Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia reveals export ambitions for MiG-35

02/03/2017

Russia has rolled out its first RAC MiG-35 fighter and announced its intention to offer the multirole type to a host of potential export customers, including India. Staged at the airframer’s Lukhovitsy site near Moscow on 27 January, the milestone event was attended by officials including Russian air force chief Col Gen Victor Bondarev and delegations from more than 30 countries. United Aircraft identifies these as having including representatives from nations including China, India, Peru and Vi

Beijing to Deploy Aircraft Carrier in South China Sea Amid Tensions With US

02/03/2017

The decision to station the Shandong aircraft carrier, currently under construction in Dalian, in close vicinity of a Chinese nuclear submarine base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea is fully in line with the original purpose of this particular type of ships, military expert Vasily Kashin told Sputnik.

Up close and personal with the first Saudi F-15SA, the most advanced Eagle ever built

02/02/2017

The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has officially received its first Boeing F-15SA multirole jets in a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the King Faisal Air College in Riyadh on Jan. 25, 2017.

New Russian 4++ generation jet fighter Mig-35 test (video)

02/02/2017

In a widely publicized event on Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (MiG) parented by United Aircraft Corporation officially demonstrated the new MiG-35 to the Russian government. A subsequent demonstration for export customers was carried on January 27 Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have viewed the first demonstration via remote video due to poor weather in the region.

How Lockheed Martin Could Make the F-22 Raptor Even More 'Stealth

02/02/2017

Lockheed Martin and the United States Air Force have been working on improving the performance of the F-22 Raptor’s stealth coatings. While the Raptor is by far the most capable air superiority fighter ever built, its Achilles’ Heel since it entered service has been maintenance. The F-22’s sensitive radar absorbent coatings have proven to be costly and difficult to repair, but the Air Force and Lockheed have been working on improving the performance.

First F-22 Raptor Delivered from Lockheed Martin Speedline

02/02/2017

Lockheed Martin Corp. completed the first F-22 Raptor at the company's Inlet Coating Repair (ICR) Speedline facility and delivered the aircraft back to the U.S. Air Force ahead of schedule. The U.S. Air Force contracted Lockheed Martin to establish the Speedline in Marietta, Georgia, in August 2016 and the first F-22 arrived there in early November. A second aircraft arrived in early December 2016 and a third in late January 2017.

Deadline passes for Lockheed F-35 contract appeal, but options remain

02/02/2017

The deadline has passed for Lockheed Martin to file an appeal with the Armed Services Board of Contracts Appeals over the unilateral terms imposed on the ninth lot of low-rate initial production contract for F-35s, but alternative legal avenues may still remain to overturn the deal.

Mattis review will validate F-35: USMC aviation chief

02/02/2017

The US Marine Corps deputy commandant for aviation is placing his bets on the Lockheed Martin F-35C ahead of a Pentagon review that will compare the Lightning II to Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Northrop, BAE withdrawal cuts T-X bidders to two

02/02/2017

Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems have decided not to submit a bid for a $16 billion US Air Force contract for 300-350 advanced jet trainers, narrowing a once diverse field to as little as two competitors.

India's HTT-40 Basic Trainer To Be Equipped With Harzell Propeller

02/01/2017

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd has planned to equip HTT-40 two-place turbine basic trainer aircraft with Hartzell Propeller's four-blade lightweight aluminum propeller. The new indigenous HTT-40 is designed and built by HAL under the country's Make In India initiative. The HTT-40 will be soon replacing the piston-powered HPT-32 Deepak trainer for the Indian Air Force.

New Boeing deal a boost to suppliers

02/01/2017

When news came out late last week that the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing $2.1 billion for 15 KC-46A tanker aircraft, spare engines and wing air refueling pod kits, it was seen as a boost for the aerospace giant. While it was good news for Boeing, it likely is even better news for its suppliers.

U.S. Navy orders radar detection kits for MH-60R aircraft

02/01/2017

The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $45.8 million contract to deliver automatic radar detection kits to support MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. The order covers 29 automatic periscope detection radars and discrimination standard retrofit p-kits. Periscope detection radars such as the Navy's AN/SPS-74(V) use a high-resolution sensor to quickly scan the surface for threats.

Raytheon marks milestone with another key defense missile

02/01/2017

Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems marked a milestone for one of its key defense programs with the completion of its 20,000th Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM. The AIM-120 AMRAAM entered service in 1991 and was originally made by Hughes Aircraft, which was acquired by Raytheon in 1997. It is used by the U.S. and 36 allied nations and has been credited for destroying at least nine enemy planes in combat over Iraq and Kosovo during the 1990s.

MV-22 crash lands during SEAL raid in Yemen

02/01/2017

A US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crash landed during a 29 January raid on an alleged terrorist compound in Yemen this week, injuring three service members.

ANALYSIS: India's LCA programme keeps on fighting

02/01/2017

India’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) fighter programme has had a long and chequered history. The process from first flight of a technology demonstrator to service entry, in July 2016, took 15 years. The “Tejas” received government approval in 2016 for another 83 airplanes specified to the Mk1A standard, adding to 40 earlier orders for the Mk1 version.

Chinese Aircraft Carrier Program to Make New Advances in 2017

02/01/2017

In November 2016 the Soviet-era Liaoning, Beijing’s only carrier, was declared “combat ready” by political commissar Senior Capt. Li Dongyou. Following the declaration, the ship departed on a training voyage that featured a stop on the edge of the South China Sea, at the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) base on Hainan Island.

Croatia, Serbia Buying Advanced Weapons

02/01/2017

Serbia has announced that it will acquire two BUK surface-to-air missile systems and eight Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircraft from Belarus, following Croatia’s plans to obtain new military trucks, transport helicopters, fighter jets, self-propelled howitzers, and patrol vessels this year.

ANALYSIS: Trainers a priority for India's air force

01/31/2017

Despite its declining combat fleet, the Indian air force still requires large numbers of trained pilots and technical personnel, especially given the acquisition of new fixed and rotary wing types.

Russia Does Not Rule Out Assistance to Iraq in Fight Against Daesh

01/31/2017

Russia does not rule out the possibility of assistance to Iraq in the fight against the Daesh terrorist group if Baghdad shows such an interest, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

Russia Sees 'Unlimited Possibilities' in Anti-Daesh Cooperation With US

01/31/2017

Moscow sees nearly boundless possibilities in anti-Daesh cooperation with the United States, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday. "As regards possible forms of cooperation with the US on fighting Daesh… I see almost unlimited possibilities, with the political will and readiness of our militaries, to implement this political will into concrete agreements, concrete action," Lavrov told reporters.

Video - C-5 Galaxy, biggest cargo aircraft in the US Air Force

01/30/2017

Operating exclusively within the US Air Force for nearly five decades, the C-5 Galaxy is still the biggest US military cargo aircraft. When American manufacturer Lockheed built it in 1969, it was also the largest aircraft in the world. Measuring a whopping 250 feet long (76m), 223 feet across (68m), and 65ft tall (20m), this monster can easily swallow up two M1 Abrams tanks, six Apache helicopters or ten light armoured vehicles in its hold, and then transport them up to 5,000 miles (8,000 km).

Why China and Russia Fear America's New Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers

01/30/2017

In 2009, the U.S. Navy finally began construction of the first new type of aircraft carrier in nearly thirty-five years. Named after former president and naval aviator Gerald R. Ford, the USS Ford fully takes the nuclear supercarrier into the twenty-first century. The technological innovations built into the new ship, while causing the inevitable delays involved in building a first-in-class vessel, will keep the Navy’s unique fleet of super flattops the largest and most advanced in the world.

Confronting China's slow invasion at sea

01/30/2017

Since the 1990s, China has insistently waged a slow and deliberate imperial war of territorial expansion in the South China Sea. "Imperial war" is the apt description. China exhibits classic imperial ambition. Using economic, diplomatic and military muscle (camouflaged by propaganda), Beijing adds territory to its imperial dominion at the expense of less powerful neighbors.

U.S. service member killed in Yemen raid, first combat death under Trump administration

01/30/2017

A U.S. Special Operations member died of injuries suffered during a weekend raid against al-Qaida militants in Yemen, the military said Sunday. Three other American troops, members of a Navy SEAL unit, were wounded in the operation on Saturday against members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. The militant organization has remained a potent threat amid an extended civil war in Yemen.

Revealed: The U.S. Air Force Wants Drones that Can Refuel Other Drones in Midair

01/30/2017

The U.S. Air Force wants drones that can be refueled in midair by other drones. The reason is simple. While drones like the RQ-4 Global Hawk can stay in the air for more than thirty hours without getting tired, bored or feeling the urge to urinate, even an unmanned aircraft needs to refuel sooner or later. That means the drone must interrupt its mission to return to base, or a manned tanker aircraft will have to fly to where the drone is to refuel it.