Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

South Korean delegation presses for F-35 MRO&U contracts

03/29/2018

A South Korean official on 28 March pressed the US Department of Defense to grant maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade contracts for the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lighting II to Korean companies during a speech at a roll-out ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas.

RAF Tornados ready to deploy BriteCloud decoys

03/29/2018

Royal Air Force Panavia Tornado GR4 crews flying missions over Iraq and Syria are poised to benefit from a defensive update developed by Leonardo and recently approved for operational use by the UK Ministry of Defence.

JF-17 to get Chinese-developed AESA radar

03/29/2018

The Chengdu/Pakistan Aernautical Complex JF-17 fighter is to get an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which is expected to boost its export prospects. The KLJ-7A AESA radar developed by the Nanjing Research Institutie of Electronics Technology (NRIET) will be installed on the single-engined type, which is operated by the Pakistan air force, says NRIET's head Hu Mingchun in a China Daily report.

US auditor gives backstory of software reform on F-22, F-35

03/29/2018

A new government audit explains for the first time how the Lockheed Martin F-22 quietly launched a movement within the US Department of Defense four years ago to fix a broken process for developing software for complex weapon systems.

Exclusive: Satellite images reveal show of force by Chinese navy in South China Sea

03/28/2018

Dozens of Chinese naval vessels are exercising this week with an aircraft carrier in a large show of force off Hainan island in the South China Sea, satellite images obtained by Reuters show. The images, provided by Planet Labs Inc, confirm a Chinese carrier group has entered the vital trade waterway as part of what the Chinese navy earlier described as combat drills that were part of routine annual exercises.

Afghan Air Force Drops Laser-Guided Bomb for 1st Time in Combat

03/28/2018

The Afghan Air Force (AAF) used laser-guided bombs for the first time during a close air support mission in the province of Farah in southwestern Afghanistan on March 22, according to a March 27 statement by the NATO-led Resolute Support mission.

How is the F-35 improving its dogfighting skills in Japan?

03/28/2018

The F-35 has caught flack for what critics decry as lack of dogfighting prowess, a reputation that has followed the Joint Strike Fighter for years. But in the skies above Kadena Air Base in Japan, F-35 operators are getting the chance to prove those detractors wrong.

Combat Aircraft from Israel, UAE, Greece, Italy, UK and U.S. Take Part in Ex. “INIOCHOS 2018”

03/28/2018

Exercise “INIOCHOS” is a yearly medium-scale exercise hosted by the Hellenic Air Force at the facilities of the Air Tactics Center at Andravida Air Base, located in the Northwest Peloponnese, Greece. The “layout” of the exercise is quite standard: two weeks in length (including deployment and re-deployment of the assets), the exercise scenario adopts a Single Base Concept with air operation launched from an MOB (Main Operating Base).

Navy plans to modify 45 more F/A-18 Super Hornets in next two years

03/28/2018

The US Navy plans modify 45 more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in the next two years to increase the aircraft’s service life and capabilities, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced on 27 March.

Poland adds four more M-346 trainers

03/28/2018

Poland has exercised an option worth more than €115 million ($143 million) with Leonardo to boost the size of its M-346 advanced jet trainer fleet to 12 aircraft, and could further increase this in the future.

Qatari jets intercept two UAE civilian planes over Bahrain

03/27/2018

Qatari fighter jets flew dangerously close to two UAE-registered civilian aircraft passing through Bahrain, forcing the captain of one of the flights to alter course to avoid collision. The incident was reported Monday by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the United Arab Emirates which warned of the dangers posed by the two Qatari fighter jets. It called the development an infringement of Bahrain’s airspace.

Chinese military aircraft again fly close to Taiwan: MND

03/27/2018

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) Several Chinese military aircraft were seen flying Monday over the Bashi Channel, which lies between Taiwan and the Philippines, as part of a long-range flight training mission in the Western Pacific, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that day.

The omnibus spending bill would add an extra 143 aircraft for the military

03/27/2018

Congress seems to have come to an agreement on spending for fiscal year 2018, and military aircraft procurement is slated to receive a major bump, funding an additional 143 aircraft above the services’ requests. That’s great news for major defense primes like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, both of which stand to make billions more from the additional sales.

USAF researches bidders to deliver 22 AC-208 armed Caravans

03/27/2018

The US Air Force plans to acquire 22 more Cessna AC-208s to provide to allied governments to use for lightly armed surveillance missions. An acquisition notice published on 23 March suggests the USAF is open to receive bids from companies interested in modifying aircraft to carry weapons and sensors.

Leonardo steps up Typhoon pitch for Poland

03/27/2018

With some sources suggesting that Poland could launch its “Harpia” fighter tender within the next few weeks, Italian airframer Leonardo is stepping up its promotion of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Afghans soon to fly missions with Black Hawks from US

03/27/2018

The U.S. military has been flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter missions in Afghanistan for years, but the storied aircraft will soon take to the country’s battlefields manned by pilots and crews from the Afghan military.

China Flies Long-Range Bombers, Fighter Jets Through Miyako Strait

03/27/2018

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) sent four Xian H-6K long-range bombers, one Shaanxi Y-8 electronic countermeasures aircraft, one Tupolev Tu-154MD electronic intelligence plane, and at least two Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter jets through international airspace between the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Miyako in the East China Sea on March 23 as part of a military exercise, Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) said in a statement.

US shows off new F-35 fighter jets ahead of US-South Korea drills

03/27/2018

Roaring off the deck of a 40,000-ton amphibious assault ship, F-35B fighter jets piloted by US Marines soar over the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese island of Okinawa. It's a show of force by the US military, which is demonstrating its newest - and most expensive - weaponry a week before it begins annual war games with South Korea.

The Indian Air Force's next Super Weapon Could Be the F-35 or F/A-18

03/27/2018

When the Times of India revealed that the Indian air force was revising its single-engine fighter competition to encompass twin-engine jet designs, a collective groan likely rang from New Delhi to Washington—and even Stockholm. The competition was meant to acquire a new generation of short-range jets suitable for defending India’s borders. The Indian air force is gradually retiring its 1950s-era MiG-21 single-engine fighter jets over the next few decades.

Defence outsourced

03/26/2018

Despite various govts going slow on hi-tech defence acquisitions, it now emerges that India is the largest weapons importer. This is ‘inglorious’ in the face of stridency over ‘desi’ production. And as we struggle, our neighbours find ways to forge ahead with new defence partners, a fact we can ignore to our peril.

How the U.S. Military Went to War against Vietnam's Radar and Air Defenses

03/26/2018

Captain John E. Donovan, an electronic warfare officer, monitored the equipment in his F-100F Super Sabre fighter. It was December 22, 1965, and his plane was part of a strike mission searching out enemy antiaircraft sites.

Chinese air force holds drills over South China Sea, Western Pacific in ‘preparation for war’

03/26/2018

H-6K bombers, Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets carry out combat patrols after passing over Miyako Strait between Japanese islands. China’s air force used a number of its latest bombers and fighters in combat patrols over the South China Sea and drills in the Western Pacific after passing over Japan’s southern islands – its first military exercise in the area in more than three months.

Congress appropriates a 28% increase in funding for new aircraft

03/25/2018

President Donald Trump signed into law on 23 March a spending bill that adds 143 aircraft, worth $9.5 billion, to what was already requested by the Department of Defence, including 20 additional F-35 Lightning II fighters, 10 F/A-18 Super Hornets, and three KC-46A tanker aircraft.

Air Force: Ukrainian aircraft moved back from state of high alert

03/24/2018

Ukrainian aircraft have been moved back from a state of high combat preparedness, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Dmytro Strutynsky has said. “The state of combat preparedness that was declared today has already been lifted,” Hromadske.TV quoted him as saying.

Israel revives interest in V-22 purchase

03/24/2018

Israeli personnel have taken a fresh opportunity to assess the Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey's capabilities, during a joint exercise conducted with the US Marine Corps. Staged in Israel from mid-March, the "Kia Green" manoeuvres included support from Osprey tiltrotors operating from the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima. Other US military and Israeli air force aircraft were also involved in the joint activity.