Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

J-20 Goes Public

11/11/2016

For the first time China showed off its most advanced stealth warplane, the J-20, at a Chinese air show during the first week of November. China expects the J-20 to enter service in 2018 and has apparently changed its mind about exporting the J-20. Since 2014 China has offered its 18 ton J-31 stealth fighter to export customers as the FC-31 but insisted that it would not export its more advanced J-20.

Bulgaria MoD signs deal for supply of MiG-29 engines, sideswipes at Radev

11/11/2016

Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence said on November 10 that it had signed a contract for the supply of 10 engines for the Air Force’s Russian-made MiG-29 jet fighters – and, in an apparent sideswipe at former Air Force commander and Bulgarian Socialist Party-backed presidential candidate Roumen Radev, rejected “propaganda claims that the air force will be grounded”.

Russia’s aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has launched its first combat air patrols over Syria

11/11/2016

RUSSIA’s aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, has for the first time launched combat jets on flights over Syria, scouting out the besieged city of Aleppo ahead of anticipated strikes. Its force of Sukhoi Su-33 and Mikoyan MiG-29K strike fighters took to the skies early on Wednesday on what the Russian Ministry of Defence says were scout missions.

Fighting fit

11/11/2016

CONTROVERSY over the relationship between BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defence company, and one of its main customers, Saudi Arabia, was raging when Ian King, its chief executive, started his job in 2008. BAE’s link to Saudi Arabia was forged 30 years ago with the first “al-Yamamah” arms deal.

India clears military projects worth billions

11/11/2016

The government’s approval comes amid rising border tensions with Pakistan, although the platforms will be inducted in phases over the next decade. ‘The ongoing tension along the India-Pakistan border following the September 29 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is a reminder that we have to keep our powder dry. Modernisation cannot happen overnight and each step in that direction is significant,’ one military expert said.

Exercise Tonnerre Lightning exhibits trust, teamwork, training

11/11/2016

Around-the-clock, whether for combat operations or humanitarian aid, Airmen are ready to respond anywhere. Until they get that call, however, Airmen hone their skills through exercises and realistic training. During exercise Tonnerre Lightning, the U.S. Air Force worked with United Kingdom and French forces to prepare and conduct realistic training Oct. 31-Nov. 9, at Royal Air Force Waddington, England.

Battle Against IS: The French Fight

11/10/2016

As Iraqi forces fight their way into Mosul, they're receiving air support from a coalition of nations. Among the largest contributors is France. The French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle is currently in the Eastern Mediterranean and is the only European aircraft carrier involved in Operation Inherent Resolve.

Lockheed Martin 'lands' in India to explore partnership avenues

11/10/2016

After making a bid to sell F-16s to India, a team from US aviation major Lockheed Martin arrived in Bengaluru to meet potential industrial partners, officials said on Wednesday. Lockheed Martin's 'Make in India' F-16's (Block 70) executive team is set to conduct a meeting this week with local aerospace suppliers and tier one industry groups to discuss potential partnerships.

F35 Joint Strike Fighter bursts into flames during mid-air training flight causing $2million damage

11/10/2016

The United States military is investigating a fire that erupted during a mid-air training flight of one of its latest generation fighter jets. The Marine Corps is trying to figure out what caused the fire to ignite on an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft that took off from a base in Beaufort, South Carolina, last month, Military.com reported on Monday.

MARINE FIGHTER JETS COLLIDE OFF SAN DIEGO, PILOTS SAFE

11/10/2016

Two Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets collided over the waters off San Diego today, military officials said. One pilot was able to eject from his aircraft and was rescued at sea by the Navy, and the pilot of the other aircraft was able to land his aircraft at a nearby Navy base, officials said.

Erdogan derailing Turkey’s promising future

11/09/2016

“In Turkey, we are progressively putting behind bars all people who take the liberty of voicing even the slightest criticism of the government,” wrote author Orhan Pamuk, Turkey’s first Nobel Prize winner. “Freedom of thought no longer exists. We are distancing ourselves at high speed from a state of law and heading towards a regime of terror” that is driven by “the most ferocious hatred.”

British fighter jets join U.S, South Korea in training exercise

11/09/2016

Britain's royal air force teamed up with the United States and South Korea in a joint training exercise in November. The drill is ongoing and marks the first time British pilots are flying with U.S. and South Korean airmen, South Korean television network KBS reported Tuesday.

F-35s for Alaska

11/09/2016

A fifth-generation fighter said to be six times more effective at air-to-air combat and eight times more effective at air-to-ground attacks than any military aircraft before— the F-35 Lightning II is the U.S. military’s state-of-the-art aircraft and Alaska will house 54 of them.

VISITING RAF LOSSIEMOUTH: THE RAF SHAPES A WAY AHEAD

11/09/2016

In April and June 2016, I had a chance to visit RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland and to talk with the base commander, and several officers involved with the combat operations and logistical support for the aircraft operating from the base. As such, the interviews provide a slice of current activities and preparation for the transition associated with the evolution of the RAF combat aircraft, including the coming of the P-8.

Confirmed: India’s Next Aircraft Carrier Will Be Nuclear

11/09/2016

The Indian Navy’s latest aircraft carrier, the 65,000-ton supercarrier INS Vishal, the second ship of the Vikrant-class, will be powered by a nuclear reactor, according to anonymous Indian Navy sources.

Report: China's Military Capabilities Are Growing at a Shocking Speed

11/08/2016

China’s military is developing ships, submarines, aircraft, intelligence systems and foreign bases in a bid to become a global military power, according to a forthcoming congressional China commission report.

Pilots Say ‘What’s on the Inside’ of Fifth-Generation Fighters Counts More Than Power, Speed

11/08/2016

To a group of fighter pilots who have flown the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II, including a Marine who has flown both, the value of those fifth-generation fighters is not in the power and speed or even the stealth qualities they bring, it is their capability to collect, process and share massive amounts of data that translates into lethal combat power.

Air Force Electronic Warfare Upgrade to F-15 Designed to Help Fighter Stay in Front of Chinese J-10

11/08/2016

The Air Force is reving up electronic warfare upgrades for its F-15 fighter as a way to better protect against enemy fire and electronic attacks, service officials said. Boeing has secured a $478 million deal to continue work on a new technology called with a system called the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or EPAWSS.

China’s New Fighter Jet Can’t Touch the US Planes It Rips Off

11/08/2016

CHINA’S CHENGDU J-20 fighter jet, which made its public debut at China’s Zhuhai Airshow last week, cuts an imposing, even frightening, figure. The supersonic, twin-engine fighter and attack aircraft packs advanced radar and sensor capabilities, with a 360-degree helmet display system that allows the pilot to see through the aircraft itself.

India Plans to Produce Nearly 100 Combat Aircraft From Its Own Factory

11/08/2016

India is currently planning to induct a large number of foreign made fighters to shore up its depleting squadron strength. But at the same time, it is going ahead with plans to induct aircraft produced in its own factories.

Russia May Fulfill S-400 Deliveries Contract With China by 2020

11/08/2016

Russia may fulfill a contract on deliveries of long-range S-400 Triumf air defense systems to China by 2020, Alexander Fomin, director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, said Monday.

Britain Chosen to Service European F-35 Fighter Jets

11/08/2016

The United Kingdom has been chosen by the US F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) to become the repair hub for European-based Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth multirole fighters, the UK Defense Ministry said Monday.

Putin Considers Suspension of Russian Aerial Operation in Syria Feasible

11/08/2016

The suspension of the Russian Aerospace Forces' operation in Syria continues, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin considers it possible to continue maintaining the regime in eastern Aleppo.

Military Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq

11/05/2016

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Marines Practice Expeditionary Advance Base Operations In Exercise Blue Chromite In Japan

11/05/2016

Amphibious forces in the Pacific practiced a “back to the future” tactic of seizing advance naval bases and conducting maneuver warfare during exercise Blue Chromite in Okinawa, Japan, exercise leaders told USNI News. The exercise, which started on Oct. 29 and ended today, used 3rd Marine Division Marines to practice the type of operations – maneuver warfare in an anti-access/area-denial environment against a sophisticated adversary – that are outlined in the new Marine Corps Operating Concept.