Military Aviation News Archive

Bell pushes Valor’s first flight past September

10/04/2017

Bell Helicopter did not reach first flight with its V-280 Valor on 30 September as originally announced and instead projects the tiltrotor aircraft will meet that milestone in November, V-280’s programme manager tells FlightGlobal this week.

DARPA and AFRL take laser aim at small UAVs

10/03/2017

The US Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are ramping up their efforts to thwart small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), with two recent requests out looking for sensors and lasers to shoot down or disable them.

US Navy confirms T-45 trainer crash

10/03/2017

The service reported the trainer aircraft missing after the T-45 departed from Knoxville, Tennessee for NAS Meridian, Mississippi on Sunday. At about 6 p.m. 1 October, NAS Meridian received reports of a jet crash near Tellico Plains, Tennessee, about 112km (70mi) south of Knoxville. The training wing had a T-45C flying near Tellico Plains that had not returned to the air station, the navy says in a 2 October statement.

China's J-20 reaches service milestone

10/03/2017

The Chengdu J-20 fighter has entered service with the Chinese air force, as reports of emerge of progress with indigenous engines. A brief, three-line statement from the Chinese ministry of defence said the devleopmental type had entered service, but added little else. It is not clear exactly how many have entered service, but Chinese defence chatrooms suggest the number of in-service examples could be six.

Russian-Serbian Joint Aviation Drills Kick Off in Central Russia – MoD

10/03/2017

Joint Russian-Serbian BARS (Brotherhood of Aviators of Russia and Serbia) tactical flight drills have kicked off in the Russian central city of Lipetsk, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. The drills are carried out in accordance with the international military cooperation plan and will conclude at the end of next week, according to the ministry.

Russia Starts Delivering MiG-29 Warplanes to Serbia

10/03/2017

On Monday, Russia has started the first delivery of six Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia, a source in the sphere of military-technical cooperation told Sputnik. The first An-124 military transport aircraft, loaded with disassembled Russian Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets, was scheduled to take off from Tretyakovo airport in the Moscow Region, which is operated by Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, at noon on Monday.

Why North Korea Should Fear South Korea's Air Force

10/01/2017

After a large army, the second most important arm of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces has historically been the country’s air force. The Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) is the most powerful air force on the Korean Peninsula, with a capability far greater than its northern rival, providing air cover and support to ground forces defending south of the thirty-eighth parallel. Recently, the air force has taken on a new task as Seoul shapes a conventional force to deter North Korea’s nuclear we

PERSPECTIVES ON THE INDIAN FIGHTER COMPETITION

10/01/2017

During the Paris Air Show, on June 19, the company announced a coproduction agreement with the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TATA), and now it has disclosed that in anticipation of a contract from the Indian Air Force (IAF) for a single engine aircraft manufacturing facility, it has already initiated steps to create the required ecosystem in the country.

'Honest Broker': UK Journalist Hails Russia's Role in Syrian War

10/01/2017

While airstrikes by the US-led coalition in Syria have only resulted in terrorists seizing ever new chunks of Syrian territory, the Russian military operation, launched in 2016 , has led to a huge military shift turning the tables against the jihadists, an independent British journalist told Sputnik.

Marine Corps aircraft crashes at Syrian base, leaving two wounded

09/30/2017

A Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crashed on a coalition base in Syria early Friday morning, injuring two American troops in a combat zone where the United States maintains Special Operations forces and artillery support. The aircraft is a “total loss,” having experienced what the military refers to as a hard landing before catching fire on the ground, a U.S. defense official told The Washington Post. Officials have not said what caused the crash, only that it’s possible the fire was somehow related.

Navy trainers resume flying with oxygen monitoring upgrades

09/30/2017

The US Navy has cleared the Boeing T-45 Goshawk fleet to resume regular flights after a five-month grounding caused by contamination concerns over the system that generates and supplies oxygen to the training jet's pilots.

PICTURE: Afghan air force welcomes first Black Hawks

09/30/2017

A lead cadre of Afghan air force pilots is poised to commence training on the service's first two Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk utility helicopters, following their delivery on 18 September. The rotorcraft arrived at Kandahar airfield aboard a US Air Force Boeing C-17 strategic transport, following a flight from Huntsville, Alabama.

Meet the J-20: China Commissions First Non-US Stealth Aircraft (VIDEO)

09/30/2017

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLA-AF) of China has officially commissioned its very first stealth aircraft, Chengdu’s J-20 fighter, a Chinese military spokesman said September 28, making it only one of three operational stealth aircraft models in the world.

Leonardo flies first upgraded Brazilian Super Lynx

09/29/2017

Leonardo Helicopters has performed the maiden sortie of the first of eight upgraded Super Lynx Mk21A rotorcraft for the Brazilian navy. Each helicopter will receive new CTS800 engines, made by the Honeywell-Rolls-Royce joint venture LHTEC, as well as new glass cockpits and an advanced avionics suite.

China and Pakistan Demonstrate Alliance, Flex Muscles During Joint Exercise

09/29/2017

For the first time ever, a Pakistani fighter pilot has flown a Chinese warplane during joint combat exercises between the two Asian nations. The exercises, which lasted through most of September, took place in Xinjiang, the westernmost province of China that borders Pakistan.

Russia to Take Adequate Response if Observation Flights Over US Limited

09/29/2017

Moscow will take adequate retaliatory steps if observation flights over the US under the Open Skies treaty are limited, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated. Russia will evaluate the US intentions reportedly aimed to impede observation flights under the Treaty on Open Skies, spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said during a press briefing.

The Air Force Is Sending Its Light Attack Plane Competition to War

09/28/2017

The U.S. Air Force is sending two of the four aircraft involved in its OA-X light attack aircraft competition to the battlefield. The move, likely unprecedented, will allow the service to evaluate both airplanes in combat missions before a final purchase decision is made.

Indonesia's SU-35 countertrade deal: Worth its weight in jet fighters?

09/28/2017

In August, Indonesia announced that state-owned trading company PT Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia and Russia’s state-owned defence holding company Rostec had signed a memorandum of understanding, on a countertrade deal for the procurement of 11 Russian Sukhoi SU-35 Flanker E combat aircraft.

The Greatest Threat Today To U.S. Air Superiority May Be The Pilots’ Oxygen System

09/28/2017

Today the greatest threat to U.S. air superiority may be something entirely different and, until recently, almost unrecognized by the military. This is the danger of hypoxia, a deprivation of adequate oxygen for the human body to function. Hypoxia can cause dizziness, disorientation, decreased mental functions, a slowing of reflexes, heart palpitations and, in very severe cases, death.

BAE optimistic about fighter-borne directed energy weapons

09/28/2017

The chief technologist of BAE Systems is optimistic about fighter aircraft carrying directed energy weapons in the not-too-distant future, as he also discusses other emergent technologies.

Seoul to add more T-50s to meet training requirements

09/28/2017

Seoul looks likely obtain additional Korea Aerospace Industries T-50 advanced jet trainers (AJT) to support its future fleet of advanced fighter aircraft. The new aircraft are necessary owing to incoming types such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 and, in the 2020s, of the KAI KFX fighter, says the defence ministry. It did not state the number of aircraft to be acquired, or the type, but requires that they be domestically acquired. The only AJT produced in south Korea is the T-50.

Why the U.S. Military Misses the F-14 Tomcat

09/27/2017

The service has not had a dedicated air-to-air combat aircraft since it retired the Grumman F-14 Tomcat in 2006. But even the Tomcat was adapted into a strike aircraft during its last years in service after the Soviet threat evaporated. Now, as new threats to the carrier emerge and adversaries start to field new fighters that can challenge the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35C Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), attention is starting to shift back to this oft-neglected Navy mission

Israel, Croatia discuss combat aircraft tender

09/27/2017

Israel’s Defense Minister on Tuesday confirmed his country was in discussions with Croatia over supplying combat aircraft and military cooperation. Croatia will close a tender for the purchase of a squadron of combat aircraft, which was announced in July this year to replace its existing MIG combat fleet that does not meet NATO standards. Defense Minister Damir Krsticevic said Greece, Sweden, the U.S., Israel and South Korea had submitted offers, which were now being evaluated.

Germany lifts Tiger helicopter grounding

09/27/2017

Germany has lifted a flight ban on the fleet of Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack rotorcraft operated by its army, but has yet to restart operations with the type. Berlin grounded the Tiger, except for operational emergencies, following a late-July fatal crash near Gao in Mali in which two servicemen were killed.

Germany, Norway sign for five A330 tankers

09/27/2017

Germany and Norway have formally added a further five Airbus Defence & Space A330 multirole tanker transports to a multinational programme launched earlier this year by Luxembourg and the Netherlands.