Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

‘A C-130 literally just dropped out of the sky’: A deadly plane crash stuns drivers in Savannah

05/04/2018

The C-130 Hercules is like the ancient elephant of the modern Air Force — huge, strong and put to almost endless uses. Since the 1950s, the planes have hauled massive cargo loads to war zones, been converted into gunships and bombers, and been packed with electronics to hunt for hurricanes. And like the old war elephants, when a C-130 falls, it goes down hard.

China upped the ante by installing missiles at key South China Sea outposts. Warplanes are likely next

05/04/2018

Beijing has upped the ante with its latest deployment of anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems to fortified outposts in the hotly contested waters of the South China Sea. And it means China will likely soon send warplanes to the area, too, according to an expert on the region.

USAF selects three bases to station the future B-21 fleet

05/04/2018

The US Air Force plans to station its future Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider fleet at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota; and Whiteman AFB, Missouri starting in the mid-2020s.

Autonomous refueling considered for KC-46A upgrade plan

05/04/2018

Although the delivery of the first KC-46A Pegasus is still months away, Boeing is about to launch a follow-on development programme, with potential upgrades including autonomous refueling, improved survivability and new communications systems, says the company’s programme manager.

USAF teaching dogfighting to small autonomous drones

05/04/2018

The US Air Force Academy is attempting to teach autonomous unmanned air vehicles when to perform combat manoeuvres used by fighter pilots to counter potential swarms of adversarial UAVs.

Let's Talk About This Rumor That Israeli F-15s Mimicked US Jets To Strike At Iran In Syria

05/02/2018

Days after an intense volley of strikes targeting Iran’s military activities in Syria, new information about the Israeli operation continues to trickle out, though many details remain uncertain. Now, a new rumor has emerged on social media claiming that Israel’s F-15I Ra'am multi-role combat aircraft were able to get close to their targets without raising the alarm by using the same transponder codes as U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles and taking a circuitous route through Jordan and Iraq.

US plans to order up to 1,600 GBU-49 bombs for foreign F-35

05/02/2018

The US military plans to order 1,400 to 1,600 Raytheon GBU-49 Enhanced Paveway bombs in the fourth quarter to distribute to certain foreign customers of the Lockheed Martin F-35, according to an acquisition notice released on 30 April.

US approves AH-1Z attack helicopter sale to Bahrain

05/02/2018

The US Department of State has approved the possible sale of 12 Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters to Bahrain. Worth an estimated $911 million, including training and support services, the deal is being concluded under the Foreign Military Sales process.

F-35 Brains in an F-22 Body: Thinking Through Japan's Next-Generation Fighter Options

05/01/2018

The aviation world went bonkers early this week when news emerged that Lockheed Martin has proposed offering a hybrid of the F-22 and F-35 to Japan. The fighter, which would come in addition to the purchase of at least 60 F-35s, would combine elements of the two fighters to presumably produce one of the world’s most formidable combat aircraft.

The widening gap between Indian and Chinese air power

05/01/2018

As the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to undertake significant organizational and modernization reforms to build a military that is “built to fight,” in line with President Xi Jinping’s recent rhetoric at the 19th Party Congress, asymmetric inequalities between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) are set to widen.

US policy shift could open door for Israeli UAV sales

05/01/2018

Israeli manufacturers could benefit from a decision by Washington to ease restrictions on the US defence industry's sale of armed unmanned air vehicles, although they are likely to face increased competition.

U.S. Fighters for Taiwan

04/30/2018

Chinese bombers and warships conducted exercises near Taiwan this month, a show of force that officials in Beijing called a warning not to pursue formal independence. Last year the number of Chinese air patrols off Taiwan’s east coast quadrupled, and Beijing under President Xi Jinping has stepped up pressure on the island democracy to “reunify” with the motherland.

Koreas make nuclear pledge after historic summit

04/28/2018

The leaders of North and South Korea have agreed to work to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons, after holding a historic summit. The announcement was made by the North's Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in of South Korea after talks at the border. The two also agreed to push towards turning the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953 into a peace treaty this year.

Boeing completes final FAA test on KC-46 tanker programme

04/27/2018

Boeing’s KC-46 tanker programme completed all required supplemental type certificate (STC) flight tests for the US Federal Aviation Administration following a successful refueling and communications flight with a C-17. Boeing said on 26 April that it plans to now submit the resulting data and reports to the FAA for review.

Northrop Grumman to develop algorithms to counter fast-changing enemy radar

04/27/2018

Northrop Grumman will develop machine learning algorithms to help the Boeing EA-18G Growler’s electronic warfare system pin down and jam fast-changing enemy radar signals. Such machine learning algorithms would be needed “against agile, adaptive, and unknown hostile radars or radar modes,” according to the announcement of a $7.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract by the US Navy on 25 April.

US senators introduce bill to block F-35 delivery to Turkey

04/27/2018

A bi-partisan group of US senators introduced a bill on 26 April to prevent the transfer of the Lockheed Martin F-35A to Turkey. The bill would also block Turkey’s role as a maintenance depot for the aircraft, according to a press release issued by the senators. The bill was introduced on 26 April by Sen James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, Sen Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from New Hampshire, and Sen Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina.

Airbus and Dassault join forces to build next fighter aircraft

04/26/2018

Rivals Airbus and Dassault Aviation have struck a deal to develop and produce Europe's next generation of fighter aircraft. Franco-German Airbus is part of the consortium behind Eurofighter, while France's Dassault makes the Rafale jet. The two companies said their European Future Combat Air System (FCAS) would replace the existing planes by 2040.

F-35 deployment to Japan hit with sustainment problems

04/26/2018

Since the US Marine Corps’ deployment of the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan in January 2017 the aircraft has been hit with an assortment of sustainment problems.

ILA: Boeing unveils team for German Chinook bid

04/26/2018

Boeing has partnered with 10 aerospace suppliers that have operations in Germany to support its bid to supply CH-47 Chinooks for the nation’s heavy-lift helicopter competition. In addition to several German equipment and training specialist suppliers, the group includes CAE, Diehl Defence, Honeywell, Liebherr, Rockwell Collins and Rolls-Royce.

ILA: Eurofighter to upgrade Typhoon engine to lift sales

04/26/2018

Eurofighter will upgrade the engines and systems on its Typhoon combat aircraft as part of a bid to replace Germany’s fleet of Panavia Tornados and support efforts to sell additional aircraft to other European countries. On 24 April, Airbus and Eurofighter submitted to Germany’s defence ministry an offer to replace the nation's 90 Tornados, which are to be phased out from 2025.

Aero Vodochody and IAI to collaborate on advanced L-159

04/25/2018

Czech Republic-based Aero Vodochody and Israel Aerospace Industries are to develop and market an advanced version of the former's L-159 trainer and light attack aircraft. The partners will integrate a new avionics suite and "other solutions" onto the platform, as well as jointly marketing the Honeywell F124-GA-100-powered type.

China's aircraft carrier leads live combat drill in East China Sea

04/24/2018

The Chinese aircraft carrier formation, featuring the carrier Liaoning, held "live combat drill" in the East China Sea, state media reported early Tuesday. Te formation took part in anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare training with an "opposing force." said State-run Xinhua news agency.

Lockheed Martin to Propose 5th Gen F-22/F-35 Hybrid to Japan

04/24/2018

Late Friday, April 20, Reuters journalists Tim Kelly and Nobuhiro Kubo reported that Lockheed Martin will propose a new 5th generation low-observable (stealth) combat aircraft to Japan. According to Kelly and Kubo’s article, the two sources who provided the information to Reuters have direct knowledge of the upcoming proposal.

Iraq's An-32 Cargo Planes Turned Bombers Flew Nearly Twice As Many Strikes As its F-16s

04/24/2018

Following a recent strike its F-16IQ Viper multi-role jets flew against ISIS terrorists in neighboring Syria, the Iraqi Air Force has released a detailed infographic showing how many combat and combat support missions each of its aircraft types have flown over the past nearly four years. Of particular note is that the country’s An-32 cargo planes have conducted more airstrikes than either Iraq’s F-16s or its Aero L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft, or ALCA, light attack jets.

State Department clears $1.2 billion sale of Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawks to Mexico

04/24/2018

The US State Department cleared the possible sale of eight Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to Mexico for $1.2 billion on 19 April. The order also includes spare engines, radios and navigation equipment. Weapons and targeting equipment also included in the possible purchase are 1,000 SSQ-36/53/62 sonobuoys; 10 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles; 38 Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System II rockets; 30 Mk-54 lightweight hybrid torpedoes; 12 M-240D machine guns; and 12 GAU-21 machine guns.