Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Northrop Grumman Wins Radar Systems Contract for US Navy Poseidon Planes

12/22/2016

US defense contractor Northrop Grumman Systems has received a contract worth nearly $27 million to create testing and support programs for the P-8A Poseidon's system to detect radar and other electronic threats to the aircraft and to US Navy vessels, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

Boeing and Saab complete first T-X flight

12/21/2016

Boeing and Saab’s bid for the US Air Force trainer competition took flight from St. Louis, Missouri, on 20 December, demonstrating the clean-sheet design jet’s performance for the first time.

Loose bracket caused F-35B fire

12/21/2016

A fire aboard a US Marine Corps F-35B was caused by a loose bracket designed to hold together electrical wires in the aircraft’s weapons bay, F-35 programme executive officer Lt Gen Chris Bogdan says.

Antonov rolls out An-132 demonstrator

12/21/2016

Antonov rolled out the new An-132D multipurpose turboprop transport on 20 December in Kiev, Ukraine, as the Saudia Arabia-backed project prepares to enter the flight test phase. The roll-out of demonstrator comes about two years after Antonov launched the project, which updates the 40-year-old An-32 design with Honeywell avionics, Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engines and other improvements.

Israel selects Raytheon radar for F-15I fleet

12/21/2016

The Israeli air force (IAF) is continuing with the upgrade of its Boeing F-15I Ra’am, and has selected the Raytheon APG-82(V)1 radar to provide a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) capability.

Pentagon Awards Rolls Royce $400Mln to Maintain V-22 Osprey Engines

12/21/2016

The Rolls-Royce Corporation received a contract worth nearly $408 million to provide maintenance support for V-22 Osprey vertical take-off aircraft engines, the US Department of Defense said in a press release on Tuesday.

India, Russia Agree to Increase Range of Jointly Developed Cruise Missile

12/21/2016

India and Russia have agreed to extend the strike range of the BrahMos PJ-10 supersonic cruise missile. Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre told his country’s parliament Friday that the two nations decided to engage in "joint technical development work" in June after India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MCTR).

Accept No Substitute: Chinese J-11D Fighter No Match for Russian Su-35

12/21/2016

It appears that despite its impressive technical characteristics and capabilities, the new Chinese J-11D jet cannot be considered a true analogue of the super-maneuverable Russian Su-35 multirole fighter.

Russian Aerospace Forces to Build Up Groups on Strategic Directions

12/21/2016

The Russian Aerospace Forces will strengthen groups on strategic directions by 2018 and start deploying systems to counter space threats based on "new physical principles".

Russian Aerospace Forces to Receive Over 900 New Aircraft, Helicopters by 2020

12/21/2016

The Russian Aerospace Forces will be reinforced by over 900 brand new aircraft and the same number of renovated ones by 2020.

Russia to Deliver Six MiG-29 Jets to Serbia Next Spring

12/21/2016

Russia plans to supply Serbia with six MiG-29 fighter jets next spring as part a military and technical cooperation assistance program, the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said Tuesday.

China's H-6 Bomber: Everything You Want to Know about Beijing's 'B-52' Circling Taiwan

12/19/2016

China recently deployed one of its H-6 bombers on a long-range patrol of the Nine-Dash Line that it claims marks the extent of its territorial waters in the Pacific Ocean. The flight was made in response to remarks by President-elect Trump suggesting that the United States might abandon its long-standing policy towards Taiwan and recognize the island as an independent country.

Northrop’s New Combat Drone Could Outclass Boeing F/A-18, Lockheed F-35

12/19/2016

TERN drone for the Navy could be an even bigger deal than we initially thought. One year ago, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) tapped Northrop Grumman to build it a TERN prototype, capable of launching from and landing on small naval warships. Just six months later, before TERN had even conducted its first test flight, DARPA decided it liked the new drone so much that it “doubled down” and ordered Northrop to go ahead and build it a second test vehicle.

Pentagon Arsenal Plane to Fly With F-35, F-22

12/19/2016

The Pentagon’s emerging “Arsenal Plane” or “flying bomb truck” is likely to be a modified, high-tech adaptation of the iconic B-52 bomber designed to fire air-to-air weapons, release swarms of mini-drones and provide additional fire-power to 5th generation stealth fighters such as the F-35 and F-22, Pentagon officials and analysts said.

F-16 combat jets upgraded with bombs, missiles that can strike key N.K. targets

12/19/2016

South Korea's Air Force has upgraded the capability of its F-16 fighter jets by equipping them with bombs and missiles capable of hitting key underground facilities in North Korea and shooting down combat aircraft at long range, officials said. The completion of the upgrade enables the South Korean jets to fire AIM-120 mid-range air-to-air missiles, according to the Air Force. The missiles have a range of 50 to 180 kilometers.

The F-35 is a supercomputer in the sky

12/19/2016

Despite all its flaws, the F-35 will give Israel the ability to maintain air superiority over all its neighbors and further afield, and allow it to attack where it has never attacked before.

Northrop tests first E-2D with in-flight refueling

12/18/2016

The flight comes three years after US Navy awarded Northrop a $226 million contract to engineer, manufacture and develop the aerial refueling system the carrier-based airborne early warning and control fleet. “This takes the E-2D to another level, which will bring more combat persistence to the US and our allies,” says Jane Bishop, Northrop’s vice-president for C-2/E-2 programmes, in a statement.

Indonesian Air Force Plane Crashes in Papua Province Killing 13 People on Board

12/18/2016

Indonesian air force Hercules C-130 aircraft crashed in country's Papua province on Sunday resulting in death of all 13 people on board, media reported. Victims of the crash included three pilots and 10 military personnel, BBC reported.

China’s J-20 Stealth Fighter to Challenge F-22 Raptor Supremacy

12/18/2016

The state-of-the-art J-20 fifth-generation jet fighter is a key part of the Chinese air force. According to Chinese military expert, Li Li, the J-20 could possibly break the US monopoly on fourth-generation fighters.

US Defense Bill Allows Pentagon to Send Anti-Aircraft Weapons to Syrian Rebels

12/18/2016

A little-known statute in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) permits opposition groups in Syria to receive anti-aircraft missiles, sparking worry among analysts that they could be used to target civilian airliners.

First Ever: China Holds Live-Fire Aircraft Carrier Group Drills

12/18/2016

Chinese state media reported that Beijing’s military has conducted live-fire drills for the first time. The drills took place using fighters and an aircraft carrier in the Bohai Sea, near Korea. This will likely exacerbate tensions with Washington, who has been critical of China’s increased military presence in the hotly-disputed South China Sea.

The evolution of the combat RPA

12/16/2016

As a result the Air Force immediately purchased a long endurance remotely piloted aircraft called the GNAT 750 resulting in the creation, production and development of the RQ-1 Predator of the early 1990s. By 1996, operators were flying intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions over the Balkans providing an eye in the sky during a period of unrest.

Report: China Put Weapons on South China Sea Islands

12/16/2016

China appears to have added weapons to man-made islands it built in the South China Sea, an American-based research group says. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) says the weapons include anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems. The center published new satellite images to support its findings.

China declares its first aircraft carrier ‘ready for war’

12/16/2016

CHINA’s first aircraft carrier has this week engaged in public live-fire exercises, flexing its own weapons as well as those of its fully armed combat aircraft. Beijing has declared Liaoning to be ‘fully operational’ and ready for combat after three years of testing, training and evaluation. Now it has set about proving this is so.

RAAF C-27Js achieve IOC

12/16/2016

The Royal Australian Air Force has awarded its new Alenia C-27J Spartan tactical transports with initial operating capability. The RAAF has received four examples of a total order for 10 aircraft, says Australian defence minister Marise Payne in a statement.