Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Communications gateway between F-35 and F-22 still TBD

04/04/2017

Two of the US Air Force’s premier fifth-generation fighters, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II and F-22A Raptor, still can’t transmit data back and forth but the service’s plan to fix the communication gap is undetermined.

Beijing Set to Commission First Made-in-China Aircraft Carrier

04/04/2017

China’s first domestically constructed aircraft carrier is slated to take on the high seas for the first time within the next three weeks. The Shandong will be the second aircraft carrier to join the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s rapidly growing fleet.

Tu-128: Russia's Supersonic B-52 Killer

04/02/2017

The Soviet Union had extraordinarily lengthy borders that were difficult to patrol against American nuclear bombers and spy planes. New ground-based surface-to-air missiles simply could not cover such a vast area. Confronted with a sizeable problem, the Soviets in typical fashion produced a gargantuan solution: the Tupolev Tu-128 jet fighter, which measured thirty meters long and grossed forty-three tons fully loaded—roughly half over the weight and size of the famously large F-4 Phantom.

VIDEO: Watch the first flight of Saudi Arabia’s AN-132 military aircraft

04/02/2017

After conducting all its ground tests, the Saudi-Ukrainian military aircraft Antonov AN-132 completed its first flight. The AN-132 was first launched last December. Video of the aircraft’s first flight showed Antonov AN-132’s first maneuvers in Ukraine under the supervision of an engineering committee from the Saudi and Ukrainian sides.

BAE Systems Awarded F-35 Lightning II Program Sustainment Contract

04/02/2017

BAE Systems has been awarded a sub-contracted work worth £40 million by Lockheed Martin to work together on speeding up delivery of Royal Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II fleet. Awarded under the main contract worth more than £80m (US$102.2m), sub-contract work will bring together Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems to form a team of more than 100 skilled technicians at RAF Marham, which will provide engineering and technical expertise, deliver air-crew and ground-crew training, facilitate routine main

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) Sales Grew 4% in Fiscal 2016-17

04/02/2017

State-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) posted sales of Rs 17,406 crore in the just-concluded fiscal 2016-17, registering 4 per cent annual growth from Rs 16,736 crore in the previous fiscal, the defence behemoth said on Saturday.

China’s South China Sea ambitions require a diplomatic response

04/01/2017

Imagery released earlier this month indicates that China has nearly completed construction of several facilities in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Fiery Cross Reef has hangars, mobile missile shelters, and radar arrays. Mischief and Subi reefs house similar structures. In total, the Spratly Islands can now accommodate 72 combat aircraft and about 15 larger planes including bombers, transporters, and refueling aircraft.

Boeing hopes its Super Hornet fighter can emerge triumphant from Pentagon budget battle

04/01/2017

Since its inception nearly 40 years ago, the F/A-18 fighter family has come to dominate Navy carrier decks — and supported a base of more than 200 military contractors in Southern California. With a stealthy replacement rolling off assembly lines, though, its days seemed to be numbered.

Gripen E to gain enhanced anti-ship missile

04/01/2017

Sweden will equip its future fleet of Gripen E fighters with an extended-range version of the Saab/Diehl Defence-produced RBS15 anti-ship missile, under a project worth SKr3.2 billion ($358 million).

Field Aviation to update Canadian T-6 fleet

04/01/2017

Under the project, the Canadian company will equip 22 locally designated CT-156 Harvard IIs with a traffic advisory system, automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) transponder and wide area augmentation system GPS receiver. The enhancements will enable the single-engined turboprop to comply with the US Federal Aviation Administration’s incoming ADS-B Out regulations.

OPINION: Can Pentagon's new F-35 chief keep on target?

04/01/2017

A military acquisition manager has a tough job. There are schedules to meet and budgets to keep, fickle politicians to placate, penny-pinching from bureaucrats and relentless finagling by contractors.

New Toys: Pentagon’s V-22 Tiltrotors Might Get Lasers, Sound Weapons

04/01/2017

As part of an endless effort to modernize and enhance the capabilities of the US armed forces, the US Marine Corps is considering upgrading the multirole V-22 Osprey with high intensity directed energy weaponry – or, more simply, lasers.

Czech Republic Unveils Revamped L-159 Attack Aircraft After Production Reboot

04/01/2017

The Czech Republic's Aero Vodochody aircraft company has unveiled its first upgraded Aero L-159 ALCA light attack jet after an almost 15-year pause in production, local media said Friday.

Can Serbia Become a Regional Center for the Repair of Russian Mi Helicopters?

04/01/2017

The discussion about whether Serbia can become a regional center for the repair of Russian Mi helicopters has been ongoing for over a year. Recently the Serbian Defense Ministry stated that Russia has expressed interest in such a center.

UK SoD Announces $112Mln Contract for F-35 Combat Jet Maintenance

04/01/2017

UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon on Friday announced a 90 million pound ($112 million) contract for UK-based BAE Systems to support the upkeep of F-35 fighter jets.

Leonardo plans to produce advanced Air Force trainer in Tuskegee

03/31/2017

Governor Robert Bentley announced today that Leonardo, a global aerospace and defense firm, will create 750 jobs at an advanced assembly center at Tuskegee’s Moton Field if the company’s T-100 jet trainer wins a U.S. Air Force competition for a next-generation training aircraft.

Philippines to verify Chinese military assets in Spratlys

03/31/2017

The Philippine government said it is yet to verify the completion of Chinese military assets in the Spratly (Kalayaan) Islands in the South China Sea, the country's top diplomat said Thursday. This is despite Washington-based think tank CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative's (AMTI) recently released satellite images showing the nearly complete construction of infrastructures on Subi (Zamora), Mischief (Panganiban) and Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reefs.

Indian navy and coast guard order 32 Dhruv helicopters

03/31/2017

Hindustan Aeronautics has secured an INR80 billion ($1.2 billion) order for 32 Dhruv helicopters for use by the Indian navy and coast guard. Each maritime arm will receive 16 examples of the 5.5t Dhruv, says HAL in a statement.

USAF pushes back on F-15 retirement

03/31/2017

The prospect of an F-15C/D fleet retirement cropped up during a House Armed Services Committee hearing last week, when members of Congress asked USAF leadership whether the Boeing aircraft could be replaced with Lockheed Martin F-16s. While the director of the Air National Guard entertained that concept as a possibility, the air force’s public affairs quickly pushed back on the idea, saying it was “pre-decisional.”

Navy F/A-18s face persistent oxygen issue

03/31/2017

The US Navy is still struggling to find the root cause of the hypoxia issue plaguing the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and E/A-18G Growler, service leadership told House Armed Services Committee members this week. The service’s Boeing F/A-18s are experiencing a dangerous crew cabin pressure issue, while the newer variants may have possible oxygen contamination.

Airbus, Indonesian industry to discuss A400M possibilities

03/31/2017

The LOI was signed with Pelita Air Services, which represents a consortium of state-owned companies involved in aerospace, says Airbus in an email to FlightGlobal. “We believe that the A400M will be an outstanding asset to support Indonesia´s vision of creating an air bridge to help redistribute wealth and resources across the archipelago as well as providing the basis for the expansion of our long-standing industrial cooperation,” says Fernando Alonso, head of military aircraft at the airframer

UAE Shows Interest in Procurement of 1st Russian Unmanned Helicopter

03/31/2017

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is showing interest in the procurement of Russia's Ka-226 and Ansat helicopters, CEO of Russian Helicopters, a Moscow-based helicopter manufacturer, Andrey Boginsky said Thursday.

Iran 'Testing the Waters' By Saying Russia Could Get Access to Military Bases

03/31/2017

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif indicated that Tehran could allow Russia to use its military bases to carry out counterterrorism missions in Syria, saying the decisions would be made "on a case-by-case basis." Political analyst Vladimir Sazhin told Radio Sputnik that Iran's statement is meant to test the waters.

Japan Deploys New Kawasaki C-2 Military Transport Aircraft to Local Airbase

03/31/2017

According to the Kyodo news agency, the Miho airbase has become the first place of deployment of these aircraft. Three Kawasaki C-2 jets were delivered to the airbase on Tuesday, while the solemn ceremony of the deployment took place earlier on Thursday, the news outlet said.

Analysis: The Pace of Chinese Military Modernization is Getting Attention at the Pentagon and in Congress

03/30/2017

China's rapid development of new destroyers, amphibs, stealth fighters and long-range weapons is quickly increasing its ability to threaten the United States and massively expand expeditionary military operations around the globe, according to a Congressional report.