Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

USAF reveals intentions to acquire light attack fighter fleet

08/08/2018

After more than a year of flight demonstrations the US Air Force is formally moving the light attack aircraft experiment into the acquisitions phase, with the intention that it will award a production contract to Sierra Nevada Corporation or Textron Aviation in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019.

Chinese waverider vehicle hits Mach 6

08/08/2018

China has reportedly conducted the maiden flight of a new hypersonic test vehicle, achieving speeds of Mach 5.5 for over six minutes, and reaching Mach 6. The test of the unmanned system, designated Starry Sky 2, took place recently in Northwestern China, reports the official China Daily newspaper.

Who Care About Russia's Stealth Fighter: The Su-35 Is the Plane the Air Force Should Fear

08/06/2018

The Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E is the top Russian air-superiority fighter in service today, and represents the pinnacle of fourth-generation jet fighter design. It will remain so until Russia succeeds in bringing its fifth-generation PAK-FA stealth fighter into production.

Lockheed Martin delivers last upgraded C-5

08/06/2018

Air Mobility Command began a programme to modernize the C-5s in 1998 after a study concluded the decades-old aircraft had 80 percent of their service life remaining. Since, Lockheed Martin upgraded 52 C-5s for the USAF with new engines, avionics and diagnostics systems – upgrades which will extend the service life of the fleet out until the 2040s.

Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jets visited Croatia as part of a demonstration tour

08/05/2018

On the eve of the celebration of the 23rd anniversary of Operation Storm which ended Croatia’s 1991-95 war of independence, three Israeli F-16 Barak multi-purpose combat aircraft landed at the 91st air base of the Croatian Air Force in Pleso on 2 August.

China’s new J-16 advanced fighter jet ‘targeting Taiwan’ may soon be combat ready

08/05/2018

The announcement came as the air force said a squadron of J-16s – described as 4.5-generation fighter jets – had conducted a combat training exercise along with J-10, J-11B and Su-30 aircraft. “[The exercise] was a solid step towards comprehensive combat capability,” according to the PLA Air Force statement late on Thursday, which did not specify the date or location of the drill.

FAA clears obstacle to KC-46A delivery in October

08/05/2018

An unresolved software flaw won’t delay the first delivery of the Boeing KC-46A tanker after the US Federal Aviation Administration approved a temporary exemption from safety requirements. Boeing’s engineers discovered earlier this year that the KC-46A lacks an independent system to monitor fuel flow, as required by the FAA’s safety regulations.

The $717 billion defense bill just made its way to Trump's desk. Here's what the Pentagon is poised to get

08/03/2018

President Donald Trump is expected to approve the colossal defense policy bill that authorizes a top-line budget of $717 billion. The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act includes $616.9 billion for the Pentagon's base budget, another $69 billion for the overseas contingency operations, or OCO, funding and $21.9 billion for nuclear weapons programs under the Energy Department.

PICTURE: LCA Navy conducts arresting hook test

08/03/2018

The Hindustan Aeronautics LCA Navy fighter has passed a milestone with the engagement of an arresting hook in taxi tests. The work involved LCA Naval Prototype 2 contacting an arresting wire with the aircraft moving at “moderate taxi-in speeds,” says HAL. HAL says that this is the first of several tests at INS Goa that will develop the type’s arrestor hook capability.

Air Force Pilot on Why F-35 Is So Deadly: "I can look through the airplane and see the ground below me."

08/02/2018

The aircraft’s sensor technologies allow the platform to perform a much greater ISR function than previous aircraft can, giving it a “drone-like” ability to gather and disseminate surveillance information. As part of this, the F-35 can also use a specially engineered data-link to communicate in real-time with other F-35s and other aircraft and fighter jets.

Malaysia continues to face Russia-produced fighter aircraft problems

08/02/2018

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu has confirmed that country’s Air Force continues to facemaintenance problems and a lack ofspare parts of its Russian-made fighter jet fleet, according to a report in The Star Online newspaper on 31 July.

Ukrainian Air Force gets modernized MiG-29MU1 fighter aircraft – Poroshenko

08/02/2018

The Ukrainian Air Force received modernized MiG-29MU1 combat aircraft; two fighter planes were already transferred to one of the military units. President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko informed this on his Facebook page.

USAF studies NEAT replacement for E-4B, E-6B and C-32A

08/02/2018

A newly-posted solicitation document combines plans for replacing three separate US military aircraft fleets flown today by three different Boeing types into a single programme. The 747-200-derived E-4B, 707-based E-6B and 757-based C-32A could all be replaced under the US Air Force’s proposed NEAT programme.

UK Typhoons intercept Russian Su-24 bomber over Black Sea

07/31/2018

The UK Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets, based in Romania, have been successfully deployed to intercept Russian Su-24 Fencer aircraft operating near NATO airspace over the Black Sea. The RAF Typhoon aircraft operated from the Romanian Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta on the Black Sea coast.

“Retired” F-117 Stealth Fighters Seen Flying Over Nevada

07/31/2018

The F-117 Nighthawk, the first purpose-built stealth aircraft to enter combat, was retired in 2008 after a relatively short but eventful flying career. Aviation enthusiasts still catch glimpses of the “retired” jet flying from time to time. The latest sighting took place last week in the skies over Nevada, prompting the question: What are they doing?

PICTURES: Indian air force Apache, Chinook make flight debuts

07/31/2018

India's dual programme to introduce Boeing's AH-64E Apache and CH-47F Chinook rotorcraft has cleared a significant milestone, with first examples of each type having been flown for the first time.

Powerful Dragon v Raptor: how China’s J-20 stealth fighters compare with America’s F-22s

07/30/2018

China’s new J-20, officially named Weilong or powerful dragon, is one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets and the country’s answer to the American F-22 Raptor. In mid July the PLA Airforce released a video of a nighttime training exercise involving the stealth fighter as a demonstration of its combat readiness. The Chinese warplane was developed by the Chengdu Aerospace corporation, which began testing them in 2011 before the first planes entered service in March 2017.

Japan scrambles fighter jets to intercept Chinese spy plane after South Korea lodges protest

07/30/2018

Japan’s defence ministry said it scrambled fighter jets to intercept a Chinese electronic surveillance aircraft over the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, on Friday, after South Korea did the same when a PLA warplane entered its air defence identification zone the same day.

Raytheon, Northrop fight for F/A-18C/D AESA radar upgrade

07/30/2018

A two-way competition has started to fill a sudden requirement to replace mechanically-scanned Raytheon APG-73 radars on seven squadrons of US Marine Corps Boeing F/A-18C/Ds. Raytheon and Northrop Grumman plan to respond to a request for proposals issued by the Marines within the last two weeks with active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs).

OPINION: Turkish F-35 deal stays in danger zone

07/30/2018

After voicing previous disquiet over Turkey's acquisition of Lockheed Martin's latest stealth fighter, the US House and Senate armed services committees have made good on their threat of enacting legislation that could block future deliveries of the F-35 to Ankara.

New Details About the F-15X That Boeing is Pitching the US Air Force

07/27/2018

The single-seat jet is being built to shoot down enemy aircraft, pound targets on the ground, and even hit ships at sea. The new F-15 combat aircraft that Boeing is pitching to the U.S. Air Force would have a single-seat cockpit and a host of new weapons, including anti-ship missiles, Defense One has learned.

Canada asks fighter bidders for sustainment information

07/27/2018

As Canada formulates requirements for a future fighter to replace Boeing CF-18 Hornets, the government is now asking six potential bidders for information about their capabilities to maintain the new fleet. A letter of interest sent to bidders on 23 July broadens the Canadian government’s year-long series of engagements with industry suppliers.

F-35 fuselage production raises Northrop’s sales

07/27/2018

Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector, including its F-35 fuselage production line and restricted programmes, such as the B-21 stealth bomber, helped push the company’s second quarter sales higher, despite mixed results in its other business units. Overall, the company’s sales rose 10% to $7.1 billion, from $6.5 billion, for the three months ended 30 June 2018, according to the firm's quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

US defence bill cuts JSTARS

07/27/2018

The House and Senate’s compromise 2019 defence bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), endorsed the US Air Force’s plan to replace the Northrop Grumman E-8 JSTARS with a new network of sensors spread across unmanned aerial vehicles and aircraft, called the Advanced Battle Management System.

Israel shoots down Syrian fighter near Golan Heights

07/25/2018

Israel says it has shot down a Syrian warplane which entered its airspace - a rare incident between the two foes. Two surface-to-air missiles were fired at the Sukhoi fighter jet, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted. According to Israeli reports, it happened over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The pilot's fate is not clear.