Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

How the U.S. Air Force Trains for a War with Russia (or Russian Fighters)

05/03/2017

As the United States Air Force continues its struggle with fielding enough aggressor aircraft for its combat aircraft crews to train against, contractors are stepping up to the plate. In some cases, contractors are able to field remarkable aircraft that provide an exceptionally authentic replication of enemy aircraft. Such is case of Air USA—the company has managed to acquire three two-seat trainer versions of the Mikoyan MiG-29UB Fulcrum.

How F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F-22 Raptor Pilots Train for War

05/03/2017

The U.S. Air Force’s Atlantic Trident 17 exercise brought together some of the NATO alliance’s most capable combat aircraft including the fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter as well as the British Eurofighter Typhoon and the French Dassault Rafale at Joint Base Langley Eustis in Virginia.

Boeing puzzles over UH-1N replacement requirements

05/03/2017

Boeing and Leonardo Helicopters, along with their rotorcraft competitors, are baffled by the US Air Force’s requirements for the UH-1N Huey replacement programme but are pressing ahead with a bid based on the MH-139, a militarised version of the commercial AW139 medium-twin.

PICTURE: NATO puts Baltic air defences to the test

05/03/2017

NATO staged the two-day "Ramstein Alloy 4" exercise in late April over Lithuania, giving locally deployed air forces the opportunity to practise quick reaction alert procedures and boost interoperability.

New Zealand requests details about P-8A Poseidon

05/03/2017

The US State Department has approved the possible sale of four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to New Zealand. The deal is estimated at $1.46 billion, says the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in a statement. It follows a request from New Zealand about the Poseidon.

Twin-seat JF-17B takes maiden flight

05/03/2017

The two-seat variant of the Chengdu/Pakistan Aeronautical Complex JF-17 Thunder fighter has conducted its first flight. Reports and images on Chinese defence sites indicate that the jet conducted its maiden sortie on 27 April at 11:04 a.m. from Chengdu.

US Counts on New Air Refueling Tankers - General

05/03/2017

The scheduled delivery of 179 next generation aerial tankers is critical for the air campaign in the Middle East and Afghanistan, as well as other theaters, the Commander of US Transportation Command Gen. Darren McDew told Congress on Tuesday.

India Test-Fires BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Land Attack Missile

05/03/2017

Amid heightened tension at its western border, the Indian Army has successfully test-fired an extended-range version of the BRAHMOS land-attack cruise missile in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The North Korean threat is not theoretical, it is reality

05/02/2017

North Korea is surging to the brink. Advancements in their missile technology and nuclear weapons program will soon put the United States in the crosshairs. As Senator John McCain recently remarked: “A North Korean missile tipped with a nuclear warhead, capable of reaching our homeland is no longer a distant hypothetical, but an imminent danger.”

CHINA MARKETED ITS GROWING ARMED DRONE PORTFOLIO IN LATIN AMERICA

05/02/2017

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) is marketed its growing portfolio of combat aircraft in Latin American by attending Feria Aeroespacial Mexico (FAMEX), which concluded on April 29. The newly revealed Wing Loong II was also in attendance at FAMEX. The Wing Loong II is an update to the Chengdu Wing Loong, also known as the Pterodactyl-I. The Wing Loong II was revealed in November at Air Show China 2016 and had its first flight in February 2017.

US Forces Korea Confirm THAAD Operational, Can Intercept DPRK Missiles

05/02/2017

US Forces Korea spokesman Col. Rob Manning said that the THAAD missile defense system is currently operational and ready to defend South Korea if Pyongyang launches an attack.

Construction Begins on South Korea’s Massive New ‘Light Aircraft Carrier’

05/02/2017

A keel-laying ceremony for the 14,500-ton amphibious landing ship was held in Busan Friday at the Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Co. shipyard. The vessel is set to be launched in April 2018.

Ukraine, UK, Canada to Fly Over Russia, Belarus in May

05/02/2017

Head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov said that the joint mission of Canada, the United Kingdom and Ukraine will carry out an observation flight over Russia and Belarus on May 2 – 6 under the Open Skies Treaty.

IAF asked to be ready for ‘wars’ with Pakistan, China

04/30/2017

In keeping with changing military needs, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been asked by its chief to maintain a state of combat readiness for a possible 10-day war with Pakistan. The force has also been told to be ready for a possible 15-day conflict with China.

Bulgaria ranks first Sweden's offer to supply combat aircraft - report

04/30/2017

Sweden's offer to supply Gripen combat aircraft to Bulgaria's Air Force has been ranked first, public radio broadcaster BNR reported on Wednesday. The offers submitted by Portugal (with a logistics package sourced from the USA) and Italy were ranked second and third, respectively, BNR said following a meeting of the caretaker government which endorsed the conclusions of the working group in charge of assessing the offers.

North Korea's missile test fails, US military says

04/30/2017

A ballistic missile launched early Saturday by North Korea in defiance of international pressure and at a time of heightened regional tensions appears to have failed. The missile blew up over land in North Korean territory, said US Navy Cmdr. Dave Benham, a spokesman for the US Pacific Command

Russia's Air Defense on High Alert After N Korean Missile Launch - Top Lawmaker

04/30/2017

Another ballistic missile launch carried out by Pyongyang has increased the probability of a military conflict in the region, Victor Ozerov, the chairman of the Russian upper house of parliament’s committee on defense and security, told Sputnik Saturday.

US Government Okays $138 Million Sale of Radar Killing Missiles to Australia

04/30/2017

The US government approved the sale of more than 100 supersonic anti-radar missiles to the Australian government, the Department of State said in a press release. "The proposed sale of this equipment and support does not alter the basic military balance in the region," the release stated.

Fighter jet variant jointly built by China, Pakistan makes debut flight

04/28/2017

China on Thursday launched an upgraded version of a fighter jet manufactured jointly with Pakistan that can be used for training in peacetime and for combat missions during wartime. The dual-seat fighter trainer JF-17B is an upgraded version of the military aircraft JF-17. The JF-17B was developed by Aviation Industry Corporation of China to meet the requirements of international customers and the global market, according to AVIC.

China launches its first combat-ready aircraft carrier

04/28/2017

On August 26, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) launched its first domestically constructed aircraft carrier from a shipyard in Dailan. The as-yet-unnamed carrier still requires much more additional work before it joins PLAN's fleet. But the ship's construction began less than five years ago (in November of 2012), and it only moved into full dry-dock construction in 2015.

Israeli strikes inside Syria pick up tempo in proxy war

04/28/2017

Syria’s military said Israel struck a military installation southwest of Damascus International Airport before dawn Thursday, setting off a series of explosions and raising tensions further between the two neighbors. Apparently seeking to interrupt weapons transfers to the Hezbollah group in Lebanon, Israel has struck inside Syria with increasing frequency in recent weeks, making the war-torn country a proxy theater for Israel’s wider war with Iran.

Gripen tops shortlist for Bulgarian fighter deal

04/28/2017

Bulgaria's government has announced the Saab Gripen C/D as the preferred candidate in the country’s new combat aircraft competition. Sofia late last year issued a request for proposals for the purchase of eight multirole fighters, to be delivered by 2020. Another eight of the selected type would be contracted in 2022 under current plans.

Poland Sets Sights on NATO Aircraft to Replace Soviet-Era Warbirds

04/28/2017

In an effort to upgrade its air force and to bolster the nation’s military, Poland is considering the possibility of replacing its aging fleet of Soviet military aircraft with US-manufactured warplanes. According to RIA Novosti, the Polish military seeks to do away with the Su-22 and MiG-29 military aircraft currently employed by Poland’s Air Force, and has currently set its eyes on theF-16 and F-35 multirole fighters, which may eventually replace the aging Soviet planes.

T-X competitive field could expand, Saab suggests

04/27/2017

The Boeing/Saab team which is vying to win the US Air Force's T-X advanced jet trainer recapitalisation contest is on track to accumulate all required information by the end of this quarter, according to the Swedish manufacturer.

F-35 will not attend Paris Air Show

04/27/2017

The Lockheed Martin F-35 will skip an appearance in June at the Paris air show, the joint programme office confirms. With the event less than two months away, the JPO has not received an invitation to attend and is not aware of any F-35 participation in the show, a JPO spokesman tells FlightGlobal.