Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Turkey mulling Russia’s proposal for Su-35 jets - Yeni Safak

08/11/2019

The Turkish defence procurement authority has asked the Turkish military to formally weigh in on the possible purchase of Russian Su-35 jets and will start official negotiations with Rosoboronexport if the military approves the proposal, pro-government daily Yeni Safak reported on Saturday.

Agreement reached to postpone Turkish incursion into Syria

08/08/2019

The United States persuaded Turkey to forestall its planned invasion of Syria, the U.S. embassy in Ankara announced on Wednesday. The embassy statement said that U.S. and Turkish military delegations met this week at the Turkish Defense Ministry in Ankara and agreed to "discuss plans to coordinate establishment of a safe zone in northern Syria."

British fighters intercept five Russian planes over Baltic Sea

08/08/2019

Eurofighter Typhoons, the British RAF fighter jets intercepted Russian combat airplanes over the Baltic Sea; the Russian aircraft went for another provocative act in Europe. According to BBC, on Monday, the fighter jets intercepted a Russian Antonov AN-26 “Curl” transport aircraft. Following this and on the same mission, the fighters later diverted to intercept a Russian TU-142 “Bear” Bomber and two SU-27B “Flanker” fighters. The planes approached the airspace of Lithuania.

The pilot shortage: The Army’s struggle to fix its aviation problems

08/08/2019

Despite years of attempts to address the problem, the Army is struggling to deal with a shortage of about 700 pilots, a persistent manpower problem that could impact the readiness of the entire force. Two years ago, the head of Army aviation told lawmakers that the Army was grappling with a hole in its warrant officer corps ? 731 pilots at the time ? and said the Army would tackle the problem through recruiting efforts, increasing seats at training schools and an aggressive push to retain seaso

Lockheed Martin F-35 sends target data to US Army missile control

08/08/2019

Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force (USAF) integrated the F-35 Lightning II’s target tracking data with the US Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS), an important milestone for the stealth aircraft's ability to act as an elevated sensor.

Japan’s F-35A Fighter Jets Resume Flight Operations

08/07/2019

The Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced last week that the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has resumed training flights of its fifth-generation Lockheed Martin Lightning II F-35A Joint Strike Fighters as of August 1. Following the crash of a JASDF F-35A into the Pacific Ocean off northern Japan on April 9, the service’s entire fleet of 12 Joint Strike Fighters was grounded pending an investigation into the causes of the accident.

Raytheon delivers Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pod to US Navy

08/07/2019

Raytheon delivered the first Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) pod to the US Navy (USN) for the service to begin ground and aircraft integration testing. The jamming pod is the first of 15 EMD pods to be delivered to the USN for mission systems testing and qualification on the Boeing EA-18G Growler, the service’s carrier-based electronic warfare aircraft, Raytheon says.

ANALYSIS: F-35's next engine to reach for more range

08/07/2019

One criticism – among many – of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is that the fighter lacks the range needed to conduct long-range stealth strike missions. While Lockheed Martin has studied adding external fuel tanks to extend the aircraft's range, slinging the bulky hardware under the F-35 would ruin its minimal radar cross section, giving away the stealth fighter's chief advantage.

Northrop Grumman scramjet engine produces record thrust in test

08/06/2019

A scramjet engine made by Northrop Grumman set a record for the highest thrust produced by an air-breathing hypersonic engine in US Air Force history. Ground tests of the 5.5m (18ft)-long engine were conducted by US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Air Force Test Center staff at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee.

Lockheed gets production contract for Slovak F-16s

08/06/2019

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Lockheed Martin an $800 million contract linked to the production and future support of 14 F-16V Block 70 fighters for Slovakia. Work under the contract will be completed by January 2024, the DoD said on 31 July, with the deal made via the US Foreign Military Sales mechanism.

How America Would Win a War Against Russia or China (Think F-35s and More)

08/02/2019

If land-based precision artillery, maneuvering Air Force fighter jets and Navy destroyers were all able to seamlessly share sensitive targeting information in real time during high-intensity combat, the Pentagon would be closely approaching its currently-envisioned concept of modern joint multi-domain warfare.

Northern Strike 19 fosters Michigan-Latvia cooperation

08/02/2019

In Michigan's 26-year defense cooperation with Latvia under the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program (SPP), a defining area of collaboration has been the Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) program. The latest chapter in this story of cross-cultural teamwork is being written at Grayling Air Gunnery Range, Michigan, July 22 - Aug. 2 during exercise Northern Strike 19, with a visiting team of qualified Range Control Officers from Adazi Military Base, Latvia.

Fighter Jet Crashes in ‘Star Wars’ Canyon, Killing Pilot

08/02/2019

Fighter jets on training missions drop into a narrow canyon in California’s Death Valley National Park, banking and dodging the jagged walls. On a nearby overlook, tourists and aviation enthusiasts crane their necks or aim cameras at the jets, some of them so close that onlookers can glimpse into cockpits.

Germany picks NH90 to replace Sea Lynx

08/02/2019

Germany has selected the NH Industries NH90 as the replacement for its navy's 21-strong fleet of Westland Sea Lynx 88A anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. Due to be delivered from 2025, Berlin will take a version of the NFH model, which is closest to the "Caiman" ASW variant operated by France, the country's defence ministry says.

Aero Vodochody shifts L-39NG certification plan

08/02/2019

Aero Vodochody has transformed its certification plan for the L-39NG, and is now seeking to clear the type for delivery in a full trainer configuration during the third quarter of 2020. It had previously been working towards securing approval for a basic standard before the end of this year.

EJ200 trial to accelerate UK hypersonics research

08/01/2019

A Rolls-Royce (R-R)-led team is to conduct a two-year study into hypersonic propulsion systems for the UK Ministry of Defence, with the technology demonstration linked to its Project Tempest future combat air system activity.

Fighter variant of M-346 secures launch deal

08/01/2019

Leonardo has secured a launch order for six examples of the M-346FA – the fighter attack variant of its advanced jet trainer – from a major "international customer". Speaking on a half-year results call on 30 July, Leonardo chief executive Alessandro Profumo said the deal was signed during the last month.

Here’s Everything We Know About The Alleged Israeli Air Force F-35 Air Strike on an Iranian Base in Iraq

07/31/2019

On July 19 and again on Jul. 28, the Israeli Air Force carried out air strikes on Iranian warehouses storing arms and missiles at Camp Ashraf, north-east of Baghdad, in Iraq. What is more, during the first raid, the base was struck by an F-35I Adir stealth jet. This is what Israeli media outlets are reporting after the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat broke the news, citing Western diplomats, on Jul. 30.

India, Russia sign Rs 1,500 crore deal for air-to-air missiles to be used by Su-30

07/31/2019

Boosting its capabilities in beyond visual range warfare, India has signed a deal worth around Rs 1,500 crore to acquire R-27 air-to-air missiles from Russia to be equipped on the Su-30MKI combat aircraft. "A contract has been signed with Russia for the acquisition of R-27 air-to-air missile to be fitted on the Su-30MKI combat aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force," government sources told ANI here.

RAF targets April 2020 for maritime patrol resumption

07/31/2019

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is on track to restore its lapsed maritime patrol aircraft capability within the next nine months, according to Air Commodore Rich Barrow, senior responsible owner for the service’s Boeing P-8 and E-7 acquisitions.

UK details Reaper transition plan as Protector advances

07/31/2019

The UK is planning to achieve a seamless transition in its delivery of unmanned surveillance services from the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator to the company's more capable Protector RG1 by 2024, with flight testing of the new model now gathering pace.

Bulgarian parliament clears F-16V buy for second time

07/31/2019

Bulgaria's on-off acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-16V appears to be proceeding again after the country's parliament overturned a presidential veto of the $1.26 billion deal. On 23 July, President Rumen Radev stopped the procurement – the country's largest since the fall of Communism – arguing that there was no "consensus" over the eight-aircraft purchase and that the process had been rushed through parliament.

One Pilot Died after two Ukrainian Ilyushin Il-76TD Cargo Aircraft were Destroyed in Libya

07/30/2019

According to Avia.pro, two Ukrainian Il-76TD cargo aircraft were destroyed on Al Jufra Airbase in Libya, after rocket attacks carried out on the airfield under control of the Libyan National Army. Earlier, unconfirmed news reported that the aircraft were destroyed after multiple Libyan Air Force drone attacks on Al Jufra Airbase conducted by means of a Turkish-built Bayraktar TB2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) which was instead shot down.

Test 461: When NASA Tested The Aerodynamic Effects of Adding External Stores to the F-117 Nighthawk

07/30/2019

The iconic Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk was a U.S. Air Force single-seat, twin-engine, stealth attack aircraft that was developed by Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works division. The first prototype (YF-117A), developed around the Have Blue Proof of Concept demonstrator, made its maiden flight on Jun. 18, 1981 and entered active service in 1983, even though the USAF denied and covered the existence of the aircraft until November 1988. 64 F-117s were built, 59 of those were production jets.

Why North Korea Fears the F-35 Stealth Fighter

07/30/2019

Pyongyang hasn’t made its opposition to the combat aircraft delivery a secret. On July 11, about two weeks before the launch, an unnamed official in the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s Institute for American Studies lambasted Seoul’s purchase of the F-35 as an “extremely dangerous action” requiring countermeasures from the North.