Military Aviation News Archive

PAKISTAN MUST INTROSPECT

05/16/2016

Instead of harping on India's role in seeking to block the sale (by the United States) of F-16 fighter aircraft to his country, Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, must study the reasons for the opposition to the deal across the political spectrum in the US.

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THE DANISH FIGHTER DECISION AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

05/16/2016

In April 2015, the Sir Richard Williams Foundation of Australia cohosted a symposium on Integrating Innovative Airpower with the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen. The symposium was being held as the Danes were being threatened by the Russians in rather dramatic terms – if the Danes were to participate in the NATO missile defense system, then their ships were subject to direct strike by the Russians, including with the use of nuclear weapons against them.

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What the Pentagon '16 China Military Report Leaves Out

05/16/2016

An expert says the Pentagon's annual report on the Chinese military leaves out an important discussion about China's Maritime Militia force which trolls the South China Sea looking to make territorial claims.

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Painted planes make quiet comeback in Air Force

05/16/2016

It took 31 days to transform this otherwise dull gray F-15 Eagle into a colorful abstract worthy of its noble avian namesake. The powerful warplane is adorned with wisp-like feathers that stretch across its 43-foot wingspan and onto its fuselage. Its nest, Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Ore., is home to the the 173rd Fighter Wing and the Air Force's only F-15C training schoolhouse. The ramp holds 32 Eagles in all.

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Kurdish Forces Advancing on Raqqa City in Full Combat Readiness

05/16/2016

On Wednesday, SDF Spokesman Tajir Kobani announced that commanders of the SDF-affiliated groups in Northern Syria have, in a secret meeting, coordinated the process of a joint final operation for liberating Raqqa from Daesh terrorists.

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Why Russia May Not Need Hmeymim Base to Continue Crushing Daesh in Syria

05/16/2016

Russia has withdrawn the bulk of its forces from Syria and agreed with Washington a ceasefire in the country. However, Moscow would have to return its aircraft to the Syrian battlefield since Washington continues to supply arms to terrorist groups, an article on the foreign affairs analysis website Voltaire Network read.

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Iran Has No Plans to Buy Russia's S-400 Air Defense System After S-300

05/16/2016

Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier-General, Hossein Dehqan, in response to a question by a reporter said that Iran has not demanded S-400 air defense systems from Russia.

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Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia to Hold Joint Military Drills

05/16/2016

The defense ministers of Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan met in Qabala, Azerbaijan, earlier Sunday. "In order to increase combat capabilities and readiness of the Azerbaijani, Turkish and Georgian armed forces we considered it appropriate to hold joint military exercises. [We] also stressed the need for close cooperation in the field of cybersecurity and the protection of oil and gas pipelines.

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Reductions in flying missions contributed to crash of Canadian Forces training aircraft, says report

05/14/2016

The Directorate of Flight Safety has released the flight safety investigation report into a Jan. 24, 2014 accident. That involved a controlled ejection by pilots of a CT-156 Harvard II aircraft during a training flight at 15 Wing Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

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China Boosts Jet Drills, Ramping Up Combat Readiness

05/14/2016

The crash of a fighter jet in eastern China on Wednesday will almost certainly be followed by similar accidents as the ­People’s Liberation Army ramps up training to improve combat readiness, military analysts said. Liang Yang, a spokesman for the PLA Navy, confirmed late on Wednesday that a fighter jet from the East Sea Fleet crashed into a sewing machine factory during a night training mission at about 7.30pm in Taizhou in ­Zhejiang province.

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Inherent Resolve Spokesman: Coalition Operations Deny ISIL’s Caliphate Dreams

05/14/2016

The U.S.-led coalition fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is denying the terrorists’ ambition to act as a state by targeting their finances, revenue sources, recruiting efforts and leaders, the Operation Inherent Resolve spokesman said today. Army Col. Steve Warren briefed reporters by video teleconference live from Baghdad, beginning his remarks by welcoming an announcement by the Belgian government that beginning July 1 it would extend its counter-ISIL airstrikes into Syria

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Raptors complete successful European deployment

05/14/2016

Twelve F-22 Raptors from the 95th Fighter Squadron and about 220 Airmen from Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, completed on May 8 a month-long deployment to Royal Air Force Lakenheath. This historic deployment was the largest Raptor deployment in Europe to date and is part of their Global Response Force training.

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U.S. official: ISIS declares state of emergency in self-declared capital

05/14/2016

U.S. military officials are closely watching social media and news reports that say ISIS believes it may soon come under siege in Raqqa, Syria, its self-declared capital. "We have seen this declaration of emergency in Raqqa, whatever that means," Col. Steve Warren, the spokesman for the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, told reporters Friday. "We know this enemy feels threatened, as they should."

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F-35 Beats Every Other Fighter Jet In Scandinavian Air Force Evaluations

05/14/2016

After evaluating the Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35 as Denmark’s next primary fighter jet, the country’s government is recommending the F-35 “unequivocally” as superior in “strategic, military, economic, and industrial aspects.” Is this a needed win for this troubled jet?

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'Wiped Out': Air Force losing pilots and planes to cuts, scrounging for spare parts

05/14/2016

It was just a few years ago, in March 2011, when a pair of U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers – during a harsh winter storm – took off from their base in South Dakota to fly across the world to launch the air campaign in Libya, only 16 hours after given the order. Today, many in the Air Force are questioning whether a similar mission could still be accomplished, after years of budget cuts that have taken an undeniable toll.

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UK jets intercepted 3 Russian military aircraft en route to the Baltics

05/13/2016

British Typhoon fighter jets have intercepted three Russian military transport aircraft approaching the Baltic States, the defense ministry said on Thursday. The British fighters, scrambled from Amari Air Base in Estonia, intercepted the Russian aircraft, which were not transmitting a recognized identification code and were unresponsive, the ministry said.

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Differences ironed out, India and Russia could soon ink stealth fighter jet deal: Report

05/13/2016

India could soon ink a pending contract with Russia on stealth jet fighters, as both countries have "ironed out" their differences regarding the co-development of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA), the Tribune reported, citing sources. The research and development (R&D) contract was pending since 2013 following the completion of the preliminary design contract (PDC) that cost $295 million (Rs. 1,483 crore) for both countries.

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Thailand mulls buying more Swedish jet fighters

05/13/2016

Thailand might buying four more Swedish jet fighters to add to a current squadron of 12 of the same type, Deputy Prime Minister Prajin Juntong said on Thursday. Rajin, a former air force chief, said that he viewed the Saab JAS 39 Gripen multi-role combat aircraft as "technologically advanced" and suggested that his successor buy an additional four jets, Xinhua news agency reported.

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Russian Fighter Jets Close Technology Gap With US

05/13/2016

The Kremlin’s air war over Syria demonstrated that Russia’s once dilapidated military has recovered from its low-point in 1990s in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse. But while the Russian Air Force showed off new precision-guided weapons and new high-performance aircraft like the Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-H, Su-34 Fullback and the Su-35S Flanker-E, it was evident that Moscow still lacked certain capabilities.

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China Puts Guam Within Missile Range

05/13/2016

Guam is within China’s military strike reach with new missiles and bomber aircraft capabilities that demonstrate China’s continued efforts to neutralize America’s ability to come to the aid of its allies and friends in the region, according to a May 10 report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC).

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Bell Helicopter awarded a nearly half-billion dollar attack & utility helicopter contract

05/13/2016

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, was awarded a $461.1 million contract in March 2016 from the United States Pentagon to supply the U.S. Marine Corps with more than two dozen new utility and attack helicopters. The contract includes 12 UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters and 16 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and the associated auxiliary fuel kits.

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This Is America's Lethal AC-130 Gunship on Steroids

05/13/2016

The historic, lethal and combat-tested AC-130 gunship - known for attacking ISIS and Taliban fighters during close-air support high-risk combat missions - is getting a massive technological upgrade with newer weapons and avionics to increase the effectiveness of the attack platform and extend its service life into future decades, service officials said.

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Denmark picks F-35 for 27-aircraft deal

05/13/2016

Denmark’s government and defence ministry have recommended the selection of the Lockheed Martin F-35 as the nation’s future combat aircraft, following an evaluation involving the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon.

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C-130Js Delivered to U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force

05/13/2016

Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) recently delivered two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft: one HC-130J long range surveillance/search and rescue aircraft to the U.S. Coast Guard and an MC-130J Commando II Special Operations tanker to the U.S. Air Force. The Coast Guard’s HC-130J was originally delivered in 2015 and received post-production modifications at Lockheed Martin’s Greenville, South Carolina, facility. It was ferried from Greenville on May 10 by a Coast Guard crew.

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The Russian Air Force Was Always Behind the West in One Key Area (Until Now)

05/12/2016

The Kremlin’s air war over Syria demonstrated that Russia’s once dilapidated military has recovered from its low-point in 1990s in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse. But while the Russian Air Force showed off new precision-guided weapons and new high-performance aircraft like the Sukhoi Su-30SM Flanker-H, Su-34 Fullback and the Su-35S Flanker-E, it was evident that Moscow still lacked certain capabilities.

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