Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing A160T Unmanned Helicopter Flies With Foliage-Penetrating Radar in DARPA Tests

10/14/2009

The Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned helicopter successfully completed 20 test flights from Aug. 31 to Oct. 8 with the Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER). The tests, conducted at Fort Stewart, Ga., validated the radar-carrying A160T's flight characteristics with more than 50 hours of flying time.

Boeing Advanced Tactical Laser Strikes Moving Target in Test

10/14/2009

The Boeing Company and the U.S. Air Force on Sept. 19 damaged a moving ground vehicle from the air using the Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, completing ATL's first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a mobile target.

Two Irish military pilots reported missing in trainer crash

10/13/2009

A flight instructor and a trainee are considered missing following a combat trainer crash in Ireland on Monday, a local newspaper reported citing the country's Air Corps officials.

Kazakh Su-24 attack aircraft drops a bomb on residential area

10/13/2009

A Su-24 Fencer fighter-bomber has accidentally dropped a bomb on a house in southern Kazakhstan, which did not explode, Kazakh military prosecutors said.

Boeing Small Diameter Bomb II Successfully Engages Target in Flight Test

10/13/2009

The Boeing GBU-40 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) II team successfully concluded a 42-month risk reduction program on Sept. 29 with a flight test in which the weapon impacted its target.

Russia grounds cargo planes after accident

10/12/2009

The Russian air force has grounded its mainstay heavylift cargo planes following an accident in which an engine broke off the wing of one of the aircraft just before take off, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

PAF chief to attend F-16 ceremony in Texas

10/11/2009

Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman will leave for the United States in a few days to attend the Pakistan F-16 Peace Drive I inauguration ceremony and a luncheon at the Lockheed Martin aeronautics company, the manufacturers of the state-of-the-art aircraft.

Saudis Examine Major F-15 Purchase From US

10/10/2009

Saudi Arabia is the only Arab state contiguous to Israel to maintain a full state of war with Israel since 1948 without ever agreeing to any cease fire or peace treaty with the Jewish state. In the context of that war, the Saudi government has been negotiating for a new major order of the F-15 fighter jets from the United States.

India set to discuss overhaul of Su-30 fighter jets with Russia

10/10/2009

India will discuss the modernization of the Russian-made Su-30MKI aircraft in service with its air force during an upcoming military-technical cooperation meeting in Moscow, the country's Defense Ministry said on Friday.

DEVELOPMENT TYPHOON JOINS FRONT LINE FLEET

10/09/2009

After five years of developing capabilities for the RAF’s frontline Typhoons, BT005, a development aircraft based at BAE Systems Warton, will now transfer to RAF Coningsby to join its frontline colleagues.

Lockheed Martin Flies First 360-degree Infrared Sensor on Small Unmanned Aircraft System

10/09/2009

Lockheed Martin recently completed a successful test of a new infrared sensor turret aboard its Desert Hawk III Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), marking the first time a small UAS has flown with a 360-degree infrared sensor.

3rd Boeing C-17 Joins 12-Nation Strategic Airlift Capability Initiative

10/09/2009

The Boeing Company today delivered a third C-17 Globemaster III to the NATO Airlift Management Organization (NAMO) in support of NAMO's 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) initiative. The delivery, which took place at Boeing's final assembly facility in Long Beach, completes SAC's first fleet of the advanced airlifters.

Boeing AH-6i Light Attack/Reconnaissance Helicopter Makes 1st Flight

10/08/2009

Boeing today announced that the AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopter successfully completed its first flight on Sept. 16, seven months after the company started work on the prototype aircraft.

Saab delivers the perfect match to Brazil

10/06/2009

Saab has submitted an update on the proposal offering 36 Gripen Next Generation (NG) to the Brazilian Air Force. The offer consists of a cost-effective solution, a comprehensive Technology Transfer and a unique competitive partnership between Brazil and Sweden.

Boeing Receives Australian Industry Award for F-111 Support

10/05/2009

Boeing on Oct. 2 in Brisbane received an Engineering Excellence Award, Resource Development category, from the Queensland Division of Engineers Australia. The award from the state's top engineering organization recognizes Boeing Defence Australia's best practices in support of Australia's F-111 strike aircraft fleet.

Russia to showcase advanced weaponry at airshow in Libya

10/05/2009

Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Monday it will exhibit a wide range of aircraft, air defense systems and high-precision guided missiles at an airshow in Libya.

WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES TO SUPPORT AVAILABILITY OF TYPHOON AIRCRAFT ARE OPENED

10/03/2009

The opening of the Typhoon Support Centre and the Typhoon Maintenance Facility at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on 30th September 2009, marks the official start of the Typhoon Availability Service (TAS) for which BAE Systems will take a major role in ensuring the availability of the Typhoon fleet to meet its standing and operational commitments.

India wants to buy 50 more Su-30 fighters from Russia

10/03/2009

India wants to buy another 50 Sukhoi-30MKI multi-role fighters, an Indian daily reported on Friday. According to The Times of India, the 50 air-superiority fighters will come on top of the 230 already contracted from Russia in three deals worth a total of $8.5 billion.

Boeing Wideband Networking Waveform, Apache Demonstrate Future Force Interoperability

10/03/2009

Two Boeing programs, the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) and the AH-64 Apache, participated in a successful integrated capabilities event this summer at the U.S. Army's C4ISR On-The-Move (OTM) Event 09 at Fort Dix, N.J. For the first time during this large-scale exercise, Boeing flew a WNW-equipped Apache helicopter and demonstrated the Army's concept for networking the Future Force by transmitting data, voice and video communications between air and ground forces.

ATAK Team Announce T129 Maiden Flight

10/02/2009

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the ATAK Team, comprising Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI), Aselsan and AgustaWestland, has successfully performed the maiden flight of the first T129 prototype.

First G.222 delivery for Afghanistan

10/02/2009

On September 25, 2009 Alenia Aeronautica delivered at Capodichino the first of the 18 G.222 tactical airlifters ordered by the United States Air Force for the Afghan National Air Corps in September 2008.

Eurofighter: the Italian Air Force 4th Stormo reach 10,000 flight hours with the Eurofighter Typhoon

10/02/2009

The 4th Air Wing of the Italian Air Force have reached the key milestone of 10,000 flight hours with the Eurofighter Typhoon.

(K)DC-10 With Boeing-Modified Cockpit Completes Certification Flight Tests

10/02/2009

The Boeing Company announced today that a (K)DC-10 modified with Fokker Services and Boeing's Cockpit Upgrade Program (CUP) has completed a certification flight-test program that began in July 2008.

Russia tests Indian fighter jets on board its aircraft carrier

10/01/2009

Russia's MiG aircraft maker said on Tuesday it has successfully tested on board the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier four MiG-29 carrier-based fighter jets due to be delivered to India.

Lockheed Martin Delivers First Set Of P-3 Orion New Production Wings To Norway

10/01/2009

Lockheed Martin delivered the first set of new production P-3 Orion wings to the company’s launch customer, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, on Sept. 25. The milestone delivery ushers in a new era of P-3 life cycle sustainment.