Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Thais gear up for Gripen

02/01/2010

Training is underway at the Swedish Armed Forces Technical school in Halmstad and will continue until the end of the year. The technical training also includes a On the Job Training (OJT) part at the Swedish Air Force Wings F 7 in Såtenäs and F 17 in Ronneby. As part of their training, technicians spent time at Saab’s Gripen manufacturing hub in Linköping. The technicians’ training programme forms part of Thailand’s 2008 procurement contract for six Gripen fighter jets.

Boeing Begins In-country C-17 Pilot Training for Royal Australian Air Force

02/01/2010

Boeing and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) today welcomed the first class of C-17 Globemaster III student pilots at RAAF Base Amberley.

First Stealth Fighter Makes Test Flight

02/01/2010

A prototype of Russia’s first stealth fighter successfully completed its long-delayed maiden flight Friday, receiving a warm welcome from government officials who hope that the jet will become a new centerpiece for its aging air fleet.

IAF Pokhran blitz to showcase its firepower

02/01/2010

IAF is all set to conduct a high-voltage firepower exercise to showcase its `shock and awe' capabilities to both domestic as well as international audiences.

Boeing, HAVELSAN Install Simulator and Support Hardware for Turkey's Peace Eagle AEW&C Program

01/31/2010

The Boeing Company and industry supplier HAVELSAN announced today that they have completed installation of Mission Simulator and Mission Support Center hardware for Turkey's Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) program.

Purchase of U.S. F-16 jets and submarines still under discussion: Taiwan Premier

01/31/2010

The exclusion of F-16C/D jets and of submarines from the recent United States arms deal did not mean that those purchases would not go ahead, Premier Wu Den-yih said Sunday.

Draft Defense Department budget avoids weapons cuts, adds aircraft

01/31/2010

The Obama administration's 2011 defense budget avoids the controversial weapons cuts of last year, according to a draft copy, and continues to shift modest amounts of money to weapons programs such as helicopters, unmanned planes and Special Operations units that are in heavy use Afghanistan and Iraq.

A deal on the extra costs of Airbus’ A400M military transport edges closer

01/31/2010

The A400M is massively over budget and four years behind schedule and the aircraft manufacturer wants the seven governments who have ordered it to pay more.

Lockheed Strengthening Fuselage in Navy’s F-35 Model

01/30/2010

Lockheed Martin Corp. is fixing a structural weakness in the Navy version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that limits the jet’s ability to launch from aircraft carriers, according to a company spokesman.

Russia to start receiving fifth-generation fighters in 2013

01/30/2010

The first batch of Russian fifth-generation fighters will go into service in 2013, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.

French AWACS Leaves The 80s

01/30/2010

France is spending $300 million to upgrade its four E-3F AWACS (Air Warning And Control System) aircraft. The upgrade will replace ancient (mainframe based) computers with PC type networked hardware. This will enable regular upgrades with new processors and data storage equipment. New software will introduce a Windows type interface, and joysticks. This is similar to an upgrade performed on American AWACS. French AWACS will remain able to closely cooperate with E-3 type AWACS used by other natio

China Learns To Generate Lots Of Sorties

01/30/2010

As the Chinese Air Force puts an increasing number of modern combat aircraft into service, it has realized that it's logistical support services have to modernize as well. Logistics is essential if these modern aircraft (like the Su-30) can be kept in battle. To do that, these aircraft need large quantities of fuel, weapons, spare parts, and people who know how to get that stuff to where it is needed, and on time. The emphasis is on "generating sorties" (rearming and refueling modern fighters qu

Israel Aerospace Industries Presents Various New Technologies and Products at Singapore Air Show 2010

01/29/2010

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will present a wide variety of its advanced technologies and products at this year's Singapore Air Show, taking place from February 2nd – February 7th, 2010 at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

Boeing B-52 With CONECT Upgrade Accomplishes 1st Test Flight

01/29/2010

Boeing announced today that a B-52H upgraded with new communication technology successfully accomplished its first test flight at Edwards Air Force Base on Jan. 17. The Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade allows B-52H crews to receive and send real-time digital information during their missions.

Boeing Delivers Record Number of Apache Longbow Crew Trainers in 2009

01/29/2010

Boeing delivered a record five Apache Longbow Crew Trainers (LCTs) in 2009 -- more than in any previous year -- and all five have been declared "ready for training."

Taiwan's fighter jets too costly to maintain

01/29/2010

The United Arab Emirates Air Force is considering selling the Mirage 2000-9 jet fighters that it originally purchased from France, according to a UAE representative at the Dubai Air Show last November. The main reason, he said, was high maintenance costs.

U.S. military aircraft touches down in Bogota

01/29/2010

A United States aircraft landed at a military air base in Colombia on Thursday, with the intention that it will be used by the Colombian government to deliver aid to Haiti.

At Lockheed, Fighter-Jet Plan Looms Large

01/29/2010

Though Lockheed Martin Corp. has thousands of government contracts, none is more important to its future than the F-35 Lightning II, a fighter-jet program that will cost almost $300 billion to design, build and buy in the coming decades.

Russia optimistic about MIG-35's victory in Indian Air Force tender

01/29/2010

Russia on Thursday expressed optimism that the MiG-35 fighter jets fielded by it in the Indian Air Force's tender for acquisition of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) will prove an edge over its Western rivals and ultimately win the contract.

Combat Exercises Begin at Nellis Air Force Base

01/28/2010

The military says Nellis Air Force Base will host extra activity in coming days with combat training exercises being conducted over the Nevada desert.

Singapore Airshow taking place amidst aviation pickup

01/28/2010

The Singapore Airshow 2010, starting on February 2, will take place at a time when industry players are noticing a pickup in the aviation sector.

Boeing to Highlight Broad Range of Products and Services at Singapore Airshow

01/28/2010

The Boeing Company will highlight its broad range of commercial and defense products, technologies, and services during this year’s Singapore Airshow, which begins Feb. 2.

Russian "stealth" fighter to fly by end-Jan

01/28/2010

Russia will test fly by the end of January a new "fifth generation" stealth fighter that aims to challenge the United States for technical superiority, an aviation industry source told Reuters on Wednesday.

First U.K. Service Pilot Flies The Lockheed Martin F-35

01/28/2010

A Royal Air Force officer on Tuesday became the first active-duty service pilot from the United Kingdom to take to the skies in a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Libyan Minister Arrives for Arms Talks

01/27/2010

Libya's defense minister arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for talks that Russian media said could result in a $2 billion defense contract including 20 jets.