Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Jakarta still seeking concessions on K-FX/I-FX costs

07/24/2019

Jakarta continues to press for concessions on the price of involvement in the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) K-FX/I-FX fighter programme. A recent report by Indonesia's official Antara news portal quotes government minister Wiranto as suggesting that the next payments be not in cash, but potentially a contra deal involving Indonesia-produced defence equipment.

Strained Russia, Ukraine ties slow Indian An-32 upgrades

07/24/2019

The upgrade of Indian air force Antonov An-32 tactical transports is well behind schedule and is only likely to be completed by 2025 - an eight year delay from the original plan. Indian defence minister Shripad Nayak has informed parliament that 55 aircraft have so far been upgraded to the An-32RE (re-equipped) standard.

South Korea fires warning shots at Russian military aircraft in its airspace

07/23/2019

The South Korean military fired two warning shots at a Russian military aircraft that entered South Korean airspace on Tuesday, the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul said, and Chinese military aircraft had also entered South Korean airspace. It was the first time a Russian military aircraft had violated South Korean airspace, a ministry official said.

US denounces Venezuela aircraft's 'unsafe approach'

07/23/2019

The United States military has accused a Venezuelan fighter aircraft of endangering the crew of a US navy plane in international airspace. The Venezuelan plane made an "unsafe approach" and "aggressively shadowed" the US reconnaissance aircraft over the Caribbean Sea, US Southern Command said on Sunday.

Beijing’s upgraded Su-35 fighter jets put through paces over South China Sea as ‘Sword of the South’ air brigade takes flight

07/23/2019

Pilots of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force have tested the sea warfare capabilities of their advanced Su-35 fighter jets over the South China Sea, state media reported. An air force brigade from Southern Theatre Command took part in the exercises after modifications to the Russian-built Sukhois, PLA Pictorial magazine said on Monday.

Venezuelan Su-30MKII Flanker “Aggressively Shadowed” a U.S. Navy EP-3E Over The Caribbean Sea

07/22/2019

The U.S. military has just released a series of four videos filmed by a U.S. Navy EP-3E ARIES II intercepted by a Venezuelan Air Force Su-30MKII Flanker in international airspace over the Caribbean Sea on Jul. 19, 2019. According to U.S. Southern Command, the Russian-built multirole aircraft “aggressively shadowed” the EP-3E aircraft, flying at an unsafe distance from the interlligence gathering aircraft “jeopardizing the crew and aircraft.”

Iran’s poking at West heightens risks of military miscalculation

07/22/2019

Rather than tangle with a stronger US military, Iran is poking and prodding its Western antagonists in ways apparently designed to avoid triggering war, but that nonetheless seem to heighten the risk of missteps and miscalculation that could lead to an armed conflict with global consequences.

Two Croatian Military Planes Intercept Israeli Aircraft Over Croatia

07/21/2019

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of July, 2019, a private Israeli business jet entered Croatian airspace from the direction of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the intent to cross over to Italy. ''A combat duo of the Croatian Air Force were engaged in the protection and surveillance of the airspace of the Republic of Croatia and successfully intercepted the aircraft,'' they said in a statement.

As more oil tankers seized, US putting troops back at Iran's doorstep

07/20/2019

Iran said it had seized a British oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday but denied Washington's assertion that the US Navy had downed one of its drones, as tensions in the Gulf region grew again. Britain said it was urgently seeking information about the Stena Impero tanker, which had been heading to a port in Saudi Arabia and suddenly changed course after passing through the strait at the mouth of the Gulf.

Tri services exercise with Russia this year to learn Syria lessons: Air Chief

07/20/2019

The armed forces are looking forward to learning from the experience of the Syria war with a large scale joint exercise planned with Russia later this year, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa has said. Describing Ex Indra 2019 – which will involve the air force, army and navy – as an `important experience’, the Air Chief said that the exercise will be themed around joint anti terrorism operations.

US Air Force flies HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter for first time

07/20/2019

A pilot with the US Air Force’s (USAF) 413th flight test squadron conducted the service’s first flight of a Sikorsky HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter on 11 July at Sikorsky’s Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida.

RIAT: Airbus unveils Bird of Prey concept

07/20/2019

Airbus has revealed a hybrid-electric 80-seat airliner design – with "feathered" wing and tail structures mimicking an eagle or falcon. However, the 1m (3ft)-long model, dubbed Bird of Prey, is unlikely to give too much away about the airframer's future developments in the commercial arena. It is "not intended to represent an actual aircraft concept". Instead, its purpose is to "inspire a new generation of aeronautical engineers".

RIAT: Airbus defence unit flies clear of A400M turbulence

07/20/2019

It has been a long time coming, but Europe's largest multinational military aircraft programme appears to be finally flying clear of the turbulence that has buffeted its progress over much of the past decade.

US shot down Iranian drone in Strait of Hormuz, says Trump

07/19/2019

President Donald Trump has said the US Navy shot down an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz. He said the USS Boxer amphibious assault ship "took defensive action" on Thursday after the drone came within about 1,000 yards (914m) of the vessel. Iran said it had no information about losing a drone. In June, Iran downed a US military drone in the area.

USA officially boots Turkey from F-35 programme

07/19/2019

The USA officially removed Turkey from the Joint Strike Fighter programme – the international effort to develop and manufacture the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter – less than a week after the country received shipments of the first components of Russia’s S-400 anti-aircraft missile battery.

The Invisible Anniversary Of The B-2 Bomber

07/18/2019

This week we’ll mark the 50th anniversary of the first men landing on the moon, a magnificent achievement that we still marvel at half a century later. Wednesday marked another anniversary in the annals of aerospace history that is less well known, but of significant consequence for the security of our nation—the 30th anniversary of the first flight of the B-2 stealth bomber aircraft on July 17, 1989.

RAF to develop hypersonic planes which could top speeds of more than 3,000mph to dodge missiles

07/18/2019

The RAF has set out plans that could see the production of hypersonic planes flying at more than 3000mph. The Ministry of Defence has announced it is investing £10 million to develop new hypersonic engines that could be used to power manned fighter jets and drones.

Moscow, Ankara may discuss fighter aircraft deal, says Russian deputy PM

07/18/2019

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov has said Moscow would consider signing an agreement for the sale of fighter aircraft to Turkey. The Russian Deputy Minister signalled a possible deal between the countries when responding to a question on whether Russia and Turkey could sign an agreement for combat aircraft, Euronews Turkish reported on Wednesday.

Lockheed Martin F-35 and F-22 to miss 80% mission capability rate

07/18/2019

Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis ordered the USAF and US Navy (USN) in September 2018 to increase mission capable rates for the F-35, F-22, F-16 and Boeing F/A-18 to more than 80% by the end of September 2019. The mission capability rate is defined as the percentage of a fleet of an aircraft that are able to perform at least one assigned mission over a period of time.

PICTURES: UK's second F-35B squadron arrives at Marham home

07/18/2019

Six Lockheed Martin F-35Bs assigned to the UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) 207 Sqn operational conversion unit touched down at the service’s Marham base in Norfolk on 16 July. The short take-off and vertical landing aircraft arrived at their new home following a 10h flight from the US Marine Corps’ MCAS Beaufort site in South Carolina. The deployment was supported by RAF Airbus A330 Voyager tanker/transports.

A Close Look At The Indian Air Force Su-30MKI Deployed To France for Garuda VI Exercise

07/17/2019

From Jul. 1 to 12, 2019, the Indian Air Force has deployed four Su-30MKI Flanker derivatives, belonging to the 15 Wing based at Bareily Air Force Station (AFS), along with an Il-78MKI Midas aerial refueler from the 78 Sqn, based at Agra AFS, to Mont-de-Marsan, France, as part of Exercise “Garuda IV”. A C-17 Globemaster III airlifter supported the deployment of 120 military that took part in the two-week drills in Europe, the largest joint exercise for the IAF this year.

Finland scrambles combat jets to identify three Russian military aircraft (Photo)

07/17/2019

Finland has scrambled its F/A-18 combat jets to identify three Russia military aircraft above the Gulf of Finland. "Finnish Air Force F/A-18s on #QRA [quick reaction alert] were scrambled on 15 July to identify Russian Tu-160, A-50 and Su-35 aircraft in international airspace above the Gulf of Finland and the northern part of the Baltic Sea," the Ukrainian-registered media outlet European Pravda reported, citing the Finnish Air Force's tweet.

Trump blames Turkey-F-35 dispute on Obama-era Patriot decision

07/17/2019

President Donald Trump blamed former President Barak Obama for Turkey’s decision to buy the S-400 missile system – a decision which has caused the USA to ban the sale of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to the country.

USAF starts construction of permanent F-35 base in Europe

07/17/2019

The US Air Force (USAF) and the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Defence Infrastructure Organisation broke ground during a ceremony on new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II infrastructure at RAF Lakenheath on 15 July.

Marshall, Boeing sign UK E-7 risk-reduction contract

07/17/2019

Boeing and the UK's Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group have signed a risk-reduction-phase contract linked to the latter's modification of five 737NGs for the Royal Air Force (RAF) E-7 airborne early warning and control system aircraft acquisition.