Military Aviation News Archive

Russia on the Way to Breakthrough in Developing High-Speed Helicopter

05/23/2016

Flight tests of Russia’s high-speed helicopter demonstrator are scheduled to start in June. Just as promised, the rotorcraft will accelerate to a record 450 km/h, Rossiiskaya Gazeta wrote.

U.S. Drone Strike Targets Taliban Leader

05/22/2016

An American drone strike targeted the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, in Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, United States officials said on Saturday, in the most significant American incursion inside Pakistan since Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden, the Qaeda leader, in 2011.

Russia’s Mi-28 Attack Helicopter to Get Laser Missile Defense Gear

05/22/2016

Russia’s Mi-28 Night Hunter attack helicopters will soon be equipped with an advanced on-board laser system to defend against MANPAD missiles and air-to-air missiles, a senior adviser to the deputy head of the Radio-Electronic Technologies Concern (KRET), told RIA Novosti.

All-Seeing Eye: Russia Flies Out Bleeding-Edge A-50U AWACS Aircraft (VIDEO)

05/22/2016

The Russian Defense Ministry presented the A-50U - the Aerospace Forces' most advanced airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C, or AWACS) at an air base in the Ivanovo Region.

The P-8 Poseidon Will Get Winged Torpedoes To Kill Subs At Long-Range

05/21/2016

Adding range and smart guidance to existing munitions, via a kit, is the backbone of America’s “smart weapon” revolution. Laser guided bombs, GPS guided JDAMs, and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispensers are all bolt-on kits that drastically increase the capability of existing air-dropped weapons.

Russia introduces new combat training methods based on Syrian experience

05/21/2016

The Russian Defense Ministry is introducing new methods of combat training based on the experience gained in Syria, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Friday. "Modern military conflicts are very brief. Decisions to create and prepare various groups of troops are made within tight deadlines. In view of these peculiarities and the experience gained in Syria the armed forces are introducing new forms and methods of combat training," he said.

What Would a War between Russia and the USA Look Like?

05/21/2016

It all depends by what you mean by “advantage”. The US armed forces are much larger than the Russian ones, that is true. But, unlike the Russians ones, they are spread all over the planet. In warfare what matters is not the size of your military, but how much of it is actually available for combat in the theater of military operations TMO (conflict area).

Sikorsky HH-60W team moves into detailed design phase

05/21/2016

The US Air Force is buying 112 HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopters to replace the HH-60G Pave Hawk that was introduced under the Reagan administration in the 1980s. The Sikorsky design was selected in late 2013 and a $1.2 billion development contract that funds four pre-production examples and six aircrew and maintenance trainers was awarded in July 2014.

First sqaudron of India’s indigenous jet Tejas to fly before Diwali

05/21/2016

The first squadron of Tejas fighter jets will be flying before Diwali this year as a step towards taking the fighter formations the Indian Air Force (IAF) closer to the sanctioned strength, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said. In an interview to All India Radio, the minister also said that the share of imports in defence will go down to 30-35 percent in next five to eight years.

Russia’s MiG-35 to Boast State-of-the-Art Ship-Relative Navigation System

05/21/2016

Russia’s MiG-35 multirole fighter jets will soon be equipped with the latest platform-less inertial navigation system, Igor Nasenkov, deputy head of the Radio-Electronic Technologies Concern (KRET), told RIA Novosti.

Russia Developing 'Fundamentally New' Advanced Naval Chopper From Scratch

05/21/2016

The advanced helicopter under development for the needs of Russia's Navy will be essentially an entirely new vehicle, Kamov Design Bureau General Designer Sergei Mikheev said Friday.

Sikorsky CH-53K likely to fall short of upper lifting requirement

05/20/2016

The US Marine Corps ideally wants its new Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion to carry 13.6t (30,000lb) externally over 110nm (204km) unrefueled, but early analysis indicates that it will fall approximately 907kg short of that “objective” key performance requirement.

Saab offers next gen Gripen aircraft under Make in India initiative

05/20/2016

Swedish defence major Saab has unveiled its next generation fighter aircraft, Gripen E, which the company today said is being offered to the country under the 'Make in India' initiative with transfer of technology. Gripen E, which was unveiled yesterday, has significantly improved avionics system when compared to previous versions of the Gripen.

Russia to Renew Production of Mi-14 Nuclear-Capable Anti-Sub Helicopters

05/20/2016

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said that ministry plans to renew the production of Mi-14 Haze nuclear-capable amphibious anti-submarine helicopters.

Russia Confirms First Batch of S-300 Air Defense Systems Delivered to Iran

05/20/2016

Russia has provided Iran with the first batch of S-300 air defense systems, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin said Thursday. "We have a signed contract with Iran, the first batch has now been unloaded, approximately a battalion. We will continue to fulfill our commitments until year-end," Kozhin said.

China Confirms Intercepting US Reconnaissance Plane Over South China Sea

05/20/2016

Chinese fighter jets shadowed a US reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea, but kept a safe distance and did not make any dangerous maneuvers, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Thursday.

EgyptAir flight disappears from radar

05/19/2016

An EgyptAir flight heading from Paris to Cairo disappeared from radar with 69 people on board, the airline said. The plane was flying at 37,000 feet when it disappeared shortly after entering Egyptian airspace, the airline tweeted. A total of 69 people were on board -- 59 passengers and 10 crew members.

Air Force B-52 crashes in Guam, crew bails to safety

05/19/2016

A B-52H Stratofortress crashed around 8:30 a.m. on Andersen Air Force Base's flight line, the base's public affairs office has confirmed. All seven aircrew members safely exited the aircraft. No injuries have been reported. Emergency responders are on scene, according to Andersen's public affairs.

HOW GOOD ARE THEY? THE LATEST INSIGHTS INTO CHINA’S MILITARY TECH

05/19/2016

It’s that time of year again, and the end of an era. On Friday, the Obama Administration released the last annual Pentagon China report under its watch. Working the China military observers’ graveyard shift this weekend, I published analyses of the report’s overall content, and its key omissions — namely, any mention whatsoever of China’s maritime militia of “little blue men” trolling for territorial claims.

The New York Times Editorial Board Oppose Sale Of U.S. Military Aircraft to Nigeria

05/19/2016

Fourteen months after the election of President Muhammadu Buhari in Nigeria, the Obama administration is considering selling his government 12 warplanes. It is a thorny decision because Mr. Buhari is an improvement over his disastrous predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, and is fighting Boko Haram, the Islamist extremists who have terrorized the region. But he has not done enough to end corruption and respond to charges that the army has committed war crimes in its fight against the group.

LEVERAGING THE RAF MARHAM AND RAF LAKENHEATH STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY: THE USAF AND THE RAF SHAPE 21ST OPERATIONAL CAPABILITIES

05/19/2016

With the RAF and the USAF setting up four squadrons of aircraft between them at two nearby RAF bases, there is a clear opportunity to shape a common sustainment solution. And the impact of so doing could be significant on the North Sea neighbors, namely, the Danes the Norwegians and the Dutch.

S. Korea to pick foreign jet engine by June to equip indigenous combat jets

05/19/2016

South Korea will select a foreign jet engine maker to power the country's first indigenously-developed combat aircraft by next month, the defense procurement agency said Wednesday. European jet engine giant Eurojet Turbo GmbH is competing against U.S. rival General Electric (GE) for the South Korean deal to procure engines for its high-profile indigenous fighter jet project, known as the Korean Fighter Experimental, or KF-X.

Why Concerns Over Drone Proliferation Are Overblown

05/19/2016

In a recent article in Foreign Policy, “Terrorist Have Drones Now. Thanks, Obama,” James Barmfort summarizes the conventional wisdom in the media and among analysts about the diffusion of drones. According to this view, drones represent a “game-changer” that could promote instability and conflict around the world and even lead to a shift in the distribution of military power in the international system.

PICTURES: Saab rolls out first Gripen E fighter

05/19/2016

Saab has unveiled its next-generation Gripen E fighter, some three years before delivering its first of at least 96 production examples to the air forces of Sweden and Brazil. Rolled out at the Swedish manufacturer's Linköping site in Sweden on 18 May, aircraft 39-8 is the first of three test aircraft which will support the Gripen E programme.

‘Unsafe and Unprofessional’: Chinese Intercept US Jet Over South China Sea

05/19/2016

According to the US Department of Defense, two Chinese military aircraft intercepted a US military reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea in an “unsafe” manner this Tuesday.