Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing Sees Two-Year Wait for World's Biggest Fighter Jet Deal

06/23/2018

It could be another two years before India picks the winner of the world’s biggest combat aircraft order, according to a senior Boeing Co. executive. Boeing is well placed in the race to supply the Indian Air Force with 110 fighter jets, Gene Cunningham, Boeing vice president of global defense sales, told Bloomberg News on Sunday on the sidelines of a security forum in Singapore. The company is a finalist in a separate competition to supply the Indian navy with 57 fighter jets.

Suspected Chinese lasers target US aircraft over the Pacific, US military source says

06/23/2018

Lasers have been used to target US aerial operations in the Pacific, with 20 incidents recorded since September of last year, according to a US military official. The military spokeswoman, who requested not to be named, told CNN that lasers had been flashed at US aircraft, and that the sources of these flashes are suspected to be Chinese. The latest incident occurred within the last two weeks, the official said.

A-29 Super Tucano crashes during light attack experiment

06/23/2018

A Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano crashed in New Mexico on 22 June while participating in a month-old light attack experiment, a US Air Force spokesman confirms. Both USAF crew members ejected during the 11:45am incident and one crew member sustained minor injuries. No information on the status of the second crew member was available as of 6:25 pm in New Mexico on 22 June.

USAF proposes MOAB-sized bomb carriage for B-52H wings

06/23/2018

In addition to making the Boeing B-52H more fuel efficient and sophisticated, the US Air Force’s ongoing makeover project also aims to make the pride of Gen Curtis LeMay’s Cold War-era bomber fleet more destructive.

OPINION: Farley's lessons will live on with F-35B

06/23/2018

Mentioning the name John Farley evokes memories of a time when the UK’s aerospace industry was able to produce a succession of jet fighters – albeit sometimes of variable quality. As our obituary piece details, Farley was inspired to join the Royal Air Force and subsequently become a test pilot when, as a child, he saw a Graf Zeppelin pass gracefully – and probably menacingly – over Hastings.

Kongsberg nears end of JSM development activity

06/23/2018

Kongsberg's Joint Strike Missile is in the last stages of its qualification process, with development activities due to be completed this autumn. Integration onto the Lockheed Martin F-35A for the Royal Norwegian Air Force will take place with the Block 4 software update, says the nation's defence ministry, achieving full operational capability by 2025.

Air Force tests two turboprops as potential A-10 “replacements

06/20/2018

The US Air Force has kicked off the procurement for another round of wing replacements for A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, known affectionately by many as the Warthog. With new wings, the A-10s will help fill a gap left by the delayed volume delivery of F-35A fighters, which were intended to take over the A-10's close air support (CAS) role in "contested environments"—places where enemy aircraft or modern air defenses would pose a threat to supporting aircraft.

UK’s deal with Turkey on TF-X fighter jet deal faces trouble - analysis

06/20/2018

After months of delicate diplomacy, the UK’s alleged partnership with Turkey to build a fifth generation fighter jet, has run into trouble, says the Financial Times. The article published on Monday recalls initial concerns about the management of intellectual property raised this year by Rolls-Royce, the British aero-engine group that has been working with Turkish industrial giant Kale to bid for the engine development contract on what is set to become Turkey’s first indigenous combat aircraft.

USAF set to begin dual mode ramjet design for hypersonic vehicle

06/20/2018

The US Air Force has set plans to begin the competitive phase of a plan to develop a dual mode ramjet for a new class of missiles and aircraft with top speeds over Mach 3. Two contract awards worth a total of $10 million for design and testing of a dual mode ramjet are now anticipated, the USAF’s Air Force Research Laboratory says in a notice dated 8 June.

US lawmakers intensify efforts to block F-35 delivery to Turkey

06/20/2018

Moves by the US Senate and members of the House of Representatives to block the delivery of the Lockheed Martin F-35 to Turkey have intensified, increasing tensions with Ankara. The US Senate passed the 2019 National Defense Authorisation Act on 18 June with a clause that would stop the delivery of the F-35 to Turkey.

America's F-22 Raptor Is the Best Fighter In the World (But France 'Shot' One Down)

06/19/2018

Eight times during a two-week war game in Alaska, individual German Typhoons flew against single F-22s in basic fighter maneuvers meant to simulate close-range dogfights. “We were evenly matched,” German Maj. Marc Gruene told Combat Aircraft. Past evidence seems to confirms that a French fighter pilot once “killed” an American F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in mock combat.

In Praise Of The Harrier, The Underappreciated Jet Marines Really Want In A War

06/19/2018

Since the United States and coalition partners began its anti-ISIS mission in 2014, the Middle East’s skies have become crowded with the very best in modern air power. The air is full of flashy fourth-generation fighters (like the Air Force’s F-15s and F-16s and the Navy’s F/A-18E/Fs), and newer fifth-generation fighters (like the F-22).

Thai F-5s to fight on with IRIS-T missiles

06/19/2018

The Royal Thai Air Force is to arm its Northrop F-5 fighters with IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missiles, following the signature of a repeat order with German manufacturer Diehl Defence. Noting that Bangkok has previously acquired the infrared-guided weapon for its Saab Gripen fighters and also subsequently its Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet, Diehl Defence notes: "The new procurement plans to integrate the missile onto the F-5, making IRIS-T a standard armament of the Royal Thai Air Force."

IAF not keen on getting more Sukhoi fighter jets

06/14/2018

At a time when the Russians have offered to sell 40 more Sukhoi-30 combat aircraft to India, it seems that the Air Force is not keen to add more of these heavy weight and expensive to maintain fighter jets in its inventory. The Indian Air Force (IAF) already has more than 220 of these Russian planes in its fleet and has plans of inducting all the 272 planes ordered by it over the years by the end of 2020.

Russia’s Electronic Warfare Advances Offers Stealth Capability for Fighter Aircraft

06/14/2018

An underlying driver in the reform of the Russian Armed Forces, first initiated in the fall of 2009, has proved to be the adoption and adaption of “command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” capabilities to offer conventional options against a high-technology adversary. A key factor in the introduction of a Russian variant of the concept of network-centric warfare is the complete overhaul and modernization of its Electronic Warfare inventory.

Raytheon to develop new F-35 Distributed Aperture System

06/14/2018

Lockheed Martin awarded Raytheon a contract to develop the F-35 Lightning II’s next generation Distribute Aperture System (DAS). The (DAS) was previously manufactured by Northrop Grumman, which decided not to bid on the next generation system, saying it wasn’t an attractive business deal. Lockheed did not disclose the terms or the amount of the contract in its announcement on 13 June.

Iraq receives new batch of T-50 jet fighters from South Korea

06/13/2018

A new batch of the T-50 jet fighters arrived Wednesday in Iraq coming from South Korea to help in the fight against Islamic State (IS). In a brief statement, the Iraqi Air Force said, “a new six-jet batch of T-50 has arrived in Iraq.” Last year, Iraq said it will receive 24 T-50 (Golden Eagle) fighter jets from South Korea as part of an agreement signed in 2013.

Grounded bombers and another fighter crash on Sunday night: When will the Defense Department admit there’s a problem?

06/13/2018

A routine training flight off the coast of the Japanese island of Okinawa ended in yet another U.S. military aviation disaster on Sunday night, as a U.S. Air Force F-15 went down for unspecified reasons. The pilot was able to eject and was recovered in a search and rescue operation; he is currently listed in critical condition. “We have been notified that the pilot is in serious condition. Our hearts and prayers go to the pilot and his family as they go through this difficult time,” read a state

Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter-jet program reaches milestone

06/13/2018

Over the years, adjectives such as controversial and expensive have been used to describe Lockheed Martin's F-35 program. But while those concerns may have merit, the air defense company's Fort Worth plant nonetheless continues to crank out the stealth fighter aircraft at what has become a steady pace.

State Department approves sale of six AH-64E Apaches to India

06/13/2018

The State Department approved a possible direct commercial sale of six Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters to India for an estimated cost of $930 million on 12 June. Included in the sale are 14 GE Aviation T700-GE-701D engines; four Northrop Grumman APG-78 fire control radars; 180 Lockheed AGM-114 Hellfire missiles; and 200 Raytheon Stinger missiles, among other weapons and subsystems.

Aero Vodochody and IAI pitch revamped L-159 for OA-X need

06/13/2018

Aero Vodochody and its new partner Israel Aerospace Industries are making a late bid to be selected for the US Air Force’s OA-X close air support programme with an advanced version of the L-159 they say could be ready for delivery from 2020.

PICTURES: NATO allies hone personnel recovery skills

06/13/2018

Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from seven NATO and Partnership for Peace countries took part in a major multinational personnel recovery exercise that concluded in Europe earlier this month. Running from 22 May until 6 June, the air-centric personnel recovery operators course (APROC) event was hosted by the Netherlands Defence Helicopter Command, and involved almost 600 participants from a total of 12 nations.

Qatar picks Sniper pod for Rafale fleet

06/12/2018

Qatar's future fleet of Dassault Rafale fighters will be equipped with Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting pods, the US company has announced. "Pod deliveries to the Qatar Emiri Air Force will begin in 2019," says Lockheed. "Integration efforts are ongoing, with flight tests currently in progress."

Beware, North Korea: South Korea's Air Force Is Ready for War

06/11/2018

The backbone of the ROKAF is its fighter force. The most numerous type in service is the Northrop F-5E Tiger II. The F-5 was a mainstay of the ROKAF for many years, beginning in the 1970s when F-5As and F-5Bs were exported to South Korea. The current stock of F-5Es and F-5Fs (dual seat variant) came later, and featured a new fuselage, a radar, and better engines compared to the F-5A/B. F-5As and Bs were retired from Korean service as the F-16 was adopted.

F-35 jet imbroglio between the U.S. and Turkey

06/10/2018

As tensions between the United States and Turkey simmer, though unlikely to boil over before June 24 Turkish presidential and parliamentary elections, debate over the delivery of U.S. F-35 advanced combat aircraft to Turkey is becoming a measure of the relationship between the NATO allies.