Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Brains of the Operation

01/02/2017

In 1937, the Army Air Corps “called for a twin-engine interceptor to pursue and destroy enemy aircraft at high altitude. It also called for a maximum level-altitude flight speed of at least 360 miles per hour and the ability to reach an altitude of 20,000 feet within six minutes. These were unheard-of performance goals at that time in aviation history, and they required the design of an advanced fighter in the truest sense of that phrase.”

The five coolest military innovations of 2016

12/31/2016

IT WAS a good year for imaginative military innovations. From Star Wars-style speeders to an inescapable surveillance drone, many of the futuristic advances seem straight out of science fiction or Hollywood blockbusters.

Military rushes aircraft to pick injured soldier from war front, drawing praises

12/31/2016

The Nigerian military has rushed an Augusta helicopter to the battle front in Rann, northern Borno, to pick one of the four soldiers wounded in Friday’s fierce battle with fighters of the Boko Haram terror sect. Nigerian soldiers had killed at least 15 terrorists after the sect members sprung a surprise attack on their location on Friday morning, as exclusively reported by PREMIUM TIMES.

Air Force F-35 Trains Against Russian, Chinese Air Defenses

12/31/2016

The Air Force F-35 is using “open air” ranges and computer simulation to practice combat missions against the best Chinese and Russian-made air-defense technologies – as a way to prepare to enemy threats anticipated in the mid-2020s and beyond. The testing is aimed at addressing the most current air defense system threats such as Russian-made systems and also focused on potential next-generation or yet-to-exist threats, Harrigian said.

Aircraft carrier version of Tejas still alive, despite navy opposition

12/31/2016

A decade ago, a far-sighted navy chief, Admiral Arun Prakash, posted his most talented engineering officer, Commander CD Balaji, to develop the Naval Tejas fighter at the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which oversees the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme.

US Air Force releases final T-X trainer RFP

12/31/2016

T-X contenders are off to the races today, after the US Air Force released its much anticipated final request for proposals for the T-38 trainer replacement programme. The $16.3 billion RFP encompasses a total of 350 aircraft, including delivery of the initial five test aircraft, contract options for LRIP lots 1 and 2 and full-rate production of lots 3 through 11.

OPINION: Trump's unfriendly fire threatens F-35

12/31/2016

It was one thing for Donald Trump to take aim on Twitter at Boeing’s replacement for the Air Force One presidential fleet. Posh executive aircraft with billion-dollar price tags are popular targets as new heads of state take office: within a month of entering the White House in 2009, President Barack Obama made a similar, public critique of a presidential helicopter deal.

USAF solicits final bids for $6.9 billion JSTARS deal

12/31/2016

The US Air Force has launched the bidding phase in a $6.9 billion competition to select a replacement the Northrop Grumman E-8C JSTARS ground surveillance fleet with a business jet-class aircraft.

Lockheed Martin Wins $61Mln Contract to Maintain F-22 Raptor Jets

12/31/2016

The Department of Defense said that US defense contractor Lockheed Martin Aeronautics received a $61 million Air Force contract to provide maintenance support for F-22 Raptor combat aircraft.

Russian Jets Strike Daesh Positions Near al-Bab to Support Turkish Troops

12/31/2016

After brokering a ceasefire agreement between the Syrian government and opposition rebel groups, Russia bolstered Turkish military operations in the fight against Daesh, with three airstrikes around al-Bab.

Defence Minister and Finance Minister at Odds over New Fighter Planes

12/30/2016

Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister Damir Krsticevic said on Thursday before the cabinet meeting that Croatia needed combat airplanes for its Air Force and that the decision would be made in 2017, stressing that such a decision should be reached by consensus of parliamentary parties because it is a non-partisan issue regarding national security, reports Index.hr on December 29, 2016.

Israeli air force retires F-16A/B 'Netz' aircraft from service

12/30/2016

The Israeli air force officially retired the F-16A/B "Netz" fighter aircraft, concluding the plane's 36 years of operational service with the branch. 90 Netz aircraft were withdrawn from service during a ceremony at Israel's Ouvda Air Force Base. The event was marked by high praise for the plane's combat capabilities, including its performance during several of Israel's most notable armed conflicts.

Potential peace through technology

12/29/2016

What the former assistant secretary of the Navy said is descriptive of the entire military. Each service’s culture, and interservice rivalries, and bureaucratic viscosity are resistant to reform. Which is why the next secretary of defense, retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, has the most difficult management challenge in American government.

Sweden Faces Major Funding Challenge in Defense Modernization

12/29/2016

Sweden is facing a major challenge in how it will fund a huge future defense modernization bill, a situation compounded by serial underspending by various Swedish governments in defense budgets delivered since 2004.

Croatian Air Force Surviving Despite Difficult Times

12/29/2016

In the last 16 years, Croatia’s armed forces been have significantly reduced in numbers, actually more than halved, but in some areas the numeric decline was less pronounced. During these years, Croatian Air Force and Air Defence managed to survive and even modernize some of its resources. In late 2016, Air Force has nearly a hundred different aircraft, of which 49 planes and 48 helicopters, reports Vecernji List on December 28, 2016.

India: Air Force Chief Wants 200-250 New Combat Aircraft

12/29/2016

The most senior officer of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshall Arup Raha, set to retire on December 31, told reporters on December 28 that the service needs to add 200 to 250 new aircraft in the medium-weight fighter jet category to maintain its edge over regional rivals.

Russia Left Out From Major Indian Tender for EW Suites

12/29/2016

India has requested for quotations from seven global manufacturers for electronic warfare (EW) self-protection suites to accelerate the upgrading of its self-developed light combat aircraft Tejas Mark-1A. Interestingly, India did not send a request to the Russian manufacturer Rosoboronexport though it has been selected to compete in the tender for AESA radars for the same aircraft.

For sale: 40 Israeli F-16 fighter jets with history

12/28/2016

On Monday the Israel Air Force retired the last of its F-16 "Netz” (Hawk) aircraft, used in the “Flying Dragon” force – aka “Red Squadron” – based at the IAF's Uvda base in southern Israel. The plane, which flew for years in operational missions and was later used for teaching combat pilots in advanced stages of training, has been grounded after 36 years of activity.

China's aircraft carrier prowling Pacific, sending a message

12/28/2016

China's lone aircraft carrier is prowling the Pacific as the country seeks to assert its military might and build up its naval warfare capabilities. The Liaoning carrier's J-15 fighter jets practiced air confrontations and air refueling in the Yellow Sea late last week before the ship and its flotilla of escorting frigates and destroyers headed into the open Pacific beyond Taiwan and Okinawa.

Boeing’s Super Hornet manufacture hits export hurdle

12/28/2016

Boeing’s decision to manufacture advanced medium combat aircraft, Super Hornet in India, has run into a fresh hurdle with issues over their export. Michael Koch, who is Boeing’s President for Defence, Space and Security in India, told BusinessLine that the aircraft maker is committed to producing Super Hornets in India.

US-Backed Syrian Militia Seeks Anti-Aircraft Missiles

12/28/2016

The Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, a US-backed militia which claims to be fighting the Daesh jihadist group, has expressed hope that it will be able to get US-made handheld anti-aircraft weaponry, or MANPADS. The statement stands in odds with the weapon’s utility to the SDF, as Daesh has no aircraft.

Iran Plans Aircraft Carrier Build, Major Naval Upgrade

12/28/2016

Iran is looking to add an aircraft carrier and possibly heavy submarines to bolster its navy. Constructing an aircraft carrier is "among the goals" of the Iranian navy, a senior commander recently told FARS News Agency.

Time to drain F-35 Joint Strike Fighter swamp

12/27/2016

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project is now in big trouble. And the vast army of Australia’s Joint Strike Fighter contractors are also in jeopardy because our government, led by Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne, has not woken up to what it means to have Donald Trump as US President.

Will: Can Mattis make peace via technology?

12/27/2016

What the former assistant secretary of the Navy said is descriptive of the entire military. Each service's culture, and interservice rivalries, and bureaucratic viscosity are resistant to reform. Which is why the next secretary of defense, retired Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, has the most difficult management challenge in American government.

Trump Drops a Bomb On Lockheed Martin Corporation

12/27/2016

President-elect Donald Trump is concerned about the cost of the fifth-generation F-35 combat aircraft to be built by Lockheed Martin Corporation for the U.S. military. The U.S. plans to buy more than 2,400 F-35 aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled until 2037 with an estimated service life up to 2070. The F-35 is the Pentagon is expected to cost around $400 billion over the next 22 years.