Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russian Nuclear-Capable Bombers Fly Near Alaska for Second Night in Row

04/20/2017

US military has tracked two Russian nuclear-capable bombers near the coast of Alaska for a second night in row, according Fox News. Following a similar incident on April 17, the Russian planes appeared close to the Aleutian Islands on Tuesday night, Fox News reported citing US officials.

US Supercarrier Carl Vinson to Spend 30 Extra Days at Sea Near Korean Peninsula

04/20/2017

Carrier Strike Group One Commander Rear Adm. Jim Kilby said that supercarrier Carl Vinson will spend additional 30 days at sea to ensure US military presence off the Korean Peninsula.

Japan: US Marine Corps F-35B Fighter Jets Gearing up for Combat

04/19/2017

U.S. Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the service’s first overseas-deployed F-35B squadron, has conducted a hot-reload exercise at an airbase in Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture on April 6. It was the first time that ordnance was loaded onto a running F-35B, the U.S. Marine Corps variant of the supersonic fifth-generation F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, capable of vertical or short takeoffs and vertical landings without requiring a catapult launcher.

US F-22s intercept Russian bombers off Alaska coast

04/19/2017

Two Russian TU-95 Bear bombers were intercepted in international airspace off the coast of Alaska by two US F-22 Raptor fighter aircraft on Monday, the Pentagon confirmed to CNN. The intercept, which was described by a US military official as safe and professional, took place about 100 miles from Kodiak Island after the Russian aircraft flew into the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone.

Norways starts F-35 braking parachute tests

04/19/2017

Norway has begun testing of the braking parachute it will employ on its fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35As. Initial efforts at Edwards AFB in California will focus on how the Joint Strike Fighter handles with the parachute fitted, as well as braking on both dry and wet runways. A later phase, running until early 2018 at Eielson AFB in Alaska, will evaluate its performance on icy runways.

Sikorsky Expands Helicopter Operations in Asia With New Center in Thailand

04/19/2017

Maintenance and support facilities for US helicopters are being expanding in the Asia-Pacific region with the opening of a center in Thailand, the Lockheed-Martin subsidiary Sikorsky announced in a press release on Tuesday. "This support center will represent Sikorsky’s seventh in the Asia-Pacific region and add to the growing network of 20 Sikorsky support centers world-wide," the release stated.

Russian Experts Impressed by N Korean Missiles, but Say ICBMs Still Decades Away

04/19/2017

Observers worldwide took note of the array of weapons put on display during Saturday's military parade in Pyongyang, including mockups of new long-range missiles. In a special commentary for Sputnik, analyst Vasily Kashin said that while the country's ICBM program is still far from the test phase, its leaders certainly aren't lacking in ambition.

Iran’s Fake Qaher F-313 Stealth Fighter Is Back

04/18/2017

A new version of Iran’s ridiculous Qaher F-313 stealth fighter has made an appearance complete with a video of the aircraft performing taxi trials. While Iran’s latest effort shows improvement over the last iteration of the Qaher, this new version of the alleged stealth fighter is probably just a model.

US, South Korea Hold Massive Air Combat Drills In Show Of Force As North Korea’s Missiles ‘Fizzle’ Out

04/18/2017

The U.S. and South Korea deployed numerous air assets for a massive air combat drill one day after North Korea’s latest ballistic provocation, the U.S. military reports. Around 1,000 U.S. airmen and fighter jets will train alongside the South Korean Air Force in the two-week Max Thunder exercise, one of the largest military flying exercises held in South Korea, U.S. Pacific Command revealed. The joint combat exercises began Monday and will last until the end of April.

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.