Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Australia to Step Up Airstrikes on Islamic State

09/01/2016

Australia will step up airstrikes against Islamic State, allowing its military for the first time to attack support facilities as well as militant fighters. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, in a major security speech to Parliament on Thursday, said the conservative government had agreed to new rules of engagement requested by the military, amending domestic laws that restricted strikes to only front-line Islamic State units.

US cleared to complete T-6C sale to Argentina

09/01/2016

A 30-day Congressional notification period has closed on a proposed sale of 24 Beechcraft T-6C Texan trainers to the Argentine air force, clearing the way for the US government and industry officials to complete negotiations on the estimated $300 million deal.

Trial by Fire? Marines to Use F-35’s First Action to See What Still Needs Fixing

09/01/2016

To determine what aspects of the F-35B still need fixing, the US Marines have decided the best way to perform diagnostics is to throw the fifth-generation fighter into the field. The Marine’s F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet variant is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, and has been described as a "jewel" by Deputy Commandant Lt. Gen. Jon Davis.

Lockheed Martin to Supply US Army With 14 More Black Hawk Helicopters

09/01/2016

The US Army awarded Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Aircraft a contract worth more than $150 million for fourteen UH-60 Black Hawk combat helicopters, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

US Marines Hope Pentagon Spends Big on New Armed Tiltrotor Drones

09/01/2016

In an effort to create an unmanned aerial vehicle that combines the capabilities of a Reaper drone with vertical takeoff and landing, Bell is designing a tiltrotor UAV for the US Marine Corps.

Drone piloting now open to enlisted airmen from all career fields

08/31/2016

Enlisted airmen from all career fields may now apply to fly the RQ-4 Global Hawk, the Air Force said Monday in a move that potentially opens the opportunity to pilot the unarmed intelligence-gathering drone to tens of thousands of more airmen. The announcement comes just over a month after the Air Force released details of how the service planned to retrain a select group of enlisted airmen to fly the Global Hawk.

Meanwhile, U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier jump jets continue to pound Daesh in Libya

08/31/2016

Operation Odyssey Lightning kicked off on Aug. 1, when the U.S. launched a new round of air strikes against Islamic State positions in northern Libya following a request by the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) to support GNA-affiliated forces seeking to defeat Daesh in Sirte.

Argentina’s Military Decline

08/31/2016

In March 2016, President Barack Obama made an official visit to Argentina where he was feted by the recently elected President Mauricio Macri. The visit was not without controversies, coinciding as it did with the 40th anniversary of the March 24, 1976 military coup that plunged Argentina into years of a repressive dictatorship. Another controversy got buried in the furore over the timing of the visit – the fact that the Argentine Air Force did not have a single operational fighter to escort.

Top U.S. general says Syrian bombs fell very close to U.S. forces

08/31/2016

Syrian warplanes were dropping bombs just “several hundred meters” away from U.S. Special Forces troops operating alongside Kurdish troops on Aug. 18, a top U.S. general said Tuesday. Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, spoke publicly for the first time about the unprecedented incident that sparked a standoff between the U.S. and Syrian air forces.

Why the F-35 could 'never in a million years' out dogfight the RAF Typhoon or the Russian Su-35

08/31/2016

In a recent interview with Business Insider, Justin Bronk, a research fellow specializing in combat airpower at the Royal United Services Institute, dropped a bombshell about the US's $1 trillion F-35 program: "The F-35 cannot out dogfight a Typhoon (or a Su-35), never in a million years."

How the U.S. Air Force Almost Brought Back the P-51 Mustang

08/31/2016

The North American P-51 Mustang was one of the greatest fighters of World War II. Had life worked out differently, the Mustang could also have fought in Vietnam and flown against a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. In fact, it might even have replaced the A-10 Warthog.

Defence bill language could affect bomber technology development

08/31/2016

A provision within the House of Representative’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2017 could affect the development of emerging technologies for major defence acquisition programmes, including the Northrop Grumman B-21 bomber.

Russia holds reconnaisance flights over Caspian Sea

08/30/2016

Russian Defense Ministry reports that Aerospace forces of Central and Western military districts have been relocated to bases in Southern military district as a part of snap combat readiness inspection, Sputnik International reported.

Key West on the Short List for New Navy Drone Base

08/30/2016

Key West is on the U.S. Navy's short list to become its East Coast home base for a drone system, a project requiring up to 400 military personnel, and locals have a 30-day period starting Sept. 1 to weigh in. Naval Air Station Key West is one of three sites under consideration, joining Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville and Virginia's NASA Wallops Flight Facility to build a launch and recovery base for four MQ-4C Triton drones.

Swiss Air Force jet MISSING in the Alps as contact with pilot fails

08/30/2016

This afternoon at around 2.30pm the single-seat Swiss Air Force aircraft went missing. The aircraft was one of two which was out on a training exercise. A rescue team was immediately activated to find the F/A-18 Hornet.

Patent application reveals KC-46 refueling pod fix

08/30/2016

A recent patent application reveals one issue Boeing overcame to develop KC-46A Pegasus tanker’s wing aerial refueling pod (WARP) system. The Cobham WARP mounted on the outboard wings of the tanker can refuel more than one aircraft simultaneously with 1,514l (400gal) of fuel per minute. The US Air Force will buy 94 KC-46 tankers through fiscal 2021 and 42 WARP sets.

Northrop captures beam control award for laser fighter jet demo

08/30/2016

The US Air Force awarded a $39 million contract to Northrop Grumman to develop the laser beam control portion of the Air Force Research Laboratory’s podded electric laser concept for fifth- and sixth-generation fighter jets.

Arms Race: China’s New Missile Defense System to Defend Against US, South Korea

08/30/2016

With ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and on the Korean peninsula, Beijing has deemed its third-generation surface-to-air missile combat-ready. In the latest sign of a new arms race between the United States and China, Beijing’s Air Force has announced the completion of a new missile defense system.

India Plans to Acquire Predator Drones from the United States to Combat Terror

08/30/2016

India’s Defense Minister visits Washington on Monday and at the top of his wish list is to push the Obama administration to provide New Delhi with lethal drone technology – a request defense analysts believe will be granted.

Russia to Carry Out Observation Flight Over Poland Under Open Skies Treaty

08/30/2016

Russian pilots will carry out an observation flight this week over the territory of Poland, Sergei Ryzhkov, head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center, said Monday.

Russia's Best Military Aircraft: Not Armed With the Best Aircraft-Killer Missiles

08/27/2016

While Russia has deployed advanced warplanes to Syria including the Sukhoi Su-30SM, Su-34 and Su-35S, those jets are seldom seen carrying Moscow’s latest air-to-air weapons. More often than not, the Su-30SM Flanker-H and Su-34 Fullback are spotted armed with Soviet-era R-27 semi-active radar and infrared-guided medium range air-to-air missiles.

Russia's A-10 Warthog: Why the Su-25 Frogfoot Is a Flying Tank

08/27/2016

The Su-25 Frogfoot, known as the Grach or “Rook” by Russian pilots, is one of those aircraft that may not be at the cutting edge of technology, but still has seen widespread service around the world because it offers an effective and useful solution to the need to blast targets on the ground.

Watch this unique footage of Russia’s most advanced combat planes

08/27/2016

To celebrate the Russian Aerospace Force Day, the Russian MoD has published an interesting clip showing some of its most advanced combat planes including the newest Sukhoi T-50 fifth generation fighter PAK FA – Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii—Future Tactical Air System.

New Delhi to replace C-130J lost in 2014 crash

08/27/2016

“The additional aircraft is being procured as a replacement for the one that was lost in an accident in March 2014,” says a source familiar with the matter. Another source corroborates the decision. The DAC is headed by defence minister Manohar Parrikar.

USAF opens path to order up to 100 more C-130Js

08/27/2016

The five year ordering contract (FYOC) accommodates orders placed by international and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) tells FlightGlobal. The contracting vehicle also could include new orders from the US government, the AFLCMC says.