sneak-preview was the cynosure of the world as China demonstrated its claim of entering the exclusive club of countries with “fifth generation” fighter planes. Touted as the only other operation-ready answer to America’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the Lockheed Martin F-35.
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11/18/2016
In a September 7th speech, then-candidate Donald Trump described his vision for the future of the American military. “As soon as I take office, I will ask Congress to fully eliminate the defense sequester and will submit a new budget to rebuild our military. This will increase certainty in the defense community as to funding and will allow military leaders to plan for our future defense needs.”
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11/18/2016
The loss of highly trained and experienced pilots from the U.S. military to the private sector is a legitimate worry for Pentagon leaders, the Defense Department's top civilian said. "It is something we have to be concerned about," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Wednesday during a stopover at this installation. The problem is particularly pronounced in the Air Force, which faces a shortage of several hundred aviators.
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11/18/2016
The Royal Air Force is in transition as the Tornado is retired, the Typhoon is modernized and the P-8 and F-35 are introduced. Infrastructure of key bases is being modernized as well.
This transition as seen by officers involved in the operation and support of combat aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth is presented in this report.
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11/18/2016
Britain is set to buy as many as 26 Certifiable Predator B unmanned aerial vehicles from San Diego-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.
The $1 billion sale delivers at least 16 of the aircraft, with the option for the country to buy 10 more. The purchase includes the associated material needed to operate the vehicles, including targeting equipment and ground control stations, in addition to contractor support for the aircraft for up to three years.
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11/18/2016
Vietnam is extending a runway on an island it claims in the South China Sea in apparent response to China’s building of military facilities on artificial islands in the region, a US thinktank has reported. Satellite images taken this month showed Vietnam had lengthened its runway on Spratly Island from less than 760 metres (2,500ft) to more than 1 km, Washington’s Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative said.
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11/18/2016
Proposing the setting up of a new, futuristic factory for an upcoming Make in India fighter program, Boeing has said that it is in talks with multiple Indian stakeholders to gear it for the production of the indigenous advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA).
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11/18/2016
Spain has taken delivery of its first Airbus Defence & Space A400M tactical transport, which will now be transitioned to its home operating base at Zaragoza in the northeast of the country.
Aircraft MSN44 carried out its maiden flight from Airbus’s Seville final assembly site in September, and is the first of 27 examples on order for Spain.
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11/18/2016
The US government approved the sale of an F-15 fighter jet package that will include 72 aircraft, support and training worth an estimated $21.1 billion to Qatar, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release.
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11/17/2016
The F-15C Eagle weighs about 16 tons, but with nearly 47,000 pounds of thrust pushing it down the runway it feels more like 16 ounces. In a just seconds, the plane passes 100 miles per hour, then twice that. It hops off the ground but the pilot, Maj. Jay “Fat” Talbert keeps it level, fifty feet up, and pours on more speed. “Here come the G’s,” Talbert warns his passenger in the back seat. Then he pulls back the stick.
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11/17/2016
Poland’s first two Leonardo Aermacchi M-346 advanced jet trainers were delivered to its air force’s 41st training base in Deblin on 14 November. The aircraft – with the tail numbers 7702 and 7703 – arrived from Rivolto, flown by Italian air force pilots.
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11/17/2016
Pilatus has conducted the first flight of a PC-21 trainer for the Royal Jordanian Air Force, a new customer. Conducted from the Swiss manufacturer’s Stans production site on 15 November, the milestone sortie involved PC-21 serial number 283, with the tail number 1170 and temporary registration HB-HXA.
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11/17/2016
Lockheed Martin Corp. has received a $536 million contract modification from the U.S. Air Force for sustainment of the F-22 Raptor. The funding is part of a Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contract providing weapon systems sustainment of the F-22 fleet at all operational bases for the 2017 calendar year.
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11/17/2016
US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said that the US Department of State has approved a possible $1 billion sale of Predator drones, equipment, training and support to the United Kingdom.
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11/17/2016
Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier will be upgraded in 2018 after returning from service, Vice President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Igor Ponomarev said Wednesday.
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11/16/2016
A Russian Navy MiG-29KUBR Fulcrum-D crashed on approach to the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov earlier today due to technical problems. The twin-engine fighter was conducting a training sortie, according to the Russian defense ministry.
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11/16/2016
The Indian Navy will get its additional P8I submarine killer, maritime reconnaissance aircraft starting July 2020, with work being initiated at the Boeing facility here to deliver an updated version of the combat plane. The boost to the Indian fleet will come at a time when the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), which has been growing at a scorching pace over the past decade, is projected to have over 70 submarines in service.
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11/16/2016
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has deployed combat aircraft to Libya and Eritrea to combat Islamist militants and support its forces in Yemen. The base in Libya appears to have been established at the beginning of this year. According to IHS Jane's Defence Weekly, Airbus Defence and Space satellite imagery shows the construction of buildings in March this year at Al-Khadim Airport in Marj province around 100 km from Benghazi. By the end of June, hangars and a new ramp had been built.
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11/16/2016
China's first aircraft carrier is now ready to engage in combat, marking a milestone for a navy that has invested heavily in its ability to project power far from China's shores. The Liaoning's political commissar said in an interview with Tuesday's Global Times newspaper that his ship is "constantly prepared to fight against enemies," signaling a change from its past status as a platform for testing and training.
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11/16/2016
The Indonesian air force has put its latest Airbus Defence & Space CN235 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) into service, equipped with winglets and an electronic support measures (ESM) system.
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11/16/2016
Greece has received the first three of an eventual 10 Boeing CH-47D Chinook heavy-lift rotorcraft that it has bought from the US Army. Arriving at the port of Piraeus on 11 November, the Chinooks will join the already 15-strong fleet operated by the Hellenic Army.
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11/16/2016
India's state-owned defense research company is about to test a medium altitude long endurance drone. Its success could make the Indian military market for drones out of bounds for US and Israeli companies.
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11/16/2016
Serbia is expected to receive six Russian Mikoyan MiG-29 multirole fighters and armored vehicles at a huge discount, totaling approximately $80 million, Defense analyst Miroslav Lazanski told Sputnik, commenting on unconfirmed reports that Moscow is ostensibly planning to transfer weapons to Belgrade.
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11/16/2016
Russia's rearmament plans should be carried out efficiently using funds allocated from the state budget, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday. "Our plans should certainly be implemented. The question arises: through what? Certainly through optimization, and more careful use of allocated state resources to focus attention on the most important promising areas of our work," Putin said while opening a series of meetings with defense industry top officials.
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11/16/2016
"Today, we started a major operation to launch massive strikes on Daesh and al-Nusra Front targets in the Idlib and Homs provinces [in Syria]," Shoigu said at Russian President Vladimir Putin's meeting with the ministry’s leadership and defense enterprises.
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11/14/2016
Bagram Air Base, outside Kabul, Afghanistan, is among the most tightly secured military facilities in the world. Even so, yesterday, a man armed with a suicide bomb found a way into the base, detonated that bomb and killed four Americans. The Taliban has taken responsibility for the attack.
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11/14/2016
Strong indications have emerged that the United States has again blocked the Federal Government from acquiring fighter ground attack aircraft considered crucial in the ongoing campaign against Boko Haram in the North-East. Investigations showed that the US has prevented the military from acquiring the A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft from Brazil.
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11/14/2016
What we know for sure about the new Chinese J-20 stealth fighter jet is subject to some debate. We know that, according to claims within the Chinese government, that it was designed to compete directly with the latest in American fighter jet technology: the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Outwardly, its appearance resembles that of the F-22.
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11/14/2016
China’s elite fifth generation stealth fighter recently made its debut, raising questions about its capabilities. The Chengdu J-20, a Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group product, is designed to close the gap between American and Chinese air power. The stealth fighter is regarded as a potential rival to America’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor.
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11/14/2016
Traversing the skies at a speed exceeding Mach 5, hypersonic weapons are said to be capable of penetrating the most advanced air defense systems in the world. Not a single country has put hypersonic arms into service so far, with Russia, the United States and China being the closest to taming the game-changing technology of the future.
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11/13/2016
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
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11/13/2016
In the last decade of the Cold War, the MiG-31, codenamed Foxhound by NATO, enjoyed a certain mystique in the West. The same grainy photos aerial photos of the high speed fighter would show up in aviation publications, along with ominous speculation over its capabilities. But unlike its peers—the MiG-29 and Su-27—the Foxhound never fully emerged from obscurity after the Cold War.
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11/13/2016
India's indigenous HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) will serve aboard the nuclear powered supercarrier, INS Vishal (currently under development), but will first see active service on the INS Vikrant now being fitted out and due to join the Indian Navy in December 2018.
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11/13/2016
Sea-based jets of the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov which arrived in the Syrian coast heading a group of the Russian Northern Fleet's squadron started flights, Commander of the ship Sergei Artamonov said.
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11/13/2016
The next-generation S-500 Prometey surface-to-air missile system, also known as the 55R6M Triumfator-M, will allow Russia to protect large areas from the most lethal offensive weapons, including hypersonic weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, defense analyst Victor Murakhovsky told Radio Sputnik.
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11/13/2016
The Russian authorities have expressed readiness to deliver six MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia if Belgrade covers the jet fighters’ repair costs, Serbian media reported on Friday. "Moscow allegedly indicated that the repair of jet fighters and related equipment requires about $50 million," a governmental source was quoted as saying by the Naslovna Strana newspaper.
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11/13/2016
The Indian Air Force plans to replace the venerable MiG-21 series of combat jets with the home-produced fighter named Tejas. But, capacity constraints at the factory means the replacements will take place at a very slow pace.
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11/13/2016
Engineers are developing a new modification of the new onboard defense systems (ODS) for the Ilyushin Il-112B military transport aircraft that will be able to counter all potential missile threats up to 2025, according to Russia's Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies (KRET).
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11/11/2016
German lawmakers on Thursday approved a renewed mandate for the Bundeswehr's anti-"Islamic State" mission despite tensions with Turkey where its reconnaissance and refueling aircraft are based. Parliament approved the extension for a year by 445-139 vote, with the opposition Greens and Left Party opposed.
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11/11/2016
While the United States is by far the most dominant military force in history, it is American industrial prowess that ultimately enables Washington to conduct operations around the globe. With the ability to build the world’s best ships, submarines, aircraft, missiles, tanks and bombs, the United States would not be able to conduct its mission to build a benign international security environment where commerce and democracy can thrive.
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11/11/2016
For the first time China showed off its most advanced stealth warplane, the J-20, at a Chinese air show during the first week of November. China expects the J-20 to enter service in 2018 and has apparently changed its mind about exporting the J-20. Since 2014 China has offered its 18 ton J-31 stealth fighter to export customers as the FC-31 but insisted that it would not export its more advanced J-20.
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11/11/2016
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence said on November 10 that it had signed a contract for the supply of 10 engines for the Air Force’s Russian-made MiG-29 jet fighters – and, in an apparent sideswipe at former Air Force commander and Bulgarian Socialist Party-backed presidential candidate Roumen Radev, rejected “propaganda claims that the air force will be grounded”.
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11/11/2016
RUSSIA’s aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, has for the first time launched combat jets on flights over Syria, scouting out the besieged city of Aleppo ahead of anticipated strikes. Its force of Sukhoi Su-33 and Mikoyan MiG-29K strike fighters took to the skies early on Wednesday on what the Russian Ministry of Defence says were scout missions.
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11/11/2016
CONTROVERSY over the relationship between BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defence company, and one of its main customers, Saudi Arabia, was raging when Ian King, its chief executive, started his job in 2008. BAE’s link to Saudi Arabia was forged 30 years ago with the first “al-Yamamah” arms deal.
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11/11/2016
The government’s approval comes amid rising border tensions with Pakistan, although the platforms will be inducted in phases over the next decade. ‘The ongoing tension along the India-Pakistan border following the September 29 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is a reminder that we have to keep our powder dry. Modernisation cannot happen overnight and each step in that direction is significant,’ one military expert said.
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11/11/2016
Around-the-clock, whether for combat operations or humanitarian aid, Airmen are ready to respond anywhere. Until they get that call, however, Airmen hone their skills through exercises and realistic training. During exercise Tonnerre Lightning, the U.S. Air Force worked with United Kingdom and French forces to prepare and conduct realistic training Oct. 31-Nov. 9, at Royal Air Force Waddington, England.
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11/10/2016
As Iraqi forces fight their way into Mosul, they're receiving air support from a coalition of nations. Among the largest contributors is France. The French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle is currently in the Eastern Mediterranean and is the only European aircraft carrier involved in Operation Inherent Resolve.
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11/10/2016
After making a bid to sell F-16s to India, a team from US aviation major Lockheed Martin arrived in Bengaluru to meet potential industrial partners, officials said on Wednesday. Lockheed Martin's 'Make in India' F-16's (Block 70) executive team is set to conduct a meeting this week with local aerospace suppliers and tier one industry groups to discuss potential partnerships.
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11/10/2016
The United States military is investigating a fire that erupted during a mid-air training flight of one of its latest generation fighter jets. The Marine Corps is trying to figure out what caused the fire to ignite on an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft that took off from a base in Beaufort, South Carolina, last month, Military.com reported on Monday.
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11/10/2016
Two Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets collided over the waters off San Diego today, military officials said. One pilot was able to eject from his aircraft and was rescued at sea by the Navy, and the pilot of the other aircraft was able to land his aircraft at a nearby Navy base, officials said.
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11/09/2016
“In Turkey, we are progressively putting behind bars all people who take the liberty of voicing even the slightest criticism of the government,” wrote author Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s first Nobel Prize winner. “Freedom of thought no longer exists. We are distancing ourselves at high speed from a state of law and heading towards a regime of terror” that is driven by “the most ferocious hatred.”
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11/09/2016
Britain's royal air force teamed up with the United States and South Korea in a joint training exercise in November. The drill is ongoing and marks the first time British pilots are flying with U.S. and South Korean airmen, South Korean television network KBS reported Tuesday.
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11/09/2016
A fifth-generation fighter said to be six times more effective at air-to-air combat and eight times more effective at air-to-ground attacks than any military aircraft before— the F-35 Lightning II is the U.S. military’s state-of-the-art aircraft and Alaska will house 54 of them.
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11/09/2016
In April and June 2016, I had a chance to visit RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland and to talk with the base commander, and several officers involved with the combat operations and logistical support for the aircraft operating from the base. As such, the interviews provide a slice of current activities and preparation for the transition associated with the evolution of the RAF combat aircraft, including the coming of the P-8.
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11/09/2016
The Indian Navy’s latest aircraft carrier, the 65,000-ton supercarrier INS Vishal, the second ship of the Vikrant-class, will be powered by a nuclear reactor, according to anonymous Indian Navy sources.
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11/08/2016
China’s military is developing ships, submarines, aircraft, intelligence systems and foreign bases in a bid to become a global military power, according to a forthcoming congressional China commission report.
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11/08/2016
To a group of fighter pilots who have flown the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, including a Marine who has flown both, the value of those fifth-generation fighters is not in the power and speed or even the stealth qualities they bring, it is their capability to collect, process and share massive amounts of data that translates into lethal combat power.
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11/08/2016
The Air Force is reving up electronic warfare upgrades for its F-15 fighter as a way to better protect against enemy fire and electronic attacks, service officials said. Boeing has secured a $478 million deal to continue work on a new technology called with a system called the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or EPAWSS.
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11/08/2016
CHINA’S CHENGDU J-20 fighter jet, which made its public debut at China’s Zhuhai Airshow last week, cuts an imposing, even frightening, figure. The supersonic, twin-engine fighter and attack aircraft packs advanced radar and sensor capabilities, with a 360-degree helmet display system that allows the pilot to see through the aircraft itself.
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11/08/2016
India is currently planning to induct a large number of foreign made fighters to shore up its depleting squadron strength. But at the same time, it is going ahead with plans to induct aircraft produced in its own factories.
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11/08/2016
Russia may fulfill a contract on deliveries of long-range S-400 Triumf air defense systems to China by 2020, Alexander Fomin, director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said Monday.
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11/08/2016
The United Kingdom has been chosen by the US F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) to become the repair hub for European-based Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth multirole fighters, the UK Defense Ministry said Monday.
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11/08/2016
The suspension of the Russian Aerospace Forces' operation in Syria continues, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin considers it possible to continue maintaining the regime in eastern Aleppo.
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11/05/2016
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.
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11/05/2016
Amphibious forces in the Pacific practiced a “back to the future” tactic of seizing advance naval bases and conducting maneuver warfare during exercise Blue Chromite in Okinawa, Japan, exercise leaders told USNI News. The exercise, which started on Oct. 29 and ended today, used 3rd Marine Division Marines to practice the type of operations – maneuver warfare in an anti-access/area-denial environment against a sophisticated adversary – that are outlined in the new Marine Corps Operating Concept.
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11/05/2016
The surf was high where the amphibious assault ship America sailed off the coast of San Diego -- high enough to make the flight deck pitch and roll and set the conditions for a few minutes of crisis when an unfortunate sailor fell overboard and had to be rescued by helicopter. But with sea states between three and four, indicating swells from three to eight feet, the chop was still too subdued to be ideal for this last, rigorous round of testing for the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.
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11/05/2016
Two Air Force master sergeants became the first enlisted Airmen in six decades to complete solo flights during Initial Flight Training at the 1st Flying Training Squadron Nov. 3. Both soloed in a DA-20 Katana at Pueblo Memorial Airport as part of the Air Force’s IFT program, which is mandatory for all manned aircraft pilots, combat systems officers and remotely piloted aircraft pilots.
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11/05/2016
As part of Exercise Keen Sword (KS) 17, motorists should expect an increase in military traffic between U.S. Naval Base Guam and Andersen South from Nov. 7 to 9. The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (MKI ARG) and 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (11th MEU), based out of San Diego and Camp Pendleton, California, and scheduled to participate in Exercise Keen Sword 17, will conduct maneuvers on Guam that will act as shaping operations for the Japanese-U.S. bilateral training on Tinian.
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11/05/2016
A new Chinese high-tech spy drone has been revealed at a military air show. The plane - codenamed CH-5 - is reportedly being dubbed the “world’s most powerful” unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The plane was unveiled yesterday at the International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, China, as the nation further displays its military prowess.
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11/05/2016
A Russian frigate armed with cruise missiles has passed through the Bosphorus on its way to the eastern Mediterranean in a potentially ominous development for the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo. The Admiral Gligorovich, part of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, arrived off the Syrian coast on Friday as the latest pause in the Russian bombardment of eastern Aleppo came to an end, adding to an emphatic Russian show of naval force in the Mediterranean.
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11/05/2016
The state-owned Aero Engine Corp of China (AECC) was launched in August as part of a multi-billion dollar effort to boost the country’s domestic aviation production, and the company’s grand plans are on full display at the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition this week, including mock-ups of new engines like the Jade Dragon, as well as gas turbines.
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11/05/2016
On Tuesday, China unveiled two Chengdu J-20 stealth fighters at the Airshow China-2016 in Zhuhai. The aircraft was developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation. The J-20 conducted its first test flight in early 2011. "We are not considering putting [the J-20] on the global market," Ma was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.
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