Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Forgotten Story of How the F-22 and F-35 Were Born

12/03/2017

On August 27, 1939, a stubby-winged airplane made of unpainted steel alloy took off over Germany and soared into history. Instead of a pointy propeller hub in the nose, the Heinkel 178 had an open-mouthed turbojet intake, making it the first operational jet-powered aircraft.

Israel strikes military site near Damascus, Syria's state-run news claims

12/03/2017

A military site near Damascus came under attack just after midnight Saturday by missiles from the Israeli military, according to the Syrian state-run SANA news agency and the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). Two of the surface-to-surface missiles launched were intercepted by Syrian air defense, but others caused material damage to the military site, sources told SANA. The Israeli military declined to comment on the incident when asked by CNN about the Syrian claim.

Lockheed Martin certificates slate of weapons for F-35

12/03/2017

Lockheed Martin has cleared the F-35 to accurately deliver a full slate of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons available with go-to-war, Block 3F software. "The F-35 is combat capable and poised for even more weapons capability growth as we evolve into the future," Lockheed's F-35 executive vice-president and general manager Jeff Babione said in a newsletter to employees earlier this month.

DSCA details support package for Singapore US F-15 detachment

12/03/2017

The US State Department has approved a possible sale of $415 million worth of equipment and services for a Singapore fighter training detachment based in Idaho. The package includes a broad range of items, all to be furnished by the USAF, says the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in a statement. The package will be sold under the auspices of the US government's foreign military sales programme.

Russian fighter jet blasts US Navy Poseidon with its engine wake

11/30/2017

A RUSSIAN Su-30 Flanker fighter jet allegedly crossed close in front of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea at the weekend, turning on its afterburner as it did so. The violent wake left by the superheated air tossed the US Poseidon into a 15-degree roll from which the pilots had to urgently recover.

Fighters in the sky

11/30/2017

One is convinced that as a citizen, like millions of our countrymen, we have virtually reached a stage of “now or never” so far as indigenous production of fighter aircraft is concerned. It is one’s firm belief that the first, foremost, primary objective towards Mission Indigenisation revolves around the capability and capacity or the “power” of the fighter engine and the interface with the fuselage (body) of the flying machine.

Lockheed Martin Secures $21M Deal From U.S. Air Force

11/30/2017

Lockheed Martin Corp. has won a modification contract for the C-130J center wing box replacement program. This contract has been awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, GA.

South China Sea: Australia is worried about China's activities — here's why

11/30/2017

The South China Sea is more than 6,000 kilometres away from Canberra but Beijing's activities in this contested body of water are causing deep anxiety within Australia's defence and diplomatic circles. At its heart, this is a dispute over competing territorial claims but the South China Sea has become a symbol of China's inexorable rise and a shift in the global axis of power. Here's why Australia is concerned and how it's responding to the issue.

Tokyo to conclude X-2 programme in March 2018

11/30/2017

Japan's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) is approaching the end of testing with the Mitsubishi X-2 technology demonstrator aircraft. The twin-engined fighter has completed 34 sorties, says Hirofumi Doi, manager of Japan's Future Fighter Program at ATLA. The first two flights were conducted by Mitsubishi, the subsequent 32 by ATLA at Gifu air base. The aircraft's maiden flight occurred on 22 April 2016.

Japan detects radio signals pointing to possible North Korea missile test - source

11/28/2017

Japan has detected radio signals suggesting North Korea may be preparing for another ballistic missile launch, although such signals are not unusual and satellite images did not show fresh activity, a Japanese government source said on Tuesday.

Pentagon taps Silicon Valley firm for aircraft predictive maintenance

11/28/2017

A Silicon Valley-based firm will deliver software to predict maintenance activity for US Air Force aircraft, starting with the Boeing E-3 Sentry and Lockheed Martin F-16. The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) selected the software firm C3 IoT for a multi-year contract aimed at leveraging the technology industry's advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning for aircraft maintenance, the company says.

Norway's F-35 drag chute tested on icy runways

11/28/2017

Lockheed Martin is testing one of the most unique modifications to the F-35 Lightning II on icy runways on Eielson AFB, Alaska, this month. US Air Force test pilots are testing that the drag chute, a modification spearheaded by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, slows the aircraft to a stop on icy runways near the Arctic circle, Lockheed says.

NAVAIR studies plugging MQ-25 ground system into carrier ATC

11/28/2017

As three companies continue vying for the contract to develop the MQ-25 Stingray, the US Navy is quietly making progress with the design of the carrier-based, unmanned tanker aircraft’s mission control system.

Israel offers Croatia mixed fleet of F-16s

11/28/2017

Current Israeli air force F-16C/Ds are now being offered, with the service to retire some of its examples as more Lockheed F-35I Adirs enter use. The Israeli proposal also could include a mix of C/D-model aircraft and already-retired F-16A/Bs which it has previously pitched to the Croatian government.

America Is Planning to Show North Korea What the F-35 Could Do in a War

11/27/2017

The Air Force is planning an F-35A show of force in the Pacific in coming weeks now that 12 F-35A’s have deployed to Japan for a six-month rotation, service officials said. While service officials describe the move as a routine deployment, called a Theater Security Package, the current tensions with North Korea are by no means lost on the Air Force and other Pentagon planners – who are preparing to demonstrate F-35 power, technology and combat readiness in a series of upcoming exercises.

Why has India struggled to buy fighter aircraft?

11/27/2017

The Indian Air Force, one of the largest in the world, operates a diverse mix of legacy and modern fighter jets, including MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, Su-30MKI and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. India sees the possibility of a two-front war — with Pakistan in the west and China in the north — and to be able to tackle it, the IAF has a projected requirement of 44 fighter squadrons.

Timeline: The turbulent history of the Rafale deal

11/25/2017

The Indian government’s deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets, first announced during a 2015 state visit to France, is now in the headlines thanks to allegations of overpricing and crony capitalism. The controversy began with the selection of the Rafale fighter jets by the Congress government in 2012 to meet the IAF’s requirement for 123 combat aircraft. As the deal hit a deadlock, the Modi government scrapped the process to purchase 36 Rafale fighters.

It's Official: U.S. Aircraft Carrier George Washington Is Getting the F-35

11/25/2017

The Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries are beginning a massive upgrade and technical adjustment to its USS George Washington Nimitz-Class aircraft carrier -- to enable the ship to operate the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft and serve for 25-more years with newly configured structures, weapons systems, defenses, propulsion, computer automation and advanced digital networking technology.

This U.S. Aircraft Carrier Fought Battleships, Picked up Astronauts and Fought MiGs

11/25/2017

Many a ship has a remarkable tale to tell—but few have survived as many scraps as the aircraft carrier berthed at Pier 86 in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. The Intrepid (CV-11) and its sailors and aviators survived hits from four Kamikaze planes, helped sink the largest battleship ever built, recovered three astronauts from the sea and shot down a MiG jet over Vietnam.

Indian air force test fires air-launched Brahmos missile

11/25/2017

The Indian air force test-fired the Mach 2.8 Brahmos cruise missile from an aircraft for the first time on 22 November, moving the anti-ship and land attack capability a step closer to operational use.

CH-53K helicopter to make international debut at ILA Berlin show

11/25/2017

Sikorsky has confirmed that the CH-53K King Stallion will make its air show debut at next year's ILA Berlin event, as the airframer pursues a lucrative export contract with Germany. The manufacturer had previously expressed an ambition to take the new heavy-lift helicopter to the biennial exhibition, but has now been given the go-ahead by the US Marine Corps, Sikorsky's domestic customer for the CH-53K.

US Senate spending bill less bullish on F-35 buy

11/22/2017

The chair of the US Senate Appropriations committee has approved the chamber’s version of the fiscal year 2018 defence spending bill this week, a move that pushes the legislation closer to final passage.

USAF releases F-16 service life extension solicitation

11/22/2017

The US Air Force has released a request for proposals for a contract to beef up the structures on on a subset of the Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet to keep the single-engined fighter in service for at least 30 more years.

USAF doubts new JSTARS could fly in contested airspace

11/22/2017

The US Air Force does not believe recapitalising the Northrop Grumman E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) fleet will give the service the capability it needs for contested environments, the head of Air Combat Command says.

KC-390 arrives in USA for flight testing

11/22/2017

In a sign that testing activity has resumed since an incident six weeks ago, Embraer’s KC-390 arrived at the company’s US base in Jacksonville, Florida on 20 November to begin a series of flight tests before certification.