Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Is the FAA Endangering America's Stealth Fighters?

02/05/2018

Even as the skies are becoming more crowded with airplanes and drones, the creaky U.S. air traffic control system is struggling to keep up. Hence the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has come up with a plan that requires aircraft to broadcast their positions to avoid mid-air collisions.

SINGAPORE: Harris eyes Asian F-16 market for EW sales

02/05/2018

Harris Corporation is promoting its electronic warfare (EW) systems to the region’s air forces, with a particularly focus on the Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet. The company sees three main areas of EW focus among the region’s countries: mission success in contested domains, marine awareness in congested seas, and battlefield communications.

SINGAPORE: RSAF chief discusses future capabilities

02/05/2018

Singapore possesses Southeast Asia’s most powerful air force, but maintaining its edge in an increasingly volatile region requires constant assessment of new technologies and ideas. In an interview with FlightGlobal, Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force Major-General Mervyn Tan discussed future plans and emerging capabilities, on the year of the RSAF’s fiftieth anniversary.

Russia strikes back as Syrian rebels take credit for shooting down fighter jet, killing pilot

02/04/2018

Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility Saturday for the downing of a Russian warplane in northern Syria, apparently using a surface-to-air missile to target the aircraft. The pilot was killed after he ejected and exchanged gunfire with militants on the ground, the Russian Defense Ministry and a monitoring group said.

USAF rejects Scorpion for OA-X, names A-29 and AT-6 finalists

02/04/2018

The US Air Force has excluded the Textron AirLand Scorpion light-attack aircraft from the next phase of its OA-X experiment, leaving Textron Aviation's Beechcraft AT-6 Wolverine and the Sierra Nevada/Embraer A-29 Super Tucano as the finalists for a potential follow-on acquisition deal.

Norway runs into fresh problem with NH90 helicopters

02/04/2018

Norway has concluded that its on-order fleet of NH Industries NH90 naval helicopters will not deliver sufficient flight hours to perform the roles originally intended for the 11t-class rotorcraft and recommends that all are converted to the anti-submarine warfare mission.

French army starts definition work for new armed scout helicopters

02/04/2018

The French army has begun early definition work with Airbus Helicopters on the H160Ms it will obtain as part of a tri-service procurement.Paris in March 2017 selected the developmental H160M to form the basis of its hélicoptère interarmées léger (HIL) programme, splitting 160-190 rotorcraft between the air force, army and navy to replace a sizeable fleet of aged types.

The Air Force Turned Off GPS To Rehearse a War Without It

02/02/2018

The U.S. military is worryingly dependent on GPS. Our global positioning satellites tell planes where they are, provide targeting info for smart weapons, and support communication and navigation systems. But in a war with a tech-advanced adversary—think China, Russia, or Iran—GPS could become a big liability because it could be jammed, spoofed, or outright destroyed.

‘At Least 12 Crew Members Killed’ In Chinese Military Plane Crash

02/02/2018

A military aircraft crash in Guizhou this week killed at least a dozen crew members and exposed the “fatal gap” between the air force’s ambitions and its technology, the South China Morning Post has learned. Military sources say the crash has severely affected air force morale. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force has confirmed that an aircraft crashed in the southwestern province during a training exercise on Monday.

Now Russia Is Demanding US Stop Spying Near Its Borders After Buzzing Navy Spy Plane

02/02/2018

The Russian Ministry of Defense has mocked the crews of American spy planes as overly cautious and suggested the United States either stop such missions near its borders or agree to a set of rules governing those flight. The official statement comes after the U.S. Navy released half a dozen videos showing one of Russia’s Su-27 Flanker series fighter jets flying dangerously close to an EP-3E Aries II intelligence aircraft in international air space over the Black Sea.

Delhi hopes to be third time lucky with new tanker RFI

02/02/2018

India’s ministry of defence has issued a fresh request for information for six mid-air refueling tankers, following two abortive earlier attempts. This time the requirement specifies that the tanker aircraft be powered by two turbofan engines, ruling out the Ilyushin IL-78.

India struggles to match China as elite world weapons exporte

02/01/2018

India celebrated Republic Day by parading troops and locally made weapons in front of New Delhi's colonial-era sandstone buildings and past 10 Southeast Asian heads of state -- all potential buyers.

NH Industries confident on sealing NH90 orders from Qatar and Spain

02/01/2018

NH Industries (NHI) is hopeful that it can finally secure a firm order from Qatar this year for both variants of its NH90 helicopter. Doha four years ago signed a tentative agreement with the three-way consortium for 22 examples of the 11t-class rotorcraft: 12 TTH troop transports and 10 NFH maritime helicopters.

Germany needs in-flight refuelling for future heavy-lift helicopters

02/01/2018

Germany has confirmed that its future fleet of heavy-lift helicopters will require in-flight refuelling capability. Berlin in late 2017 gave the go-ahead for its BAAINBw procurement agency to begin the acquisition of around 60 helicopters to replace an existing fleet of 70 elderly Sikorsky CH-53G/GA/GS transports operated by the German air force.

UK begins Gazelle helicopter replacement effort

02/01/2018

Initial work is under way to replace the British Army's active fleet of 22 elderly Aérospatiale Gazelle AH1 helicopters, as the venerable type nears retirement. "We do have plans to replace the Gazelle," says Air Cdre Al Smith, capability air manoeuvre at the UK's Joint Helicopter Command. "It hinges on operational outputs so the customer gets the same or better product," he adds, noting: "I think we can probably do better than we do today."

Russia's Military Used 215 New Weapons Systems in Syria

01/31/2018

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the performance of the Russian military and its hardware during the Kremlin’s campaign in Syria, but stressed that Moscow has to fix problems that were brought to light during those operations. “The rout of the well-equipped terrorist groups in Syria demonstrated the power of our Army and Navy, and the course of the operation demonstrated the tradition of reliability and effectiveness of Russian weapons,” Putin said in a speech.

The Aircraft Carrier Is the Ultimate Weapon of War. Here Are the 5 Best.

01/31/2018

Anyone who's tried to compare one piece of kit—ships, aircraft, weaponry of various types—to another will testify to how hard this chore is. Ranking aircraft carriers is no exception. Consulting the pages of Jane's Fighting Ships or Combat Fleets of the World sheds some light on the problem. For instance, a flattop whose innards house a nuclear propulsion plant boasts virtually unlimited cruising range, whereas a carrier powered by fossil fuels is tethered to its fuel source.

Chinese Military Aircraft Crashes During Training Exercise [Photos, Video]

01/31/2018

According to a report in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the aircraft went down in Zhengchang Town, Suiyang county, and was later confirmed by PLA on Chinese social media website, Weiko. "In the afternoon of January 29, an aircraft from the Air Force crashed during flight training in Guizhou province. Currently, search and rescue efforts are underway."

First operational JASDF F-35A makes its debut at Misawa AB

01/30/2018

Blue skies and snowy mountains welcomed the first operational Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35A Lightning II during an arrival ceremony at Misawa Air Base, Jan. 26. In the upcoming Japanese fiscal year, nine more aircraft will join this one to incept the first fifth-generation fighter squadron as part of the JASDF’s 3rd Air Wing.

Russian jet flies within 5 feet of US Navy plane, Pentagon says

01/30/2018

A Russian Su-27 jet performed an unsafe intercept of a US Navy surveillance plane while it was flying in international airspace over the Black Sea Monday, three defense officials told CNN. The American pilots reported that the Russian jet came within 5 feet of the US plane, according to two of the officials.

First modernised Tu-160 makes maiden sortie

01/30/2018

Russia's United Aircraft has flown the first remanufactured Tupolev Tu-160, with the supersonic aircraft performing a short flight from Kazan on 25 January. Watched by a crowd of VIPs including Russian president Vladimir Putin, the 7min sortie was performed at an altitude of 300m, to check the aircraft's handling characteristics.

Nellis blaze damages Australian EA-18G Growler

01/30/2018

Both crew members of a Royal Australian Air Force Boeing EA-18G Growler escaped serious injury when their aircraft caught fire at Nellis AFB, Nevada on 27 January. Confirming the incident via a Twitter post, Australian defence minister Marise Payne said it had occurred "on the runway during take-off," and added: "All personnel are safe, and an inquiry has commenced."

Air Force plans to jam aircraft GPS across the western US during massive weeks-long combat training exercise

01/28/2018

The Air Force is preparing to launch a massive combat training exercise, and indications have emerged that GPS jamming could affect large swathes of the western US during the maneuvers. Red Flag 18-1, as the exercise is officially designated, began on Friday and runs through February 16 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where up to 160 planes will take off daily.

New Tu-160 bomber to strengthen Russia’s nuclear triad — Putin

01/28/2018

New Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bomber will strengthen Russia’s nuclear triad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after watching the aircraft perform a flight demonstration in the city of Kazan. "It is a serious step to advance the development of the high-tech industry and strengthen the country’s defense capabilities, because it is one of the elements of our nuclear triad," Putin said while talking to workers at Kazan’s Gorbunov Aircraft Plant.

RAAF fighter plane catches fire at US base

01/28/2018

An Australian air force plane has caught fire during exercises at an American military base in Nevada. A Defence spokesman said the incident involved an RAAF EA-18G Growler fighter jet at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas.