Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Israel may acquire more F-15Is: sources

12/06/2016

Israel is contemplating the acquisition of additional Boeing F-15Is to support its future combat requirements. Although the country's air force investment is currently focused on the acquisition of 50 Lockheed Martin F-35s, Tel Aviv believes it needs more than one strike aircraft in its inventory.

PICTURE: Paveway IV dropped from F-35

12/06/2016

Raytheon Systems' Paveway IV laser-guided bomb has been dropped from a Lockheed Martin F-35B, paving the way for integration of the weapon on the UK’s future Joint Strike Fighter fleet.

US Approves $156 Million for F-18 Jet Upgrades for Finland

12/06/2016

The US Department of State has made a determination to approve a possible $156 million Foreign Military Sale to Finland for upgrades to extend the life of its F-18 combat aircraft, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a release.

Russian Naval Aviation Learns Valuable But 'Bitter Lessons' in Syria

12/06/2016

The crash of a Su-33 fighter jet that skidded off the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier became yet another “bitter lesson” learned by Russian armed forces during the military operation in Syria.

Russian Su-33 Skids Off Admiral Kuznetsov Aircraft Carrier, Pilot Unharmed

12/06/2016

A Russian Su-33 fighter jet has skidded off the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean while landing but the pilot ejected and his life is not in danger, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Russia Delivers Over 710,000 Tonnes of Military Supplies for Syrian Operations

12/06/2016

The Russian military has transported over 710,000 tonnes of military supplies to Syria since the start of its ongoing counter-terrorist operation in the Arab country, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Dmitry Bulgakov said Monday.

China Preparing For War? Chinese President Xi Jinping Wants World's Largest Military To Modernize

12/05/2016

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing needs a smaller army that has the structure and combat capability to succeed in modern warfare. China has the world's largest military and second largest military budget after the United States, but Xi plans to reduce its force by 300,000 soldiers, or some 13 percent, and focus on combat effectiveness, Reuters reported Saturday.

Sri Lanka to buy Chinese Xian Y20 military-cum-civil transport planes

12/05/2016

Sri Lanka is to buy China-made Xian Y20 military-cum civil transport planes, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told South China Morning Post. “I have travelled around in some of the Chinese transport planes we have. They are good workhorses. Some people have raised questions about their quality but I have always said, ‘Look, as far as I am concerned, I will always underwrite Chinese military transport planes’. We will buy two more,” Wickremesinghe said.

UAVs Add Safety in Iraq

12/05/2016

The Fort Bliss, Texas- based platoon of 22 Soldiers with Delta Company, 2nd Brigade Engineer Battalion, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division handles the intricate care and 24-hour operations of the Tactical Unmanned Aviation System assigned the RQ-7B ‘Shadow’ in support of Iraqi forces with their fight against the Islamic State group.

British arms companies buck global trend with increase in sales

12/05/2016

Arms companies in the UK and elsewhere in western Europe bucked the downward trend in sales in much of the rest of the world by recording a 6.6% rise last year, according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

No Alternative to Russian Helicopters in Afghanistan - Russian Foreign Ministry

12/05/2016

Russia doubts that US plans to substitute Russian helicopters in Afghanistan with its own aircraft will succeed, since there is no alternative to Russian equipment in the nearest decades, Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said Sunday.

Air force warned readiness of fighter fleet was declining back in 2014

12/04/2016

As the former Conservative government was leading the charge to bomb ISIS almost two years ago, the Royal Canadian Air Force was warning that its CF-18 pilots were not getting enough training time and that "resource reductions" were squeezing maintenance budgets.

F-35 begins integrated training with F-16 at Luke

12/03/2016

In October, pilots of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., began flying integrated direct support practice sorties in the F-35A Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon for the first time as a regular component of the training curriculum at Luke.

Denmark to pull fighter jets out of Syria and Iraq

12/03/2016

Denmark said on Friday it would not extend a six-month mission for seven F-16 jets taking part in a US-led coalition focused on attacking Islamic State group targets in Syria and Iraq.

F-35 AND COLLABORATIVE COST SAVINGS: THE NORWEGIAN CASE

12/03/2016

The F-35 global enterprise provides an opportunity for leveraging collaborative efforts to shape more effective capabilities at a more effective cost point. According to a post by Endre Lundeon December 1, 2016 from the Norwegian Ministry of Defence: How international cooperation saved us NOK 96 million in 2016.

Putin confirms Russia not involved in attack against Turkish forces: Erdogan

12/03/2016

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that via a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he received a confirmation Russia had nothing to do with the recent attack on Turkish forces in Syria. The Daily Turkiye reports Erdogan was speaking at a working breakfast with parliament members.

Has the Indian Navy Canceled Its Carrier-Based Light Combat Aircraft Project?

12/03/2016

Ahead of Navy Day celebrations on December 4, Admiral Sunil Lanba, India’s chief of naval staff (CNS), caused a flutter in the media by suggesting that the Navy was scrapping the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project, India’s premier light fighter jet program. At a press conference, Lanba remarked that the navy was looking for temporary replacement jet from a source abroad for carrier-operations as the LCA (Navy) wasn’t “yet up to the mark.”

US Air Force releases draft Huey replacement RFP

12/03/2016

The US Air Force has released a draft request for proposals to replace its UH-1N Hueys, calling for a full and open to procure up to 84 helicopters. Three months after the USAF reset the Huey replacement programme with a new request for information released in September, the service is forging ahead with its first draft RFP.

Lockheed Martin Begins T-50A Flight Operations in Greenville, South Carolina

12/03/2016

The Lockheed Martin T-50A is soaring over Greenville, South Carolina with flight operations now underway. The initial test flight took place Nov. 19. The T-50A was announced as the official Lockheed Martin/Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) offering for the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Pilot Training (APT)/T-X competition in February, and Greenville was announced as the final assembly and checkout facility (FACO).

US, Swedish Aviation Majors Offer Technology Transfer to Bag Indian Jet Tender

12/03/2016

India has received proposals from two foreign companies within two months of asking countries like the US, Sweden and Russia to locally build a fighter under a generous technology transfer (ToT) arrangement. The winner will bag the right to sell the fighters to India for several decades as the Indian Air Force seeks to build 42 active squadrons.

Relying on Unreliable Syrian Sources

12/02/2016

When the mainstream U.S. media reports on Syria, it relies heavily on pro-rebel activists, including members of the White Helmets who have supplied false or dubious claims at key junctures of the war, reports Gareth Porter for Alternet.

One of Russia's Most Lethal Fighter Jets Has a Strange New Role

12/02/2016

The Russian Aerospace Forces are starting to convert their aerial demonstration team onto the powerful new Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-H. The Russian Knights aerial demonstration team currently flies the original Su-27 version of the Flanker. But exactly why the Russians would allocate some of their best operational combat aircraft to an aerobatics team is somewhat puzzling.

Anti-Daesh Coalition Loses Key French Aircraft Carrier to Maintenance

12/02/2016

The Charles de Gaulle, France’s lone aircraft carrier, is set to return to France this December for scheduled maintenance, a move that could deal a blow to the US-led coalition against Daesh. Refueling and maintaining the massive flattop cannot be delayed any longer, according to French officials, but France is intent on assisting the effort against Daesh in other ways.

Ukraine Conducts 16 Missile Launches During Dec.1 Drills

12/02/2016

Ukraine conducted a series of 16 successful missile launches during announced drills on Thursday, according to presidential press secretary Svyatoslav Tsegolko. The missile drills are scheduled to last until 17:00 GMT December 2, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) reported earlier, adding that the launches will extend into Russia's civil airspace.

Boeing-Saab T-X Trainer Jet Will Soon Soar in First Flight

12/01/2016

The T-X trainer finished up its afterburner engine tests last week, Defense News reports, and just a few substantial tests stand between now and the plane’s inaugural flight. Next, the team will test how the engine responds to typical flight procedures such as takeoff, climb, and landing, before collecting data on how the plane responds to simulated system failures.