Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Fighter jets to fight what?

09/20/2010

I have to wonder, under what circumstances, will Canada need them? Unfortunately, after WW2, the only time we seem to use our military aircraft in actual battle, is when we join in to help fight the United State’s battles. That being the case, why doesn’t the US just give us a bunch of them?

French military aircraft flying over the Sahel region

09/20/2010

French military reconnaissance aircraft are flying "for some time" several Sahelian countries, while the five French kidnapped on Thursday in Niger are now in a mountainous area of north-eastern Mali, according to officials sources.

Indonesia confirms plans to buy six more Su fighters from Russia

09/17/2010

Indonesia's Air Force chief of staff Marshal Imam Sufaat said on Friday his country planned to buy six more Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia, the Jakarta Post reported.

Russia completes delivery of Su fighter jets to Indonesia

09/17/2010

Russia has delivered the last of six contracted Su fighter jets to Indonesia, a Russian Defense Ministry source said on Thursday. It added that the Russia's An-124 transport plane delivered the Su-27SKM plane to the air base in the city of Makassar in Indonesia's South Sulawesi province earlier in the day.

Fruit picker jailed for shining laser pen into RAF fighter pilot's eyes

09/17/2010

A Romanian fruit picker who admitted endangering an RAF fighter jet by shining a laser into the pilot's eyes was jailed for four months.

Uncertainty, Challenges Mark Future For Military’s Unpiloted Aircraft

09/17/2010

Air commanders often quote five-star Army, and later, Air Force Gen. Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, who on V-J Day 1945 proclaimed that “the next war may be fought by airplanes with no men in them at all.”

Israel to purchase US F-35 stealth fighters: government

09/17/2010

The Israeli government said Thursday it had given final approval to the purchase of F-35 stealth fighter jets from the United States, in one of the Jewish state's largest-ever arms purchases.

Boeing Wins DARPA Vulture II Program

09/17/2010

The Boeing Company on Sept. 14 signed an agreement with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and fly the SolarEagle unmanned aircraft for the Vulture II demonstration program. Under the terms of the $89 million contract, SolarEagle will make its first demonstration flight in 2014.

Four Russian strategic bombers complete patrol in Far East

09/17/2010

Four Russian Tu-95MS Bear H strategic bombers have successfully completed an air-patrol mission in Russia's Far East, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

India Plans to Buy Russian Military Helicopters

09/16/2010

India plans to purchase 139 military helicopters worth €1.5bn ($1.9bn) from Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport.

Kyrgyzstan agrees to keep rent for Russian bases unchanged

09/16/2010

Kyrgyzstan will not increase the rent for Russian military facilities on its territory and wants to continue receiving payments in the form of military assistance, the Kyrgyz defense minister said on Thursday.

RAF under fire as battle for shrinking defence budget turns vicious

09/16/2010

The official start of commemorations of the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain yesterday was an occasion of poignancy and pride with the Prime Minister meeting the pilots who saved Britain in her darkest hour. But even as the celebrations got under way the RAF faces a struggle for survival in the face of savage military cuts.

Portugal joins KC-390 program

09/15/2010

Portugal and Brazil have signed a Declaration of Intent for Portugal's participation in the development of Embraer's KC-390 military transport.

EADS touts tanker's boom, cost per gallon of fuel delivered

09/15/2010

EADS North America's proposed KC-45 aircraft recently became the only entrant in the Air Force's aerial refueling tanker competition to show it satisfies the Air Force's requirement to offload fuel at 1,200 gallons per minute through its boom, the company said Tuesday.

Russian aircraft carrier readies for training mission

09/15/2010

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, has left a dry dock after scheduled repairs and is getting ready for a training mission in the Barents Sea, the Northern Fleet said in a statement.

Future missile system for Gripen

09/14/2010

The integration means that Meteor will be adapted to other Gripen systems, such as the radar and displays. The order includes test flights and test firing, as well as the integration of Meteor with support and maintenance systems such as simulators and planning computers. The Swedish Gripen C/D aircraft will also have a two-way datalink for communication between the aircraft and the missile once it has been fired.

US Air Force takes 'cautious' approach to new bomber

09/14/2010

The US military remains committed to building a new long-range bomber but will take a "cautious" approach to avoid costly disasters from past weapons programs, the Air Force's top official said Monday.

Argentina in talks with Embraer over military plane

09/14/2010

Argentina could soon join with other countries in the region to help develop a military transport plane built by Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer, a defense ministry spokesman said on Monday.

C-5M Sports New Super Galaxy Tail Flash

09/14/2010

Lockheed Martin’s first production C-5M Super Galaxy sports a newly painted tail flash at the plant here.

Lockheed Martin Continues To Meet And Exceed F-22 Raptor Production And Delivery Schedule

09/14/2010

Lockheed Martin continues to meet and exceed the production and delivery schedule for the F-22 Raptor, with 86 straight aircraft delivered on or ahead of schedule to the U.S. Air Force. To date, the company has delivered 166 production F-22s, including 13 this year.

Saudi Arms Deal Advances

09/13/2010

The Obama administration is set to notify Congress of plans to offer advanced aircraft to Saudi Arabia worth up to $60 billion, the largest U.S. arms deal ever, and is in talks with the kingdom about potential naval and missile-defense upgrades that could be worth tens of billions of dollars more.

Australia, China inspect fighter jets

09/13/2010

Australia and China have played show-and-tell with their jet fighter aircraft ... in a gesture of transparency.

Eurofighter offers Typhoon for Polish air force

09/13/2010

The Eurofighter consortium has made its debut appearance at Poland’s International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, with the Typhoon being promoted as a potential replacement for the nation’s RSK MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-22M4 strike aircraft.

UK May Borrow F-18s For Carriers; F-35Bs May Be Scrapped

09/13/2010

Britain’s Conservative government, faced with enormous deficits, may launch its Queen Elizabeth class carriers without airplanes to put on them as it considers early retirement for its Harrier jump jets.

UAE May Ditch Rafale

09/13/2010

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested technical information on the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, a surprise move that turns an anticipated order of Dassault Rafales into a $10 billion competition, an Arabian Gulf defense source said.