Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia, Belarus to Carry Out Observation Flight Over France

04/18/2017

As part of the international Open Skies Treaty … a group of member states, the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, plans to carry out an observation flight on the Russian An-30B jet over the territory of the French Republic. An observation flight over France will be carried out in the period from April 18 to April 22, 2017, from the Open Skies airfield Orleans Bricy with a maximum range of up to 2,078 kilometers [over 1,291 miles]," Ryzhkov said.

US, South Korea, Japan to Convene Trilateral Talks on North Korean Threat

04/18/2017

As parties continue to beat the drums of war in the Korean Peninsula, defense officials from Seoul, Tokyo, and Washington will convene in Japan on Wednesday to hold the Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT).

T-45s flying again after brief grounding

04/18/2017

The US Navy’s commander of Naval Air Forces allowed the service’s T-45 Goshawk trainer jets to return to flight 17 April, after US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) temporarily grounded the fleet in light of persistent oxygen issues on the aircraft.

'It'd be devastating': Air Force chief sounds the alarm how budget cuts will affect you

04/18/2017

Squadrons across the Air Force will be grounded. Moves will be put on hold, throwing families into turmoil. New recruits won’t be able to start basic training. Bonuses for critical personnel could be deferred. And that’s just the beginning. More than halfway through fiscal 2017, Congress still hasn’t gotten its act together enough to pass a budget that funds the Air Force and other government agencies.

U.S. and ROK units prepare for Exercise MAX THUNDER 17

04/17/2017

U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy personnel and aircraft will train with the Republic of Korea Air Forces in the annual, bilateral training Exercise MAX THUNDER 17, which will be hosted at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, April 17-28, 2017. Exercise Max Thunder is part of a continuous exercise program to enhance interoperability between U.S. and ROK forces.

US TO APPROVE SUPER TUCANO SALE TO NIGERIA

04/17/2017

According to our partner defenceWeb, the US government will approve the sale of Super Tucano to Nigeria. US lawmakers are expected to approve the sale of Super Tucano light attack and trainer aircraft to Nigeria in the coming weeks. Former President Barack Obama’s administration originally agreed on the sale, but delayed it after incidents including the Nigerian Air Force’s bombing of a refugee camp in January that killed 90 to 170 civilians.

Russian, Chinese Ships Tail USS Carl Vinson in East China Sea

04/17/2017

Beijing and Moscow have launched intelligence-gathering vessels to follow the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier as it travels toward the Korean Peninsula, according to numerous sources in the Japanese government.

What Kind of 'Major Advances' China's Third Aircraft Carrier May Feature

04/17/2017

As China’s second aircraft carrier is being prepared for launch in late April, experts are predicting what kind of technological breakthroughs the third China-made carrier may have. During an interview with BTV, a Chinese military, expert Xu Guangyu made his forecast suggesting that the third aircraft carrier may be nuclear-powered.

New Photos And Video of Iran’s Homemade F-313 “Qaher” Stealth Jet Have Just Emerged. And Here’s A First Analysis

04/16/2017

Footage and photographs showing a new prototype (marked “08”) of the famous Qaher F-313 stealth fighter jet have just emerged as Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani participated Saturday in an exhibition displaying the achievements of the Defense Ministry Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan gained during the past two years.

F-35A Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft Arrive in Europe

04/16/2017

Combat-ready F-35A Lightning II multi-role fighter aircraft arrived today at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, demonstrating U.S. commitment to NATO allies and European territorial integrity. “The forward presence of F-35s support my priority of having ready and postured forces here in Europe,” said Army Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the commander of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe.

N. Korea didn’t test a nuclear weapon, but it did try to launch another missile

04/16/2017

With the kind of fanfare that only a totalitarian state can muster, North Korea on Saturday flaunted missiles that can theoretically reach the United States and defiantly stated that it was prepared to counter any U.S. attack with “a nuclear war of our own.” But it soon looked like a case of style over substance. North Korea somewhat ruined the impression created with the parade, which took place on the most important day of the year for Kim Jong Un’s regime, with a failed missile launch Sunday.

First of Its Type: China to Test Next-Generation Hypersonic Engine

04/16/2017

Chinese engineers from the Beijing Research Institute of Machinery are set to test a prototype combined-cycle hypersonic aircraft engine and first-stage carrier rockets later this year, Aviation Week reported. That will pave the way for the first demonstration flight of a full-scale propulsion system by 2025.

Before the missiles flew at Syria, a mad dash across the Mediterranean

04/15/2017

Early in the morning on Tuesday, April 4, bombs filled with sarin gas began falling from Syrian military aircraft on the town of Khan Shaykhun, and soon thereafter images of dying men, women and children gasping their final breaths flooded the global media. By the end of the day, two Navy destroyers – the Porter and the Ross – were racing across the Mediterranean, scrambling to get into position to launch.

US Accelerating Development of Airborne ‘Optical Radiation Weapons’

04/15/2017

The U.S. Air Force acknowledges "optical warfare" operations will be essential to future aerial victories and has accelerated the development of airborne "optical radiation weapons" for both offensive and defensive operations. Developing new offensive and defensive weapons that advance the air force's optical warfare capabilities will be the task of Virginia-based defense contractor Engility Corporation.

US ‘stonewalling’ on Sh42bn military aircraft sale deal

04/15/2017

The American government is “stonewalling” on the details of a proposed multibillion-shilling arms sale to Kenya, a congressional critic of the deal charged. “On March 30, I asked for the offer the United States government had made to the Kenyan Ministry of Defence, just so we could make sure that everything was above board,” Congressman Ted Budd said in a statement. “That was 12 days ago.

USAF F-35A deploys to Europe

04/15/2017

A small squadron of the US Air Force’s F-35As will fly to Europe this weekend for training with NATO allies, marking the F-35A’s first international deployment. As part of a long-planned effort within the European Reassurance Initiative, the squadron will train for several weeks with other US and NATO aircraft in Europe, the US Defense Department says in a 14 April statement.

Beijing Anticipates War on Korean Peninsula ‘At Any Moment’

04/15/2017

“Once a war really happens, the result will be nothing but loss all around,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday, emphasizing that “no one will be a winner.” "Tensions have risen," Wang said in Friday’s joint news conference with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Marc Ayrault. "One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment," he added.

Allied training: Langley exercise has a European feel

04/14/2017

HAMPTON — American, British and French fighter pilots have been battling together since the first generation of fighter aircraft flew over Europe during World War I. One hundred years later, that tradition is continuing at Langley Air Force Base with pilots of fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft training for what the future will bring.

MOAB, the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used by the US military, explained

04/14/2017

The US military has just dropped a big bomb in Afghanistan. The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast, also called the “mother of all bombs” or MOAB for short, is the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used by the US military on the battlefield. The 11-ton weapon was first tested in 2003 but had never been used in combat prior to Thursday — when a US MC-130 aircraft dropped one on what it claims was a network of ISIS tunnels.

Italian Air Force receives Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft from Leonardo

04/14/2017

The Italian Air Force has received a new Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft from Leonardo Aircraft Division. The latest Eurofighter Typhoon delivered is the 500th aircraft produced by the company so far. Leonardo delivered the first and 100th Eurofighter to the UK Royal Air Force in 2003 and 2006 respectively.

OPINION: Can Typhoon storm to further sales?

04/14/2017

It was, as chief executive Volker Paltzo put it, a very special day as the Eurofighter consortium delivered its 500th production example of the Typhoon in Turin. Resplendent with its commemorative red tail livery, Italy’s latest example joins a global fleet which includes jets operated by partner nations Germany, Spain and the UK, plus export customers Austria and Saudi Arabia. The first Typhoons for Kuwait and Oman are now in production.

Countering Chinese Advances, Japan Scrambles Record Number of Jets

04/14/2017

As China seeks to move deeper into the Western Pacific, Japan’s Defense Ministry reports that the country’s fighter jets intercepted foreign aircraft in record numbers in the fiscal year that ended March 30.

More than 60 combat aircraft from eight NATO nations take part in Exercise Frisian Flag in the Netherlands

04/13/2017

Frisian Flag 2017 was a large scale exercise organised by the Royal Netherlands Air Force. From Mar. 27 to Apr. 7, Leeuwarden Air Base in the Netherlands hosted the tactical aircraft taking part in Ex. Frisian Flag 2017. The purpose of the drills was preparing the participating units for a modern conflict or crisis support operation by strengthening cooperation between air arms of multiple NATO countries called to undertake joint training missions twice a day.

KAI wins aerostructure work on Embraer platforms

04/13/2017

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has secured a contract with Embraer to supply panels for the E2 and KC-390 programmes. KAI will supply wing bottom panels for the E-190 E2 and E-195 E2 regional jets, and panels for both top and bottom of the KC-390 tactical airlifter.

Air Force authorises extended life for F-16

04/13/2017

The F-16 Falcon will live to fight another day, or at least another 4,000 hours, according to the US Air Force and Lockheed Martin. The USAF authorized extending the F-16’s service life from its original 8,000 flight hours to 12,000 flight hours, a 12 April Lockheed release states. After performing SLEP modifications, the service will be able to operate the Block 40 through 52 aircraft beyond 2048, according to Lockheed.