Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

IDF trying to boost China ties ahead of Iran sanctions vote

04/02/2010

The head of the army's Planning Directorate, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, will make an official visit to China next week to meet senior officials in the defense establishment there. Eshel, who is in charge of strategic planning and foreign affairs for the Israel Defense Forces, is hoping to present the Chinese with Israel's view on Iran's drive toward nuclear military capability.

Pratt & Whitney Presses Congress To Make it Sole Provider Of Engines For F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

04/02/2010

Underscoring Pratt & Whitney's determination to be the only engine provider for the Joint Strike Fighter, company President David Hess said Wednesday that he has made it a priority to personally lobby Congress to kill off Pratt's sole competitor.

Even greater protection for the Rafale thanks to DDM NG missile detector

04/02/2010

The DDM NG (Détecteur De Missile de Nouvelle Génération) missile detector has delivered its first in-flight images. As of 2012, the system will be available on the Rafale.

The Future of the Russian Air Force: 10 Years On

04/01/2010

The Russian Defense Ministry plans to overhaul its air force fleet. According to various media reports, the Ministry wants to buy at least 1,500 aircraft, including 350 new warplanes, by 2020. The fleet would include 70 per cent new equipment at that point, said Air Force Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Alexander Zelin.

Indian Air Force to Deploy New Cruise Missile

04/01/2010

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy the new BrahMos air-to-ground supersonic cruise missile in the coming years, local media reported on Tuesday.

US Navy plane crashes in Arabian Sea

04/01/2010

A U.S. Navy aircraft crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Wednesday and one of the four crew members was missing, the military said.

India tests prototype helicopter gunship

04/01/2010

More than a decade after India felt the need for modern attack choppers, during the Kargil conflict, the country on Monday flew its first prototype of a home-grown helicopter gunship designed for high-altitude battlefields.

US Navy Wants to Field Cyber-Attack System

04/01/2010

In 2018, the U.S. Navy hopes to take a major step toward fielding a cyber-attack system on a tactically survivable, fighter-size aircraft.

Chicago, Illinois U.S. Aircraft Maker May Have Inside Track For Air Force Tanker

04/01/2010

The U.S. Air Force has been trying for years to find a suitable replacement for its fleet of tankers that refuel military aircraft in flight.

NAF Receives Aircraft for Maritime Surveillance

04/01/2010

THE second ART-42 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (NAF 931) purchased by the Federal Government for the surveillance of the nation's maritime and coastal region was yesterday delivered to the 81, Air Maritime Group in Benin.

Military Teaches Warthog to Guzzle Biofuel

04/01/2010

The U.S. military has successfully tested out a biofuel system for a "Warthog" A10 Thunderbolt II, one of the most feared combat aircraft in the World. Which is now fluffily green.

Lockheed Martin Successfully Tests Joint Air-To-Ground Missile (JAGM) Tri-Mode Seeker

04/01/2010

Lockheed Martin has successfully completed a wide-ranging series of tests on the multi-mode seeker for its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) system. JAGM will provide a precision, adverse weather, low-collateral-damage weapon to rotary- and fixed-wing pilots, as well as the unmanned aerial system community.

During Obama-Netanyahu White House meeting, U.S. and Israel were sealing different deal

03/31/2010

Obama administration defense officials were said to have approved the sale U.S. military aircraft to Israel at the same time political tensions between President Barack Obama and Israel's conservative leader neared the boiling point at a White House meeting.

As missions are added, Stratcom commander keeps focus on deterrence

03/31/2010

"We continue to strengthen and sharpen our focus on deterrence while at the same time preserving our freedom of action in space and cyberspace," Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, head of Strategic Command (Stratcom), said in last week's appearance before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

U.S. Air Force eyes "more modest" new weapons

03/31/2010

The Air Force is moving forward with a new rescue helicopter program that was canceled last year and working on details of a new long-range strike program, but both programs will clearly be more modest than initially expected, the service's top Force general said.

Germany Weighs ‘Slight’ Reduction in A400M Orders

03/31/2010

Germany may make a “slight” cut in its order of 60 A400M military transporters and take delivery of the planes without their ability to perform automated low- flight maneuvers, a defense ministry official said.

Pentagon eyeing drone shift to aid Somalia

03/31/2010

The Pentagon is considering dispatching surveillance drones and other limited military support for a Somali government offensive against al-Qaida-linked insurgents, U.S. officials said, part of a cautious move to increase U.S. assistance to the anarchic African nation.

Making a Killing: US-NATO Fuel New Arms Race in the Middle East

03/31/2010

The Middle East, a byword for political instability and conflict, is witnessing a renewed arms race, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The region, already armed to the teeth, is in a process of upgrading its military systems with the latest hardware in fighter aircraft and surface-to-air missiles.

U.S. Navy Seeks ISR, Strike UAVs

03/30/2010

Industry players have until early May to respond to a U.S. Navy request for information (RFI) for a carrier-based, stealthy, unmanned, strike and surveillance system capable of integrating with manned aircraft as part of a carrier air wing by 2018.

U.K. Cuts Airbus A400M Order, Will Take Part in Loan (Correct)

03/30/2010

The U.K. will take as many as three fewer Airbus A400M military transport planes than it originally ordered after the program’s costs increased, the country’s defense secretary said.

Military Retrains Crews of Unmanned Drones in War Zones

03/30/2010

The U.S. military is starting to put as much emphasis on unmanned drones as it does on traditional piloted aircraft, and as a result is changing the way it trains flight crews.

U.S. hopes to give Pakistan drones within a year

03/30/2010

The Pentagon aims to deliver a fleet of surveillance drones to Pakistan within a year, but weaponized versions of the unmanned aircraft are still off-limits, a U.S. military official said on Monday.

V-22 Osprey can do more, Washington think tank says

03/30/2010

“After a long wait, the joint force is growing accustomed to using the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor in operational missions. However, it will probably take a good deal longer before Osprey missions become routine, because no military force has ever before possessed a combat aircraft that combines the speed and range of a fixed-wing plane with the vertical agility of a helicopter.

Lockheed Martin’s DAGR Guided Rocket Fires Successfully From Kiowa Warrior Helicopter

03/30/2010

Lockheed Martin hit the target in two tests featuring DAGR guided rockets launched from an airborne OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter. This is the fourth aircraft DAGR has fired from in the past year—prior platforms include the AH-64D Apache and the AH-6 Little Bird.

Airbus to decide on US tanker bid in 2-3 weeks

03/29/2010

European plane-maker Airbus will decide in two to three weeks whether to compete for a US military contract to build an aerial refuelling tanker, its chief said in an interview published Monday.