Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Why Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Might Be Getting Ready for War in Syria

07/06/2016

The aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is the biggest ship in the Russian navy and the most visible symbol of the Kremlin’s military power. This October, she will travel to the Mediterranean and carry out air strikes in Syria, according to a report from the Moscow-based Tass news agency.

First British F-35 completes transatlantic crossing

07/06/2016

The first of Britain's next-generation stealth fighters touched down in the U.K. for the first time, the Royal Air Force announced Thursday. The F-35B Lightning II was flown by RAF pilot and Squadron Leader Hugh Nichols across the Atlantic Ocean, accompanied by two U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs, the RAF said in statement.

US-led forces destroy own combat drone after Syria crash

07/06/2016

Coalition forces fighting the Islamic State group in northern Syria destroyed one of their own combat drones Tuesday after the unmanned aircraft crashed, the US Air Force said. The MQ-9 Reaper — the armed version of the Predator drone — crashed while flying a combat mission after remote pilots lost “positive control” of the aircraft, the Air Force said in a statement.

F-35 Stealth Fighter vs. A-10 Warthog: The Ultimate Close Air Support Showdown

07/06/2016

Flying close to ground troops in combat in hostile and high-threat conditions requires a host of unique attributes for an aircraft -- such as flying slow and low to the ground, absorbing some degree of small arms fire and having an ability to quickly maneuver in response to fast-changing ground combat conditions.

GE wins $1bn contract to develop three-stream engine for combat aircraft

07/06/2016

GE Aviation has secured a $1bn contract to continue developing the three-stream adaptive cycle engine for the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC). The company will develop the engine under the USAF's Adaptive Engine Transition Programme (AETP).

Netanyahu Hints at Acquiring F-35B Fighter or V-22 Hybrid Copter

07/06/2016

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Thursday that Israel is looking into buying US-made next generation vertical takeoff aircrafts.

UK Typhoon with P3E weapons fit to participate in RIAT and Farnborough shows

07/05/2016

A UK Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft with full Phase 3 Enhancement (P3E) weapons is set to participate in this year's Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) and Farnborough International Air Show. To be flown by BAE Systems experimental test pilot Nat Makepeace, Typhoon will carry four Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, two Brimstone 2 low collateral precision strike weapons, two ASRAAM missiles and two Paveway IV laser guided precision weapons.

New Delhi issues tri-service MALE UAV requirement

07/05/2016

India’s ministry of defence (MOD) has issued a combined tri-service requirement for the acquisition of up to 150, medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAVs.

Russia's Irkut to Finish Su-30 Fighter Jets Deliveries to Algeria in 2017

07/05/2016

According to annual report, Russia's Irkut aircraft manufacturer will finish the deliveries of 14 Sukhoi Su-30MKA multirole fighters to Algeria in 2017.

Flight Tests of Russia's Advanced PAK FA Fighters Almost Completed - Sukhoi

07/05/2016

According to the Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, flight tests of Russia's Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighter aircraft are at the final stage.

Delivery of New Sukhoi T-50 Jets to Russian Aerospace Forces to Begin 2018

07/05/2016

According to Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, Russia will start serial production and deliveries of the Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighter aircraft to the country's Aerospace Forces in 2018.

Beijing flexes military muscle ahead of South China Sea ruling

07/04/2016

Beijing announced the manoeuvres will be held in waters between its southernmost territory, Hainan island, and the contested Paracel Islands from July 5 to 11. International shipping and aircraft are prohibited from entering the waters during that time.

France offers EUR 1 billion to revive India's combat jet engine project

07/04/2016

France has offered to invest EUR 1 billion to revive India's combat jet engine project, proposing a joint development plan that could see the stalled 'Kaveri' gas turbine powering indigenous Tejas fighters by 2020.

US, Canada to Hold Observation Flight Over Russia

07/04/2016

?he head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said that the United States and Canada will carry out an observation flight over Russia's territory under the Open Skies Treaty.

Putin Warns Finland Against Joining NATO, Says Moscow Would Shift Troops

07/04/2016

During a meeting with Finnish President Niinisto on Friday, the two leaders engaged in a frank discussion on how best to ensure peace in the region leading to historic steps by both sides. If Finland were to join NATO, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday during an official state visit that his country would be forced to reposition its troops to guard against the specter of NATO hostility.

‘The Best Aircraft I’ve Flown’: India’s Pilots Cheer 1370mph Tejas Fighter

07/04/2016

The indigenous jet comes in at about one-tenth of the unit cost of an American made fighter jet with combat specifics that wowed the India’s most venerable fighter pilots. "It is comparable and on par with any fourth generation fighter aircraft you have in the world," said Madhav Rangachari, the Commanding Officer of the Indian Air Force squadron 'Flying Daggers 45.'

Chinese actions over Senkakus spark more Japanese jet scrambles

07/02/2016

Chinese military activity near islands covered under the U.S.-Japan defense treaty resulted in a record number of Japanese fighter aircraft responses in recent months, Japan Defense Ministry officials say. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled jets against Chinese aircraft about 200 combined times in April through June, compared with 114 incidents during the same period last year, defense officials told broadcaster NHK during a news conference Thursday.

Military Aircraft Crashes in Syria's Damascus Region, Pilot's Fate Unknown

07/02/2016

The aircraft was carrying out a training task and the pilot managed to eject himself, a source told Sputnik.

Sorry, R2-D2: Computers Aren't Replacing Fighter Pilots

07/02/2016

Score one for the combat geeks, after the news broke this week that a computer defeated a human fighter pilot in a virtual dogfight. For years, there has been a debate between those who sees drones as the inevitable future of air combat, and those who insist that a human must always be in the cockpit. But the drone crowd received a boost after researchers devised an artificial intelligence, or AI, that bested a human pilot in aerial combat.

Two Mi17V5 helicopters delivered to Serbia

07/02/2016

Russian Helicopters delivered two Mil Mi-17V5 rotorcraft to Serbia on 28 June, marking the first delivery of a new rotary type to the country’s air force in 25 years.

US Airstrike Kills 2 Senior Daesh Leaders Near Mosul

07/02/2016

US Department of Defense spokesman Peter Cook said that US-led coalition forces have conducted an airstrike in the Iraqi city of Mosul, resulting in the deaths of two senior military commanders of Daesh.

Russia Plans to Sell Over 120 Mi-28NE, Mi-35M Helicopters in 2016-2018

07/02/2016

Russia's Rostvertol plant, manufacturing military and commercial helicopters, plans to supply domestic and foreign customers with over 120 Mi-28NE attack helicopters and multirole Mi-35M helicopters in 2016-2018, the company said in its annual report for 2015.

India’s Indigenous Aircraft Inducted Into Air Force (VIDEO)

07/02/2016

Tejas, which has been in the making for almost 30 years, was inducted into the 45 squadron nicknamed “Flying Daggers.” Initially, two aircraft have been handed over to the IAF by the state-owned manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) along with a trainer. The fighter jet was jointly developed the HAL and the Aeronautical Development Agency.

Air Force Officers Give New Details for F-35 in War With China

07/01/2016

U.S. Air Force officials for the first time said publicly how they’re planning to use the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in a war with China. The bottom line: a lot needs to change in the way the Air Force uses its warplanes in battle.

THE MYTH OF HIGH-THREAT CLOSE AIR SUPPORT

07/01/2016

The (eventual) retirement of the A-10 Warthog has been a challenging issue for the Air Force. The original plan to replace the A-10 entirely with F-35 has fallen by the wayside, buttressed by the reality that the extended combat deployments undergone by the fighter/attack force were never envisioned when the F-35 plan was hatched. Twenty-five years of continuous conflict, most of it irregular in nature, has highlighted the utility of a relatively slow, heavily armed multirole aircraft.