Military Aviation News Archive

Pentagon scenario of a new Korean war estimates 20,000 deaths daily in South Korea, retired US general says

09/26/2017

A retired U.S. general said a Pentagon war scenario showed a conventional war with North Korea could result in about 20,000 deaths per day in South Korea, according to the Los Angeles Times. Meanwhile, a retired U.S. Navy admiral sees a 50/50 chance of a conventional conflict with North Korea although much less likelihood of a nuclear war.

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Flawed control rod installation led to fatal Apache crash

09/26/2017

An investigation committee has delivered its final report into the 7 August 2017 accident, which killed one crew member and injured a second. It attributes the mishap to an incorrect installation of the tail rotor component, which resulted in rapid wear and control rod disengagement.

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Israel finalises Seahawk sensor configuration

09/26/2017

Israel's air force and navy have identified the intended sensor fit for a planned fleet of second-hand Sikorsky SH-60F Seahawk maritime helicopters. The proposed acquisition of eight ex-US Navy rotorcraft is still in its early stages, but the type is expected to enter use aboard the Israeli navy's future fleet of four Saar-6 corvettes. The USA has already approved the transfer.

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IAI waits on German approval for Heron TP deal

09/26/2017

Israeli sources expect Berlin's planned introduction of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron TP unmanned air system to be advanced following German Chancellor Angela Merkel's re-election.

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Italian Eurofighter Typhoon Crashes During Terracina Airshow Killing Test Pilot

09/25/2017

On Sunday Sept. 24, 2017, an Italian Air Force Eurofighter F-2000A Typhoon (most probably MM7278/RS-23) belonging to the Reparto Sperimentale Volo (Test Wing) has crashed into the sea at Terracina, 76 kilometres south of Rome. Based on the several videos that have already emerged on social media, the pilot Capt. Gabriele Orlandi was unable to /did not recover the aircraft at the end of a looping and didn’t attempt to eject from the jet.

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What Weapons Would the U.S. Military Use Against North Korea?

09/25/2017

The United States has substantial air, land, and sea forces stationed in South Korea, as well as several units based in Japan and the western Pacific earmarked for a Korean contingency. Together, these forces far exceed the firepower of North Korea’s armed forces and represent a powerful deterrent not just against Pyongyang but any potential adversary in the region.

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The F-15 is Taking a Page Out of the Su-27 Book

09/25/2017

The F-15 Eagle rightfully boasts of one of the most successful runs in air-to-air combat of all time. In fact, the F-15 Eagle is undefeated when the air-to-air combat has been for real, with over 100 kills. But believe it or not, it has lacked something — something that its arch-rival, the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker, has had from day one.

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CHINESE WARPLANES: COMBAT AIRCRAFT AND UNITS OF THE CHINESE AIR FORCE AND NAVAL AVIATION

09/25/2017

Over the past two decades, the term “modernization” has been widely used by foreign affairs experts, military and political leaders, and intelligence analysts to describe the startling rapidity of the Chinese military’s rise from an arguably primitive force to one of the most technologically-advanced militaries in the world.

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Some for War, Others for Show: World's Top 5 Lesser-Known Aircraft Carriers

09/25/2017

When it comes to news about aircraft carriers, the US Navy has a virtual monopoly. Its fleet of Nimitz- and Gerald R. Ford-class supercarriers outclasses pretty much anything other naval powers, including near-competitors Russia and China, have to throw at them in terms of numbers, pure tonnage, and power projection capabilities.

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U.S. bombers, fighter jets counter 'reckless behavior' in show of force off North Korea coast

09/24/2017

U.S. Air Force B-1B bombers and F-15 jets, flying in international waters, carried out a show of force Saturday off the coast of North Korea aimed at countering what the Pentagon called Pyongyang's "reckless behavior." The Pentagon said the operation was taking place at the farthest point north of the Demilitarized Zone, which separates North and South Korea, that any U.S. fighter or bomber aircraft has flown this century.

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US-Led Coalition Jets Shot Down Syrian Combat Aircraft and UAV - Commander

09/23/2017

US Air Forces Central Command, Southwest Asia Commander Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian stated that in the recent months the US-led coalition against the Daesh has shot down unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Syria and one Syrian combat aircraft 'all in defense of our troops'.

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USAF provides new detail on KC-46 issues

09/23/2017

The US Air Force’s Boeing KC-46 tanker is facing three outstanding issues as it moves through testing, including a boom scraping problem that could pose serious risk to the tanker’s aircrew.

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OPINION: National interests are hard to please

09/23/2017

In Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces a dilemma. He postponed selection of a permanent replacement for a fleet of ageing Boeing CF-18s last year, partly over concerns about the cost of buying 65 Lockheed Martin F-35As. Then, Boeing brought an anti-dumping case against the Bombardier CSeries to the US Commerce Department, forcing him to shelve a planned interim buy of 18 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.

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Trump Prepares to Roll Back Drone Strike Rules Against Jihadist 'Foot-Soldiers’

09/23/2017

The Trump administration’s counterterrorism operations may start to include more and more drone strikes and commando raids on "foot-soldier jihadists," according to a new report. Former President Barack Obama required overseas Predator MQ-1 and Reaper MQ-9 attacks on terrorist elements to adhere to a pre-approved plan demonstrating that “the individual’s activities pose a continuing, imminent threat to US persons,”.

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US Supercarrier Starts New Drills With Japanese Navy South of Korean Peninsula

09/23/2017

The 100,000-ton USS Ronald Reagan convened with one Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter carrier and two destroyers off the Korean Peninsula to conduct military exercises, the Japanese military said Friday.

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Gun camera footage reveals the moment a Syrian fighter jet was destroyed by US Navy F/A-18s

09/22/2017

The moment a Syrian Su-22 “Fitter” combat jet was shot down by US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets has been revealed with the release of gun camera footage. It was the first time a fighter had been shot down by US combat jets since May 4, 1999, when a Serbian MiG-29 was destroyed by a US F-16. Now a detailed account of the June incident has been given by one of the pilots involved.

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Afghanistan, Pakistan and the F-16: Mattis has to hardsell these issues on his visit to India

09/22/2017

The US secretary of defence, retired Lieutenant General James Mattis, has a two-point agenda for his trip starting September 25: get New Delhi to commit to purchasing the Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 combat aircraft along with its assembly line under the aegis of the bilateral Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), and to give assurances that India’s Afghanistan policy will not undercut the American strategy to prevent the restoration of Taliban rule in Kabul.

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Budget uncertainty could delay F-15C IRST delivery

09/22/2017

The US Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin’s Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system for its Boeing F-15C, but a potential freeze on Pentagon dollars could delay delivery.

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Sniper pushes its way onto Hornet fleets

09/22/2017

Canada's plans to buy the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet may be off the table, but details of the originally requested configuration show a Raytheon-made targeting pod's grip on the Boeing fighter is under pressure from a Lockheed Martin alternative that was long considered incompatible.

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Gripen Aggressor enters the fray in US red air competition

09/21/2017

Saab is exploring the burgeoning red air market with its Gripen Aggressor, but the new adversary aircraft could face a tough competition against cheaper, former military jets.

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France speeds PC-21 deliveries

09/21/2017

France appears to have accelerated the delivery of 17 Pilatus PC-21 high-speed turboprops which will operate as trainer aircraft for its air force.

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USAF explores cloaking device for tankers

09/21/2017

The US Air Force will next month unveil the results of a study into survivability gaps on its fleet of tankers and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, the service’s head of Air Mobility Command (AMC) says.

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Russian Strategic Bombers Fly Over Baltic, Norwegian Seas

09/21/2017

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that Russian Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have carried out a routine flight over international waters in the Baltic and Norwegian seas.

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Russia Exports Mi-28NE Helicopters With Newest Defense Systems for 1st Time

09/21/2017

The Russian Helicopters company exported the first Mi-28NE "Night Hunter" modern attack helicopter with an onboard defense system (ODS) protecting it from guided anti-aircraft missiles with infrared homing heads, the company's CEO Andrey Boginsky said Wednesday.

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Russia to Deliver 12 Su-30K Fighters to Angola by Early 2018 - Repair Plant

09/21/2017

Russia will fulfill the contracted delivery of 12 modernized Su-30K fighter jets to Angola by early 2018, Aleksandr Vorobei, the deputy CEO of the 558 Aviation Repair Plant in Belarus, told Sputnik on Tuesday.

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