Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Women to fly fighter jets for 5 yrs

12/05/2015

The defence ministry on Friday said women would be inducted into the combat stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to fly fighter aircraft on an ‘experimental basis’ for five years beginning June 2016. “Government has accorded the approval to entry of women into the fighter stream of IAF on an experimental basis for five years,” the Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said.

UK Air Chief Hopes To Add Combat Squadron

12/05/2015

Having secured three extra combat squadrons a little more than a week ago in a strategic defense and security review (SDSR), Britain’s Air Force chief said that he has a plan to add a fourth unit to further boost air power. “We were destined to be down to six [combat] squadrons by 2020," the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford told an audience of senior military and industry executives at an Air Power Association dinner at the House of Commons on Thursday.

Can Eurofighter Beat Its Competition on the Asian Market?

12/05/2015

The Diplomat has recently been writing a series on the prospects of combat aircraft sales in the Pacific states. I’ve earlier covered French Dassault’s Rafale, U.S. Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, and Sweden’s Saab’s Gripen. Robert Farley and myself have also written about the development and prospects for fifth-generation stealth aircraft in the region.

Fighting not over for US F-16 pilots in Afghanistan

12/05/2015

American F-16 fighter pilots deployed to Afghanistan say their mission hasn’t changed in the last year, even though the international military force here has transitioned to a more advisory role. The coalition might have declared that it ended the combat mission in 2015, but the pilots from the 388th Fighter Wing’s 421st Fighter Squadron are still flying round-the-clock patrols, and they are still dropping bombs on the enemy.

France Conducts Intelligence Flight Over Daesh-Controlled Parts of Libya

12/05/2015

France has carried out reconnaissance and intelligence flights over Libya in the areas controlled by Daesh, also known as ISIL or Islamic State terrorist group. The French military plans to continue to conduct similar missions over the North African country, a presidential press document released on Friday said.

Moscow Calls for Removal of Data on Russian Pilots From Canadian Website

12/05/2015

Russia has contacted the Canadian authorities over a website that has posted details about Russian pilots involved in counter-terrorism operations in Syria to request the information be removed, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Department for New Challenges and Threats said Friday.

Russian MiG-35 Fighter Jets to Be Equipped With Brand New Navigation System

12/05/2015

Russian multirole MiG-35 fighter jets will receive the latest platform-less inertial navigation system, the CEO of the Moscow Institute of Electro Mechanics and Automation, Alexei Kuznetsov, said Friday.

German Parliament Approves Military Operation Against Daesh in Syria

12/05/2015

The German parliament (Bundestag) has approved launching a military campaign against Daesh terrorist organization, also known as ISIL or Islamic State, in Syria. The move was supported by 445 German lawmakers, while 146 voted against the anti-Daesh campaign, seven lawmakers abstained.

Former Daesh Captive: West is 'Fueling the Misery and Disaster'

12/05/2015

A former captive of Daesh, also known as ISIL/The Islamic State, French journalist Nicolas Henin has spoken out on the ways in which Western policies are not only ineffectual in fighting the terrorist group, but actually fueling its growth.

Pentagon burning through Hellfire, bomb stockpiles striking ISIL

12/04/2015

The Air Force has fired more than 20,000 missiles and bombs in the air war against the Islamic State, depleting its stocks of munitions and prompting the service to scour depots around the world for more weapons and to find money to buy them, according to records obtained by USA Today. The Air Force efforts come as the Pentagon has stepped up airstrikes on Islamic State, or ISIL, targets in Iraq and Syria.

Russia warns Turkey it 'will regret' downing jet near Syria border

12/04/2015

Vladimir Putin has issued a stern warning to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as the war of words between the two leaders continues to escalate. The Russian president said Turkey "will regret" the downing of one of its fighter jets near the Syrian border last week, the BBC reports. Moscow has already imposed a range of sanctions against Ankara, including banning the import of certain Turkish goods and restricting Russian travel to the country.

US Lawmakers Criticize China on Disputed Islands

12/04/2015

Some U.S. congressmen have criticized China for what they say is a lack of sincerity in its pledge of non-militarization of the disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea.

U.S. Air Force rescue team flies two HC-130J aircraft for the first time

12/04/2015

The U.S. Air Force's 71st Rescue Squadron deployed two HC-130J Combat King II aircraft in support of Operation Inherent Resolve for the first time. The fixed-wing, personnel recovery aircraft deployed with over 60 aircrew, support, and maintenance personnel. Flight missions for the HC-130J Combat King II aim to ensure U.S. personnel can be recovered quickly and effectively, avoiding isolation in hostile environments.

In battle with IS, Marines bolster Jordanian military

12/04/2015

While military operations against the Islamic State group intensified this last summer, the U.S. Marine Corps quietly worked to bolster a key ally in the fight. During their six-month deployment to the region, troops from 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines worked side-by-side with Jordanian troops to train the kingdom's elite 77th Marine Reconnaissance Battalion and help stand up a brand-new, quick-reaction force.

UK Bolsters Combat Jet Force Attacking Islamic State Group

12/04/2015

Reinforcements to the British combat jet force fighting the Islamic State group departed bases in the UK on Thursday just hours after a parliamentary vote approved a government move to extend strike operations to Syria.

US shoulders Isis burden despite allies’ input

12/04/2015

Even as it welcomed Britain’s decision to expand air strikes from Iraq into Syria, the Obama administration still finds itself responsible for the vast bulk of the international air campaign against Isis. In the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks, the US has been able to count on important support from first France, and now the UK, where parliament voted on Wednesday night to authorise air strikes in Syria after a dramatic 10-hour debate.

German Parliament to Vote on Anti-Daesh Mission in Syria on Friday

12/04/2015

The move was already backed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Cabinet on Tuesday. In addition to the mandate to dispatch German servicemen, the Bundestag is also expected to approve the sending of six Tornado reconnaissance jets, a frigate and refuelling aircraft. German involvement is expected to be limited to support and reconnaissance.

Russian Primorye Air Regiment to Get 3 MiG-31BM Interceptors By Year-End

12/04/2015

A Russian Aerospace Forces' air regiment located in the Far Eastern Primorye Territory will receive three advanced MiG-31BM (NATO reporting name Foxhound) interceptor aircraft by the end of 2015, the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. At the moment the Eastern Military District's acceptance commission is completing the inspection of the jets at Nizhny Novgorod-based Sokol aircraft manufacturing plant.

Lockheed Martin Conducts Collaborative Unmanned Systems Demonstration

12/03/2015

Lockheed Martin demonstrated its ability to integrate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations into the National Airspace System (NAS) using its prototype UAS Traffic Management capabilities. During the demonstration on Nov. 18, the Stalker XE UAS provided data and a precise geolocation to the unmanned K-MAX cargo helicopter, which conducted water drops to extinguish a fire, while the UTM tracked the UAS operations and communicated with Air Traffic Control in real time.

Russian, French Military Chiefs Discuss Cooperation in Fight Against Daesh

12/03/2015

Chief of Russian General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov has discussed cooperation in the fight against Islamic State (ISIL, also known as Daesh) with his French counterpart General Pierre de Villiers, the Russian Defense Ministry informs.

British Parliament Votes to Authorize Airstrikes in Syria

12/03/2015

Members of Parliament voted 397 to 223 in favor of launching an air campaign in Syria. Following the approval, two Tornado warplanes and six Typhoon attack jets are set to take to the skies from British bases and begin their five-hour journey to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the Daily Mail reported.

US Shares Russian Flight Information With Anti-Daesh Coalition

12/03/2015

The United States shares the information on Russian flights in Syria with members of the anti-Daesh (ISIL) coalition under the US-Russian memorandum of understanding, US Air Force Chief Deborah Lee James said at the National Press Club on Wednesday.

Russia Conducts 32 Airstrikes on Daesh Oil Refineries in Syria in 2 Months

12/03/2015

During the last two months the aircraft of Russian Aerospace Forces launched strikes against 32 oil complexes and 11 oil refineries controlled by Daesh (also known as ISIL), Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told the press.

Russia adds a second airbase in Syria as part of military expansion against Isis

12/02/2015

Russia is setting up a second airbase at Sharyat in Syria expanding the sphere of its military operations in the region to contain and destroy Isis. Russia is also putting efforts into creating strong military posts that have both offensive and defensive capabilities, according to intelligence reports emanating from the US.

Essay: Building a Mediterranean Arc of Stability for America’s Long War

12/02/2015

The United States is truly involved in a Long War. While the Army and Marine Corps have enjoyed long periods between combat operations, the Air Force and naval aviation have been continuously deployed for combat since the just after the Iraqis invaded Kuwait in August of 1990. Continuous combat operations have now stretched for twenty-five years, making our commitment to the Middle East the longest war involving a major Western power since the Thirty Years’ War, which ended in 1648.