Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Pakistan, Russia to Foster Defense Industry Cooperation

08/15/2017

Moscow and Islamabad will increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including the energy and defense industries, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Qazi Khalilullah said Monday at a gala evening held to mark the 70th anniversary of Pakistan’s independence from the then-British Empire.

Iranian, US Aircraft Had Another ‘Unsafe and Unprofessional’ Encounter in Gulf

08/15/2017

For the second time in less than seven days an Iranian military drone buzzed a US Navy aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, creating a “dangerous situation with the potential for collision” with US jets, the US Navy said Monday.

US Pilot Belly-Lands A-10 Warthog (PHOTOS)

08/15/2017

A US airman in Michigan was forced to make the least-worst decision out of a set of bad options after radio communication died, the plane’s canopy flew off, and the landing gear wouldn’t release.

RUSSIA UNVEILS FIRST STEALTH FIGHTER JET SUKHOI-57 TO RIVAL U.S. MILITARY

08/13/2017

Russia has officially unveiled the Sukhoi-57, its next-generation supersonic stealth combat jet set to rival the U.S. F-22 and the Chinese Chengdu J-20 and Shenyang J-31, Ministry of Defense TV channel Zvezda reported Friday.

US special forces detail requirements for light attack aircraft

08/13/2017

As the US Air Force wraps up its OA-X light attack demonstration this week, US Special Operations Command released its own solicitation for a separate special operations light attack aircraft.

Lockheed denies report on F-16 tech transfer to India

08/13/2017

A recent report claiming the US denied critical F-16 technology to the government of India is erroneous, the US Air Force and F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin say. New Delhi is searching for a new single-engine fighter to recapitalise the Indian air force’s aging fighter fleet. The report from Defenseworld.net quoted the Indian Minister of State for Defence saying the US has not agreed to transfer F-16 technology and production to India.

ANALYSIS: RAF Typhoons impress on Romanian air policing duty

08/13/2017

Through a shimmering heat haze, the pilots of two sleek combat aircraft run to their jets, armed and ready beneath makeshift sun shelters on a Romanian base near the Black Sea coast. These are not the crews of the home nation's Aerostar-adapted MiG-21 Lancer interceptors, however, but of Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4s, deployed to help safeguard NATO territory.

US Fighter Jet Crashes in Bahrain

08/13/2017

A US F-18 fighter jet experiencing an engine malfunction made a crash landing Saturday at Bahrain International Airport, briefly interfering with commercial flight schedules. The pilot, who ejected from the aircraft after it ran off the runway, escaped unharmed.

Next-Generation Russian Air Force Aircraft to Be Unmanned

08/13/2017

The aviation technologies such as planes and helicopters for the Russian Aerospace Forces will be unmanned in the future, Aerospace Forces Commander Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Saturday. The commander added that the Aerospace Forces had achieved excellent results in combat training as the annual flight time of each pilot amounted to no less than 120 hours and that figure would increase.

How Russian PAK FA 5th Gen Fighter Evolved (PHOTO, VIDEO)

08/13/2017

Russia’s fifth-generation fighter jet, formerly known as the Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation (PAK FA), or Sukhoi T-50, has officially been named the Su-57. RIA Novosti contributor Andrei Kots takes a look at the evolution of Russia’s premier fighter jet.

UK Snoops? British Spy Plane May Be En Route to Scan Korean Peninsula

08/13/2017

A UK Royal Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft may be on its way to the Korean Peninsula as tensions mount between North Korea and the allied forces of the US, Japan and South Korea, the UK Defence Journal reported Friday.

US Air Force B-1B Heavy Bombers Return to Guam from DPRK Coastal Patrol

08/13/2017

US Air Force B-1B Lancers returned to Andersen Air Force base on Guam this week after completing a 10-hour joint flight missions with South Korean and Japanese aircraft near North Korea.

The Air Force is testing these 4 planes to potentially fight alongside the legendary A-10

08/11/2017

Air Force officials and international observers have flocked to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for the service's Light Attack Experiment, going on throughout August. The exercise has been planned for months, after Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said in January the branch was looking for an inexpensive fighter with the ability to do close-air-support missions.

USAF returns mothballed Raptor to fleet

08/11/2017

The US Air Force has taken a Lockheed Martin F-22A out of storage and plans to return the Raptor to flying status by the end of this year, the service confirms to FlightGlobal. The service’s fiscal year 2018 budget justification documents states the F-22 programme will add another operational test aircraft to the fleet by taking one aircraft out of flyable storage.

MV-22 struck flight deck before fatal crash

08/11/2017

A US Marine Corps Bell Boeing MV-22 struck the flight deck of an amphibious transport dock before crashing into waters off the coast of East Australia on 5 August, a US Navy document shows.

Audit report highlights Italy's F-35 challenges

08/11/2017

Italy wants to move its four Lockheed Martin F-35As allocated to an international training school in the USA to Europe, to support its operational preparations with the type, according to an audit office report published on 7 August.

‘Strong and Resolute’: South Korea, Japan Issue ‘Stern Warning’ to North Korea

08/11/2017

South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their support for the US on Thursday following North Korea’s announcement that they are considering a ballistic missile attack against Andersen Air Force Base on the US island territory of Guam in Micronesia.

India Freezes Purchase of Additional AH-64E Apache From US

08/11/2017

Indian Army was to receive its first tranche of eleven AH-64E Apache helicopters under the options clause of an earlier deal; but government says it has no immediate plans to place the order.

Iranian drone that harassed Navy fighter jet is capable of carrying missiles, but was unarmed, official says

08/10/2017

U.S. military officials say an Iranian drone harassed and nearly collided with a Navy attack jet Tuesday as it prepared to land on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. The drone approached the F/A-18E Super Hornet as it circled above the USS Nimitz, officials said. The Hornet’s pilot was forced to make a sudden maneuver to avoid striking the unmanned aircraft, and they passed within 100 feet of each other.

India to finalize fifth-gen fighter deal

08/10/2017

India is going ahead with the acquisition of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft with Russia after an internal committee of the Ministry of Defence recommended that the purchase of the aircraft will duplicate India’s plan to develop a homegrown advanced medium combat aircraft, according to an MoD official.

Indonesia To Trade Coffee And Palm Oil For Su-35 Super Flanker Combat Aircraft

08/10/2017

According to the information released by The Jakarta Post on Aug. 4., Indonesia is going to barter its resources, including coffee, to acquire the Russian Su-35 supermaneuverable fighter aircraft. The whole deal is to be directed by an Indonesian state-owned company – PT Perusahaan Perdagangan, collaborating with Rostec.

India’s Light Combat Aircraft Well Behind Schedule

08/10/2017

India’s state-owned aircraft maker Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) continues to fall behind schedule in delivering the country’s first domestically designed and produced light fighter aircraft, the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), according to information released by India’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) last week.

Super Tigers: New Upgrades to Keep Aging Thai F-5s Flying Into the 2030s

08/10/2017

The Thai Royal Air Force (TRAF) is enhancing the readiness of its fleet via an upgrade package that will transform four F-5E Tigers into bonafide F-5T Super Tigers. The warplanes will receive Python-4 and I Derby beyond-visual-range air-to-air weapons, new radar systems, electronic warfare capabilities and "network-centric capabilities for disaster preparedness," the Air Force said in an August 2 announcement.

China's First Homemade Aircraft Carrier to Enter Mooring Trials Next Month

08/10/2017

China’s first homemade aircraft carrier will likely enter mooring trials next month ahead of schedule, said Hu Wenming, general director of construction of the aircraft carrier, CCTV.com reported on Aug. 3.

US Nuclear Bombers Buzz Korean Peninsula as Kim Jong-un Threatens Guam

08/10/2017

On August 8, two supersonic US B1-B Lancer bombers flanked by Japanese and South Korean jets conducted a pair of air drills over the course of 10 hours off the Korean peninsula, near southern Kyushu island, in an apparent show of force against Pyongyang. The provocative act could mark a dangerous new stage in the ongoing fracas.