Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Rosoboronexport Working Out Means of Demonstrating Yak-130 in Latin America

09/07/2016

Rosoboronexport Deputy Director General Sergey Goreslavsky said that Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport with the Irkut Corporation, are working on the issue of showing the Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft in Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru in 2017.

Russian Aerospace Forces to Start Receiving Mi-26T2 Helicopters in 2018

09/07/2016

The Russian Aerospace Forces will start receiving the upgraded Mi-26T2 heavy-lift transport helicopters in 2018, a spokesman for the manufacturing firm Russian Helicopters said.

Counterterror Cooperation Very High on Pakistan-Russia Agenda

09/07/2016

Maj. Gen. Naveed Ahmed, the director general of defense procurement for Pakistan, stated that cooperation between Russia and Pakistan in counterterrorism is very high.

Will China’s New Jet Manufacturer Solve Its Military Tech Gap?

09/06/2016

In its latest move in the push to develop functioning jet engines, China has just set up a new state-run company with a mission to consolidate the efforts of past manufacturers. The new firm, called the Aero-Engine Group of China (AEGC), is sponsored by the central government, Beijing authorities, and two existing state-run aerospace companies, Reuters reported on Aug. 28. AEGC was formed with 50 billion yuan (about $7.5 billion) in starting capital.

Is China's New Cruise Missile All Hype?

09/06/2016

China is waging a relentless propaganda campaign against its opponents in the South China Sea. Following the Hague arbitral tribunal’s verdict rejecting Beijing’s historical rights within the nine-dash line, China’s publicity managers have raised their game with devastating effect.

ANALYSIS: THE VALUE OF HMD/S ON THE JF-17

09/06/2016

In April, Quwa had released an article outlining the possible helmet-mounted display and sight (HMD/S) options the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) might have for the JF-17 Thunder. That article outlines various HMD/S solutions from a number of vendors, but it does not offer enough context in terms of why HMD/S would be an important – if not essential – addition for the JF-17.

Despite Avengers’ ceasefire, Nigerian Air Force to deploy more troops to Niger Delta

09/06/2016

Two months after deploying more combat aircraft to the Niger Delta, the Nigerian Air Force has said it is set to deploy more personnel to the troubled region. The new deployments occur despite a unilateral ceasefire by a major militant group in the region, the Niger Delta Avengers. The group, responsible for most of the attacks on oil and gas facilities in the region in the past year, two weeks ago expressed its willingness for conditional dialogue.

Nellis AFB: Inside the Military Marvel Mere Miles from Las Vegas Strip

09/06/2016

On a hot August afternoon, the world is buzzing in the wide-open atrium of the Nellis Air Force Base Exchange. Pilots fresh from the day's mission huddle at tables in the food court, retirees stop for a bite to eat and wives and husbands of service members shuffle kids into the barbershop. In the department store, a couple of men dressed in the desert camouflage of a foreign air force gape at row upon row of discounted American goods.

Air Force, Running Low on Drone Pilots, Turns to Contractors in Terror Fight

09/06/2016

The American military’s extensive use of drones against the Islamic State and other terrorist groups has resulted in a shortage of Air Force pilots and other personnel to operate the aircraft, leading the Pentagon to rely more on private contractors for reconnaissance missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

THE SOFTWARE-UPGRADEABLE COMBAT AIRCRAFT: THE CASE OF THE P-8

09/06/2016

A new aspect of building, modernizing and evolving the combat capabilities of the new generation of combat aircraft is software upgradeability. Software upgradeability provides a key opportunity to evolve the capabilities of an air combat platform without having to change the hardware and correlated software configurations through a complicated upgrade process.

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.