Military Aviation News Archive

Northrop Grumman Wins Japan Order for Hawkeye Surveillance Aircraft

12/31/2015

The US Department of Defense announced the winner of $286 million US Navy contract for the production and delivery of an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to Japan.

Russia to Supply Egypt With 46 Ka-52K Naval Attack Helicopters

12/31/2015

Russia has struck a deal with Egypt to deliver 46 Kamov Ka-52K navalized attack helicopters, the director-general of the state-run Russian Helicopters aircraft maker said Wednesday.

Kuwait to Send Troops to Join Saudi War in Yemen

12/31/2015

Kuwait is ready to send an artillery battalion to protect Saudi Arabia against cross-border incursions by Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Kuwaiti daily newspaper Al-Qabas reported.

Russian PAK FA to be Equipped With Futuristic Photonic

12/31/2015

The radar will be based on Radio-Optical Phased Arrays (ROFAR), explained the adviser of the first deputy general director of concern Radio-Electronic Technology (KRET) Vladimir Mikheev. KRET is a part of Russia’s Rostec corporation, it developed the electronic systems for the aircraft.

Iran Paying for S-300 Air Defense System Contract - Russian Deputy PM

12/31/2015

Russia has begun fulfilling a contract with Iran on the delivery of S-300 air defense systems that the Islamic Republic has already been paying for, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Wednesday. In 2007, Moscow and Tehran signed an $800-million deal for the delivery of five S-300 missile systems to Iran. In 2010, Russia suspended the contract, citing a UN Security Council resolution that placed an armed embargo on Tehran until it proved a peaceful nature of its nuclear project.

Navy Jets Return to ISIS Fight as USS Truman Enters Arabian Gulf

12/30/2015

Strike aircraft from nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman flew their first missions against ISIS terrorists Tuesday in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. It was the first strike by Navy jets since the San Diego-based carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt left the region in October. The Defense Department reported that U.S. an coalition aircraft conducted nine strikes against targets in Syria and 22 in Iraq.

The only man to ever shoot at a UFO

12/30/2015

Thirty-five years ago, fighter pilot Oscar Santa Maria Huerta had a real-life Independence Day moment when he attempted to shoot down a mysterious light-bulb shaped craft, in what to this day remains the only documented case of a military aircraft firing on a UFO.

Was 2015 a good year for India's defence sector?

12/30/2015

The most significant development of 2015 was the scrapping of the $20-billion (Rs 1.45 lakh crore) Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) deal for the purchase of 126 French Dassault Rafale fighter jets. Expense could have been a major reason, IndiaSpend reported. To boost squadron strength, the government cleared the off-the-shelf purchase of 36 Rafale aircraft in fly-away condition from Dassault’s factories in France at an estimated cost of $8-9 billion (Rs 52,800-59,400 crore).

Pentagon says F-35 program on the right track

12/30/2015

Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office say they've finished delivering jets for 2015, increasing their yield from last year by 25 percent. Joe DellaVedova, a spokesman with the F-35 office at the Pentagon, said 45 F-35s were delivered, which met Lockheed and the program office's delivery goal for the year and exceeded last year's deliveries by nine jets.

Russian Arms Transfers and Asian Military Modernisation

12/30/2015

The Russian defence industry is a critical segment of the country’s economy, employing at least 2.5 million workers, and accounting for 20 per cent of all manufacturing jobs. The arms industry suffered considerably after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s and subsequent years of neglect due to a precipitous drop in military spending.

China’s Lethal New J-20 Warplane Takes Off

12/30/2015

Beijing’s stealthy Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation combat aircraft, pictured above in an artist’s rendering, may have entered low rate initial production according to state-owned Chinese media. Xinhua—Beijing’s official news agency—published photos of the newest J-20 aircraft, which is still coated in primer paint, earlier this week.

Russia-NATO Standonff Will Continue in 2016, But Military Conflict Unlikely

12/30/2015

Stratfor, an American global intelligence company, stated that the crisis between Russia and the Western states was "central in shaping the global system for the past two years," adding that it was likely to remain in place next year, "though the levels of conflict and potential cooperation will wax and wane from issue to issue."

Venezuelan Military Helicopter Crashes in Colombia, Injures 4

12/29/2015

Venezuela’s National Guard helicopter has crashed in Colombia, injuring several people, local media reported Monday, citing Colombian Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II generates a charged debate

12/29/2015

It’s an aircraft like no other, in both its design and most definitely its cost. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is the most expensive weapons system in U.S. history, with a price tag of $400 billion for development and procurement.

Japan Approves Record Defense Budget

12/29/2015

The cabinet of Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved a record 5.05 trillion yen ($41.4 billion) defense budget for fiscal year 2016/2017 and slightly below the 5.09 trillion yen requested by Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MOD), The Japan Times reports. This marks the fourth consecutive rise in defense spending since Shinzo Abe assumed office in December 2012.

Islamic State retreats in Iraq as military retakes key city

12/29/2015

Iraqi officials said security forces recaptured a second strategic city from Islamic State militants, dealing a blow to the group's military campaign in OPEC's second-biggest oil producer. The reversal in Ramadi, 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Baghdad, came after U.S. and coalition aircraft stepped up their bombing of Islamic State positions, including four airstrikes near the city on Saturday targeting vehicles, weaponry and tactical staging areas.

Elbit Systems Wins $70 Million Israel Air Force EW Contract

12/29/2015

Elbit Systems Ltd. has been awarded a contract by the Directorate of Production and Procurement of the Israeli Ministry of Defense valued at approximately $70 million for the supply of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems. The systems, developed and manufactured by Elbit Systems EW and SIGINT – Elisra Ltd., are to be delivered over a 5-year period. They will be installed on board all types of Israeli Air Force fighter jets.

MANUFACTURING 16 FIGHTER JETS IN 2015: PAC ACHIEVES HISTORICAL MILESTONE

12/29/2015

Pakistan Aeronau-tical Complex (PAC) on Monday achieved another milestone in the country's aviation history by indigenously manufacturing 16 fighter jets (JF-17 Thunder) during 2015. Ceremony to highlight the hallmark achievement of PAC was clubbed with the formal induction of newly manufactured 16th JF-17 Thunder in the fleet of Pakistan Air Force.

DARPA plans to launch drones from small ships with $93M Northrop Grumman award

12/29/2015

On Dec. 24, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced its award of a $93 million contract to Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman Corp. for the design of an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be launched from destroyers and other small surface ships. This is just days after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration handed down new rules for recreational owners of commercial drones.

Pakistan in negotiations with US to buy F-16 fighter jets: Air chief

12/29/2015

Pakistan’s air chief marshal Sohail Aman on Monday said that the country was in negotiations with the US to procure the latest F-16 fighter jets and by 2020 it will phase out some of its old combat aircraft, including Mirage. “We are in talks with US defence officials to get some latest F-16s but the deal may take some time,” the Air chief told reporters after the rolling out ceremony of the 16th JF-17 Thunder aircraft at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra near Islamabad.

South Korean DAPA, KAI Sign Formal Agreement For KF-X Fighter Aircraft Program

12/29/2015

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) have formally signed an agreement to develop KF-X fighter aircraft. According to the agreement signed today, DAPA will finance 60 per cent of the 8 trillion won (US$6.9 billion) costs required in the development phase, with KAI to pay 20 per cent, Yonhap news agency reported Monday.

Afghan Air Force to receive additional combat aircraft in 3 weeks: Ghani

12/29/2015

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said Monday that the Afghan Air Force (AAF) will receive additional combat aircraft within the next three weeks. In his speech during the inauguration of the new compound of Ministry of Defense, President Ghani thanked India for the delivery of Mi-25 gunships, calling the close-air support for the Afghan forces a critical need durig the current situation.

Aided by U.S. airstrikes, Iraqis take last Ramadi stronghold as Islamic State fighters flee with civilian shields

12/28/2015

Islamic State group fighters pulled out of their last stronghold in Ramadi Sunday, bringing Iraqi federal forces within sight of their biggest victory since last year’s debacle. The elite counterterrorism service was hours away from moving into the former government complex in Ramadi, which the jihadis had fiercely defended for several days, the force’s spokesman said.

TriLateralEx 2015 Final Report: F-22s, Typhoons and Rafales prepare for Future Air Warfare

12/28/2015

The inaugural Trilateral Exercise held Dec. 2-18 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) in Virginia not only represented a visible component of the collaboration between Allies, it also provided the back drop for the leadership of the respective Air Forces to lay out future challenges and direction.

Silent, invisible, deadly: The weapon that could change warfare

12/28/2015

Next month, a new force will awaken in the desert of New Mexico, where the US Defense Department is about to start testing a weapon worthy of Star Wars — a silent, invisible laser that needs just a couple of seconds to burn a hole through targets miles away.