Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia, India Discuss FGFA Advanced Fighter, Su-30MKI Upgrade

10/27/2016

Indian and Russian defense delegations discussed joint defense projects and defense issues of mutual interest, in particular, the Sukhoi/HAL Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the upgrade of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter, the sources at the Indian Defense Ministry sources told Sputnik.

Some 60 Iraqi Soldiers Killed in Mosul Offensive, 250 Wounded - CENTCOM

10/27/2016

Iraqi forces lost some 60 soldiers in the operation to liberate Mosul from the Daesh, while about 250 others have been wounded, US Central Command commander Gen. Joseph Votel said on Wednesday.

Russian MoD Denies Reports of Aircraft Carrier's Call to Refuel in Spain

10/27/2016

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had not asked Spain for refueling the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier currently en route to the Mediterranean. The Russian Defense Ministry denies foreign media speculation of an alleged plan for the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier to refuel at the Spanish port of Ceuta, the ministry's spokesman said Wednesday.

Defense Union? EU Flexes Military Muscles in Shadow of NATO

10/27/2016

Members of the European Parliament have approved plans to create an "advanced European defense policy" with plans for an "EU operational headquarters" to plan, command and manage operations in what is seen by critics as an attempt to undermine NATO, which is currently hosting a meeting of defense ministers.

Portugal Monitors Russian Warships Heading to Syria

10/26/2016

A Portuguese Navy frigate and a patrol aircraft are tracking the movement of the Russian warships in the waters of the Portuguese exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Portuguese Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.

US Air Force Downs Daesh Drone With Electronic Weapon

10/26/2016

On Monday a top-ranking US Air Force official announced that a small enemy drone controlled by Daesh had been downed by an electronic weapon. The weaponized unmanned craft responsible for the death of four civilians.

India to Install Modern Avionics in Mi-17 V5 helicopters

10/26/2016

“Ministry of Defence intends to procure and install approximately 200 sets of Electronic Warfare Suite comprising Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) and Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) on Mi-17 V5 helicopters,” reads a request for information issued by the Indian government.

New jet will likely change how America fights wars

10/25/2016

Perhaps the best-kept secret of the top-secret F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is that it might be the best airplane of its kind in the world — and that it will likely change the way America fight its wars. Plagued by cost overruns, mechanical gremlins and fears that its high-tech sensors would overload a human pilot’s ability to analyze the aerial battlefield, the $379 billion project for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps infamously became known in the Pentagon as “acquisition malpractice

Raytheon outlines plan to assemble T-100 in Mississippi

10/25/2016

Raytheon will assemble and deliver T-100 jet trainers from Mississippi if the company’s partnership with Leonardo wins a four-way competition to replace the US Air Force Northrop T-38 Talon fleet.

New Weapons in Development For US Air Force Reaper Drone

10/25/2016

The new tech is designed to amplify the craft’s global surveillance and air attack capabilities. The 66-foot drone currently features the GBU-12 Paveway II, a 500-pound laser-guided bomb, GPS and Inertial Navigation System-guided bombs called JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions), and the AGM-114 Hellfire missile.

US Awards Boeing Over $196Mln to Supply Spare Parts for F-18 Fighter Jets

10/25/2016

Aerospace and Defense giant Boeing has been awarded a $196.6 contract for spare parts for the US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft, the Pentagon said in a press release.

India to Test-Fire Brahmos, World’s First Supersonic Cruise Missile, in February

10/25/2016

The Indian Air Force is set to become the first to possess a cruise missile capable of breaking the sound barrier, with the successful integration of its Brahmos rockets with Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

China to get first 4 Su-35 Fighter Jets from Russia in 2016 and they will reverse engineer the AL-117S engine

10/24/2016

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army-Air Force (PLAAF) is slated to receive the first four out of 24 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter jets, the governor of Khabarovsk Krai, a federal subject located in the Russian Far East, said in a speech during the opening of a new aircraft production plan on September 15, according to local media reports.

Peshmerga forces 5 miles from Iraq's Mosul in key battle against ISIS

10/24/2016

Kurdish Peshmerga forces are within 5 miles (8 kilometers) of Mosul, commanders said Sunday, after days of fighting and sweeping territorial gains in the operation to free the key Iraqi city from ISIS control. A coalition of 100,000 troops have been closing in on Mosul since Monday, liberating surrounding communities village by village and making quicker-than-expected gains.

Daesh Executes Hundreds of Men and Boys as Battle for Mosul Rages

10/24/2016

The men and boys are reported to have been rounded up over October 20 and 21 and brought in three waves to the city's former College of Agriculture, where they were shot and then dumped in mass graves. Iraqi News reports that the victims were residents of towns and villages in the city’s northwest outskirts, and that 61 of them were no more than 14 years old.

Russia’s New Look Mi-28NM Attack Helicopter to Tote New, Better Missiles

10/24/2016

“We are updating Ataka and Khrizantema missiles for the Mi-28NMs to increase their range of target detection, lock on and destruction. The helicopter’s onboard fire control system will likewise be adapted for the use of these new missiles,” Valery Kashin, chief designer of the Kolomna-based Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau, said.

Analysis: Why are Russian warships in British waters?

10/22/2016

Russia is believed to be sending a massive naval task force, with warships from its Northern, Baltic and Black Sea fleets, to the Mediterranean Sea in preparation for what could be a major escalation in the conflict in Syria. It's the largest naval deployment since the end of the Cold War, according to a diplomat speaking to Reuters.

Exclusive: Why Pakistan May Stop Getting F-16 Fighters From US

10/22/2016

If India were to acquire the US-designed F-16 fighter it would effectively mean that the Pakistan Air Force will not be able to acquire the latest variant of the jet that it has operated for 33 years. That's because Lockheed Martin has proposed to the Indian government that it is willing to transfer its entire F-16 manufacturing line from Fort Worth in the US to India as part of the government's Make in India policy.

IAF's plan to replace ailing MiG with 'Make in India' combat aircraft heading for trouble

10/22/2016

An Indian Air Force plan to replace its MiG fighter fleet with a 'Made in India' combat aircraft is heading for trouble. As of now the choice is between two aircraft from Sweden and the US, both of which failed a comprehensive technical evaluation process in 2010. Plus, there are grumbles that other countries which have fighter jets were not called at all.

Claims of Egypt Selling Mistral Ships to Russia 'Nonsense' - Russian MoD

10/22/2016

"Macierewicz regularly makes statements of this kind to promote his image," Konashenkov stressed. In August 2015, Paris and Moscow formally terminated the 1.2-billion-euro (some $1.3 billion at current exchange rates) deal on the construction and delivery of two Mistral-class warships. Shortly after, French President Francois Hollande confirmed that a deal had been reached with Egypt on the delivery of two Mistrals to the Arab country.

Purchase of Russian S-400 System Top Priority for Cash-Strapped India

10/21/2016

India has signed many defense deals with Russia despite a strong financial crunch. Out of its deals it has accorded top priority to the purchase of the S-400 which it expects to be signed by the beginning of the next financial year.

Russia to Test PAK FA Fighters With Operational Engines in Late 2017

10/21/2016

The tests of the Russian Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighters using operational engines should begin in late 2017, the head of the United Engine Corporation said Thursday.

Russia's naval task force: Power play or just theatre?

10/20/2016

The naval task force from Russia's Northern Fleet will proceed past the British Isles, down to Gibraltar, and through the Mediterranean Sea to join the Russian combat mission in war-torn Syria. Why is Russia enhancing its naval presence off Syria now? The answer is part capability and part theatre.

UK Pilots In Syria Ordered To Shoot Down “Hostile” Russian Aircraft

10/20/2016

With tensions between the US and Russia escalating over the Syrian conflict, it appears the UK is more than willing to leap into the fray. According the Sunday Times, Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots have been given orders to shoot down Russian military jets operating in Syria if they feel that the Russian jets pose a threat: “if a pilot is fired on or believes he is about to be fired on, he can defend himself.”

CHENGDU AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY GROUP J-10

10/20/2016

The Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG) J-10 is the People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)’s main medium-weight multi-role fighter. Beijing tasked the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute to design the J-10 in 1988 with the intent of developing a modern and – more importantly – long-term solution for replacing the PLAAF’s legacy J-7 and J-6 interceptors and Q-5 attackers, all of which are derived from Soviet designs from the 1950s.