Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: The Analyst's Grief (And Israel's Dilemma)

07/01/2016

Israel has entered the 'age of the fifth generation combat aircraft'. Its first F-35I 'Adir' was rolled out at Lockheed-Martin's facility in Ft. Worth, Texas. Israel's new Minister of Defense, Avigdor Liberman, attended, and the Israeli media was filled with superlatives: 'deadlier than any other plane', 'it will change the Middle East' and so forth.

Adaptive cycle engine enters final phase of development

07/01/2016

The US Air Force has awarded two five-year development contracts to GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney worth up to $1 billion each to continue development of a next-generation military jet engine and prepare for an anticipated competition in the early 2020s for the chance to power a new combat aircraft and possibly re-engine the Lockheed Martin F-35.

Sharing secret F-35 data gives USAF new problem

07/01/2016

The Lockheed Martin’s F-35’s newest snag doesn’t come from a technological issue, but an international policy problem, according to the director of the US Air Force’s F-35A Integration Office.

Airbus to test automatic boom mode for A330 MRTT

07/01/2016

With its advanced boom refuelling system for the A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) having achieved full operational capability, Airbus Defence & Space has turned its attention to trialling an automatic mode for the fly-by-wire controlled structure.

After Istanbul Attack, Pentagon May Require 'Unaccompanied' Tours in Turkey

07/01/2016

With rising security concerns in Turkey, the US military is taking steps to bar civilian staffers and military families from traveling to country. In its fight against Daesh, also known as IS/Islamic State, the United States has relied on Incirlik air base in southern Turkey. As the country becomes increasingly vulnerable to terrorist attacks, however, the Obama administration has become increasingly concerned with safety.

Russia Supplies Mi-26TS Heavy Transport Helicopter to China

07/01/2016

The Russian Helicopters company on Thursday announced that it had supplied the fourth Mi-26TS heavy transport helicopter to China. The Mi-26TS is an export version of the Mil Mi-26T helicopter. Russian Helicopters signed the supply contract with China's Lectern Aviation Supplies Co Ltd in 2014. China has been operating three such helicopters to date.

Russian Envoy to Iran Hopes Moscow to Fulfill S-300 Delivery Before 2017

07/01/2016

Russian Ambassador to Iran Levan Dzhagaryan expressed hope on Thursday that Russia would complete the supply of S-300 air defense systems to Iran by the end of 2016.

More Export Customers For Pakistan’s Basic Trainer

06/30/2016

Qatar and Nigeria have become the latest buyers of the Super Mushshak basic trainer produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) at Kamra. Pakistan media reported the number sold to Nigeria as 10 but did not disclose the quantity for Qatar. Other countries that have been listed as customers are Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

Make In India F-16s, F-18s: Hunt for new range of fighter jets set to take off

06/30/2016

The defence ministry is moving fast to end the critical shortage of fighter jets in the Indian Air Force (IAF) which has been decommissioning squadrons flying MIG-21s that have been in service for over 50 years.

Air Force Begins Replacing Combat Lost HH-60G Pave Hawks

06/30/2016

The Air Force introduced the first of 21 fully built HH-60G Pave Hawk Operational Loss Replacement (OLR) helicopters June 28 at a ceremony in Huntsville, Alabama. The HH-60G is used to conduct combat search and rescue operations. The OLR program will restore the service’s HH-60G fleet to its authorized size, replacing aircraft lost in nearly 15 years of deployed combat operations since 9/11.

USAF Tests Lockheed-Developed F-35A Combat Readiness Capacity, Aircraft Nears IOC Declaration

06/30/2016

Service members from the 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing led the first off-station deployment exercise of seven Lockheed Martin-built F-35A Lightning II units that works to meet initial operational capability targets within the year.

OGMA submits Hercules upgrade bid to Gabon

06/30/2016

Gabon is considering whether to bring an elderly B-model variant of the Lockheed Martin C-130 back to flyable condition, in order to double the size of its air force’s transport fleet.

PICTURES: F-35B touches down in UK for show debut

06/30/2016

Two years after the US Marine Corps' planned first transatlantic crossing with the short take-off and vertical landing F-35B was thwarted by an engine fire, a trio of the jets have touched down at RAF Fairford in the UK.

India acquires Litening targeting pod

06/30/2016

Rafael will supply 164 examples of its Litening targeting pod to the Indian air force, for use on four types of combat aircraft including New Delhi’s Sukhoi Su-30 fighters. Guy Oren, director of Rafael's electro-optical systems unit, says the pods will be delivered in the next couple of years.

KC-390 confirmed for Farnborough debut

06/30/2016

Embraer is to give its developmental KC-390 tanker/transport an international debut at the Farnborough air show, ahead of a multi-national promotional tour for the jet-powered type.

PICTURES: RAF launches first Storm Shadow strike against IS in Iraq

06/30/2016

MBDA’s Storm Shadow cruise missile has been used by the Royal Air Force in the campaign against Islamic State militants in Iraq for the first time, with the weapon having been deployed by Panavia Tornado GR4s operating from its Akrotiri base in Cyprus.

Military Strikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

06/29/2016

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.