Military Aviation News Archive

Russia to Carry Out Observation Flight Over Bosnia and Herzegovina

09/06/2016

Head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center reported that Russian pilots will carry out an observation flight this week over the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Chances High That Russia Will Resume Its Use of Iranian Military Base

09/06/2016

On Saturday, a senior Iranian parliamentarian said that Russia’s military cooperation with Iran over the Syrian crisis had the blessing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Commenting on the announcement, one Iranian political analyst told Sputnik that it might mean that Russia could return to the Iranian base.

Pakistan in Talks With Russia on Purchase of Su-35 Jets

09/06/2016

Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force Sohail Aman had "fruitful talks" in Moscow in July on purchasing of Russian Su-35 (NATO reporting name: Flanker-E) fighter jets, Pakistani Ambassador to Russia Qazi Khalilullah told Sputnik.

VIDEO: Pakistan navy rolls out new ATR 72 and ScanEagle

09/03/2016

The Pakistan navy has inducted two new capabilities into its air fleet, namely the ATR 72 twin-engined turboprop, which will be configured as a maritime patrol aircraft, and the Insitu ScanEagle unmanned air vehicle.

?Australian government auditor slams Tiger attack helicopter

09/03/2016

The Australia National Audit Office (ANAO) has issued a report that is highly critical of the army’s fleet of 22 Airbus Helicopters Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH). The 64-page report details a range of issues. It identifies 76 “capability deficiencies,” of which the Department of Defence (DoD) deems 60 to be “critical.”

Saudi Arabia to Purchase Chinese UAVs, Taking 'Military Ties' to Next Level

09/03/2016

China is strengthening military ties with Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East. In Beijing, an agreement has been signed to sell a batch of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) Wing Loong (Pterodactyl) to Saudi Arabia. Analyst Viktor Baranets told Sputnik why this relation is mutually beneficial.

New Saab Fighter Jet Gives Swedish Defense Unexpected Headache

09/03/2016

The Swedish Air Force is facing major problems following its decision to acquire new Gripen E fighter jets. Whereas the plane itself is rather advanced, the training aircraft used for the training of pilots is outdated. Undisturbed, Saab hopes to throw new training jets into the bargain to fill the gap.

China Developing New-Generation Strategic Bomber

09/03/2016

China is developing a new-generation strategic bomber that will soon be presented to the public, China’s Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Ma Xiaotian said. According to Ma, the Chinese air force’s strike capabilities have significantly increased over time.

California Company Wins $495Mln Saudi F-15 Maintenance Contract - Pentagon

09/03/2016

PKL Services in the US state of California has received an almost half-billion dollar contract for engineering work on Saudi Arabia’s fleet of US-supplied F-15 Eagles, the US Department of Defense announced.

The fighter jets of tomorrow

09/02/2016

With stealthy contours and software composed of eight million lines of code, the F-35 fighter jet seems ultra-modern. Yet it was designed in the late 1990s, when many people were still using fax machines and, like the fax, it will soon be obsolete.

US Military Could Save Billions of Dollars By Doing This One Thing

09/02/2016

A new report from the Center for a New American Security suggests that the U.S. Navy—and indeed the other military services—could save tens of billions of dollars by adopting semi-autonomous unmanned combat aircraft. Money would be saved because the Pentagon would not need to buy as many planes, nor would unmanned systems have to fly as many flight hours for training purposes.

Resurrected B-52H returns to flight after seven years in storage

09/02/2016

The regenerated Stratofortress, nicknamed Ghostrider, completed first flight on 30 August at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, rising into the sky without a painted livery. The base’s Air Logistics Center was tasked with restoring the airworthiness of the un-retired B-52H, reversing a normally one-way trip for aging military aircraft to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, Arizona.

USAF plans to release new RFI for Huey replacement

09/02/2016

The USAF anticipates releasing the RFI and a draft system requirements document on 9 September, according to a 31 August notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website. The service will also announce an upcoming industry day. The long-delayed recapitalisation programme will replace the USAF’s inventory of 62 Vietnam-era UH-1N Huey helicopters that support the service’s nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota.

Improving Relations? Israeli Air Force Trains Alongside Pakistan, UAE

09/02/2016

As part of joint military drills in the United States, Israeli jets have operated along their Pakistani and United Arab Emirates counterparts for the first time. The fourth-annual Red Flag began in Nevada on August 15 and ended on Friday. Involving a wide range of fighter jets from Israel, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Australia, Turkey, Italy, and Spain, the exercises also incorporated anti-aircraft equipment.

How the US Air Force Plans to Avert Deadly Supersonic Mid-Air Crashes

09/01/2016

Envision a scenario where two or more supersonic fighter jets are conducting combat maneuvers in such close proximity that they come less than 500-feet away from one another -- when an automatic computer system engineered into the aircraft takes over and re-directs the fighters, saving lives and averting a catastrophic collision.

Australia to Step Up Airstrikes on Islamic State

09/01/2016

Australia will step up airstrikes against Islamic State, allowing its military for the first time to attack support facilities as well as militant fighters. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in a major security speech to Parliament on Thursday, said the conservative government had agreed to new rules of engagement requested by the military, amending domestic laws that restricted strikes to only front-line Islamic State units.

US cleared to complete T-6C sale to Argentina

09/01/2016

A 30-day Congressional notification period has closed on a proposed sale of 24 Beechcraft T-6C Texan trainers to the Argentine air force, clearing the way for the US government and industry officials to complete negotiations on the estimated $300 million deal.

Trial by Fire? Marines to Use F-35’s First Action to See What Still Needs Fixing

09/01/2016

To determine what aspects of the F-35B still need fixing, the US Marines have decided the best way to perform diagnostics is to throw the fifth-generation fighter into the field. The Marine’s F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet variant is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, and has been described as a "jewel" by Deputy Commandant Lt. Gen. Jon Davis.

Lockheed Martin to Supply US Army With 14 More Black Hawk Helicopters

09/01/2016

The US Army awarded Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Aircraft a contract worth more than $150 million for fourteen UH-60 Black Hawk combat helicopters, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

US Marines Hope Pentagon Spends Big on New Armed Tiltrotor Drones

09/01/2016

In an effort to create an unmanned aerial vehicle that combines the capabilities of a Reaper drone with vertical takeoff and landing, Bell is designing a tiltrotor UAV for the US Marine Corps.

Drone piloting now open to enlisted airmen from all career fields

08/31/2016

Enlisted airmen from all career fields may now apply to fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the Air Force said Monday in a move that potentially opens the opportunity to pilot the unarmed intelligence-gathering drone to tens of thousands of more airmen. The announcement comes just over a month after the Air Force released details of how the service planned to retrain a select group of enlisted airmen to fly the Global Hawk.

Meanwhile, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jump jets continue to pound Daesh in Libya

08/31/2016

Operation Odyssey Lightning kicked off on Aug. 1, when the U.S. launched a new round of air strikes against Islamic State positions in northern Libya following a request by the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat Daesh in Sirte.

Argentina’s Military Decline

08/31/2016

In March 2016, President Barack Obama made an official visit to Argentina where he was feted by the recently elected President Mauricio Macri. The visit was not without controversies, coinciding as it did with the 40th anniversary of the March 24, 1976 military coup that plunged Argentina into years of a repressive dictatorship. Another controversy got buried in the furore over the timing of the visit – the fact that the Argentine Air Force did not have a single operational fighter to escort.

Top U.S. general says Syrian bombs fell very close to U.S. forces

08/31/2016

Syrian warplanes were dropping bombs just “several hundred meters” away from U.S. Special Forces troops operating alongside Kurdish troops on Aug. 18, a top U.S. general said Tuesday. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, spoke publicly for the first time about the unprecedented incident that sparked a standoff between the U.S. and Syrian air forces.

Why the F-35 could 'never in a million years' out dogfight the RAF Typhoon or the Russian Su-35

08/31/2016

In a recent interview with Business Insider, Justin Bronk, a research fellow specializing in combat airpower at the Royal United Services Institute, dropped a bombshell about the US's $1 trillion F-35 program: "The F-35 cannot out dogfight a Typhoon (or a Su-35), never in a million years."