Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Bombing ISIS with B-52s: A Big Waste

04/24/2016

On April 18, the U.S. Air Force’s massive B-52 Stratofortresses launched their first strikes against the Islamic State. In the mission over Qayyarah, Iraq, the lumbering warplanes dropped GPS- or laser-guided bombs onto a nondescript set of buildings. But despite being icons of American military power, the bombers might not be the best tools for the job.

12 Indian Air Force Aircraft Reach US To Take Part In 'Red Flag' Exercise

04/24/2016

After flying through Bahrain, Egypt, France, Portugal and Canada, 12 Indian Air Force aircraft, including the Russian origin Su30 MKI, reached the United States to take part in the prestigious Red Flag air exercise. The planes, which arrived in Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, will take part in the exercise starting on April 28 and will undertake war games along with NATO forces.

Dunford: Iraqi Forces Must Maintain Pressure on ISIL

04/24/2016

Now is not the time to stop and regroup in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford said after leaving Baghdad. “The momentum has swung and … my experience tells me once you’ve got somebody in a headlock, you don’t let them go,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today in an interview on his way to Cairo, Egypt’s capital city.

India's Biggest $25 Billion Defence Deal to Crash Land

04/24/2016

India has a record of sour defence deals. While the Rafael deal with France to buy 36 fighters jets at nearly `60,000 crore is stuck over a year despite announcement made by PM Narendra Modi during his Paris visit in April 2015, India’s biggest defence buy with its old military hardware partner Russia threatens to crash. It is thrice bigger than the French deal and concerns 127 Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) costing over $25 billion.

North Korea Ready to Halt Nuclear Tests If US Stops Drills With South Korea

04/24/2016

North Korean foreign minister said that the country would halt nuclear tests if the United States stops military manoeuvres with South Korea, Associated Press reported. "Stop the nuclear war exercises in the Korean Peninsula, then we should also cease our nuclear tests," Ri Su Yong told the Associated Press in an interview.

Eye-Watering Spies: Russia’s State-Of-The-Art Jets Stir Envy in Washington

04/24/2016

Russia’s impressive improvements to its conventional forces arsenal, especially with respect to the signals intelligence (SIGINT) and electronic warfare (EW) capabilities it displayed in Syria, “may be gaining the envy of some in Washington,” according to one US military analyst. Here are two of the Russian spy planes which impressed the West.

Russian forces in Syria fired on Israeli military aircraft: newspaper

04/23/2016

Russian forces in Syria have fired at least twice on Israeli military aircraft, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seek improved operational coordination with Moscow, Israel's top-selling newspaper said on Friday. The unsourced report in Yedioth Ahronoth gave no dates or locations for the incidents nor any indication Israeli planes were hit. Russia mounted its military intervention in Syria in September to shore Damascus up amid a now 5-year-old rebellion.

A brief timeline of the convoluted Rafale deal

04/23/2016

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday clarified that the long-awaited deal for 36 French Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft was not complete as yet but at an "advanced stage" and that the intention was to "close it quite soon". Parrikar's clarification came a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced on its official Facebook page that the deal had been finalised at $8.8 billion.

Vital Afghan AF support continues

04/23/2016

When two C-130H aircraft arrived at Robins in the fall of 2013, each would play a significant role nearly two years later in a country over 7,000 miles away. The nose of one aircraft, scheduled to be retired, served as a donor to a second C-130. The second had experienced a hard landing and suffered structural damage to its nose, prior to its arrival for unscheduled depot level maintenance at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex.

Finland mulls investment in drones alongside new fighter jets

04/23/2016

Finnish Defence Forces are considering adding drones to its shopping list for new fighter jets. Officials are said to have put out feelers to acquire hardware that could replace Hornets altogether in the next decade. Defence contractors have also been asked to table proposals to boost the aerial power of multi-purpose fighter jets with drones.

Navy installs first drone command center aboard aircraft carrier

04/23/2016

A drone command center has been installed aboard an aircraft carrier for the first time, signifying the Navy’s commitment to a future of unmanned aviation. The center was installed aboard the San Diego-based USS Carl Vinson last week; the next one will be placed aboard the Norfolk-based USS Dwight D. Eisenhower next year, according to the Navy.

Russian Military Says All Warplanes Remain at Syria's Hmeymim Airbase

04/23/2016

Combat aircraft from the Russian air group at the Hmeymim airbase were not conducting missions near Damascus where a military plane reportedly crashed on Friday, a spokesman for the airbase said.

China Rejects Claims of Troop Buildup Along North Korean Border

04/23/2016

On Wednesday, reports surfaced that Beijing was preparing for North Korea’s fifth nuclear test by deploying troops along its border with the country. According to a statement from the Hong Kong-based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy, 2,000 Chinese troops were tasked with measuring radioactive emissions along the border should Pyongyang follow through with its test.

Japan Successfully Tests Fifth Generation Stealth Jet

04/23/2016

The plane took off from Nagoya Airfield (Komaki Airport) in Aichi Prefecture at around 08:50 a.m. local time on Friday (23:50 GMT on Thursday) and landed safely at Gifu Air Field in Gifu Prefecture at 09:13 a.m. (00:13 GMT), Defense Ministry Program Manager Hirofumi Doi told Bloomberg by phone. Japan is now the fourth nation, after the United States, Russia and China to test fly its own stealth jet.

Watch B-52 bomber pulverising ISIS positions as giant warplane designed to drop NUKES joins fight against jihadis

04/22/2016

A monster US military aircraft capable of delivering devastating nuclear strikes has dropped its first bombs on Islamic State . The B-52 Stratofortress bomber was originally designed to unleash destruction on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. But now the huge eight-engine aircraft has turned its firepower on ISIS as its first bombs exploded in the northern Iraq city of Mosul on Monday.

Congress looks at re-starting the F-22 Raptor program

04/22/2016

A week after Russian military aircraft buzzed dangerously close to U.S. Navy ships and Air Force spy planes, Congress is considering bringing back production of stealthy F-22 Raptor air-to-air fighter jets. Lawmakers have tacked a provision onto a defense bill that will determine how much it would cost and how difficult it would be to ramp up production of the Air Force's fifth generation dogfighter. They also want to know about possible options for exporting F-22s to allies.

Britain Goes All In for Boeing's P-8A Poseidon

04/22/2016

Late last month, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency - the Pentagon arm responsible for coordinating sales of military equipment to our allies - notified Congress of an impending sale of military aircraft to the United Kingdom. And believe it or not, this one's nearly twice as big as the Chinook and Apache contracts combined.

Denmark to engage in combat operations against ISIS

04/22/2016

Denmark will expand it's military mission in Syria, as part of a US-led coalition fighting against ISIS in the region. The European nation's decision to engage in the full spectrum of combat operations in Iraq and Syria will see the country deploying seven F-16 fighters and a C-130J transport aircraft for the mission. The mission will involve four of the seven F-16 fighter jets conducting air strikes, with the other three to be kept in a reserve capacity.

Sikorsky CH-53Es need readiness reset as USMC await King Stallion

04/22/2016

The US Marine Corps is pressing forward with a fleet-wide maintenance reset of the Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion as it awaits delivery of the CH-53K King Stallion replacement, which has flown for the first time with an external load.

Chinese-made drones in demand in global market

04/22/2016

A number of foreign nations are awaiting delivery of China’s CH series military drones, one of the country’s most popular products in the international arms market. The drone family, bearing the name Cai Hong, which means rainbow in Chinese, is considered by experts to be among the most lethal drones on the planet. The newest and largest capacity combat drone in the series, the CH-5, is awaiting government approval for export.

The future of America's aircraft carriers? Floating drone factories.

04/22/2016

Earlier this month, the British Royal Navy ship HMS Protector made history. An ice patrol ship, Protector sailed the frigid waters off Antarctica. But instead of using a helicopter to scout an ice-free route, the Protector had an unlikely helper — a drone. And not just any drone: a 3D printed drone that was manufactured onboard the ship itself.

U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin $116 Million Contract Option for JASSM-ER Production

04/22/2016

Lockheed Martin received a $116.8 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for continued production of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM®-ER). This contract exercises an option in the Lot 14 contract and includes 100 JASSM-ER missiles. Work under this contract option is expected to be complete by June 2019. The award brings the total number of JASSM and JASSM-ER missiles delivered or under contract to more than 2,700.

Russian S-400 Systems Protecting Syria From Airspace Violations - PM Halqi

04/22/2016

The presence of the Russian air defense systems does not allow anyone to violate Syria’s airspace, the Syrian prime minister told Sputnik. "We are reassured by the fact of the presence of the modern air defense systems, S-300 or S-400. Because they are guarding the sovereignty of the Syrian airspace, not allowing aircraft of any modifications to violate Syrian airspace," Wael Nader Halqi said.

Obama: US, GCC Intelligence Sharing Vital in Fight Against Terrorism

04/22/2016

Intelligence sharing between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states is very important in the fight against terrorism, and has been steadily improving, US President Barack Obama said in a press conference on Thursday.

Women to fly FBC-1 bombers for first time

04/21/2016

The FBC-1 fighter jet, also known as the Flying Leopard, is independently developed and manufactured by Xi'an Aircraft Industry Corp. in northwest China. The aircraft contains two cabins, with the forecabin holding the cockpit while the rear cabin controls the weapons. Until now, the cockpit has been occupied only by male pilots. The Air Force of the People's Liberation Army has decided to modify the jet's cockpit to better accommodate female pilots.