Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Ahead of Latest Strategic Defense and Security Review, UK Faces Tough Choices

11/08/2015

Five years after Britain’s dire finances triggered a Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR) that axed capabilities, force numbers, readiness and ambition, the government gets to have another go at setting out its military priorities in the next few weeks when it wheels out the new version of the review.

Airbus Scrambles To Compete Against France's Planned Buy of 4 C-130s

11/08/2015

France's planned acquisition of four C-130 Hercules for €330 million (US $361 million) has fueled a debate between the armed forces and procurement officials over buying the US airlifter, while Airbus scrambles to develop a competing offer, defense executive and analyst sources said. Later this month, France expects to receive a US letter of acceptance setting out the price of four Lockheed Martin C-130Js, a defense specialist said.

DUBAI: Combat-tested A330 MRTT to get technology boost

11/08/2015

One of three Airbus Defence & Space-modified widebodies operated by the service, the aircraft is equipped with under-wing hose-and-drogue refuelling pods, which support operations with the Dassault Mirage 2000. It also has an advanced refuelling boom system, cleared to support other MRTTs – and crucially the UAE’s Lockheed Martin F-16E/Fs. These have been used in an offensive role as part of the international campaign to tackle Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

US air-to-air combat aircraft just arrived in Turkey

11/08/2015

The US Air Force has deployed air superiority planes near Syria. Six F-15C Eagle jets, belonging to the 493rd Fighter Squadron of the 48th Fighter Wing, from RAF Lakenheath, UK, have just deployed to Incirlik airbase, in Turkey. According to the US Air Force, the air planes were moved close to Syria “in a demonstration of the United States unwavering support for Turkish sovereignty and the collective security of the region.”

Lockheed Martin Completes Acquisition of Sikorsky Aircraft

11/08/2015

Lockheed Martin has closed its acquisition of Sikorsky Aircraft, a world leader in military and commercial rotary-wing aircraft. Aligned under the Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training (MST) business segment, Sikorsky Aircraft is now known as Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company.

Boeing Highlights Middle East’s Importance Ahead of Dubai Airshow

11/08/2015

The Middle East continues to be a key market for growth in both the commercial and defense aerospace sectors, according to the latest Boeing market forecasts released ahead of the Dubai Airshow which opens tomorrow. Boeing will showcase a range of products and services at the show, including flydubai’s Next-Generation 737-800, Qatar Airways’ 25th 787 Dreamliner, the Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, the U.S. Navy’s P-8 Poseidon and the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22, among others.

India-Russia Joint Military Exercises to Start Saturday

11/08/2015

The seventh Indra exercises will take place in India's northern Mahajan firing range until November 20 with the focus on the so-called Counter-Terrorism Operations in Desert Terrain under a United Nations Mandate, according to a press release of the Indian Defense Ministry.

NATO chief sounds alarm over Russian buildup from Baltic to Mediterranean

11/06/2015

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a press conference after the NATO military demonstration in Zaragoza, Spain, Wednesday Nov. 4, 2015. NATO is putting on its most fearsome display of military might in over a decade with soldiers, ships and planes meant to hone and test its abilities as well as send an unequivocal sign to Russia and other real or potential foes.

New Defence Minister Sajjan still in the Canadian military

11/06/2015

Canada’s new minister of National Defence is still a serving member of the Canadian Forces, putting him in the unusual position of theoretically having to take orders from generals who are supposed to answer to him. Harjit Sajjan, a lieutenant colonel in the army reserves, is trying to obtain his release from the Canadian Forces but at this point is still a member of the military.

Belarus Eyes Fighter Jets, MLRS Acquisitions

11/06/2015

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has announced plans to acquire new weapons and military gear to boost the country’s deterrence capability. The acquisitions will include new Polonez long-range multiple launch rocket systems fitted with a 200-kilometer strike range, to be delivered in the years 2016-2017.

France to send aircraft carrier to aid U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State

11/06/2015

France will deploy its only aircraft carrier to support military operations to combat the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, French President Francois Hollande said Thursday. In a statement by the French presidency following a meeting of its defense cabinet, the government said the Charles de Gaulle warship would be sent to the eastern Mediterranean for operations against Isis in both Syria and Iraq.

How a New Bomber Will Shape U.S. Military Strategy

11/06/2015

The U.S. Air Force is developing a new bomber that promises to secure the U.S. advantage in modern warfare. The next-generation long-range strike bomber, recently awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp. for development, will not be designed to rely on as yet undeveloped technologies, as is so often the case with new aircraft and weaponry.

F-35A Lightning II fighter gets new gun

11/06/2015

Ultra advanced stealth, fighter jet speed … and now the military’s F-35 has a new weapon. The F-35 Lightning II is a truly fifth-generation fighter jet. This advanced powerful single-seat and single-engine fighter is designed to be capable of a range of missions with just one aircraft.

Russia sends anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria

11/06/2015

Russia has sent missile systems to Syria to avert the hijacking of their combat aircraft, said a top commander. The "Islamic State" has reiterated claims it downed a Russian civilian plane as retribution for airstrikes.

Russia to Showcase Hundreds of New Weapons, Aircraft at Dubai Airshow

11/06/2015

Twenty-three Russian arms and aircraft makers will display hundreds of military weapons and hardware at the upcoming Dubai Airshow, the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) said Thursday.

Iranian Planes Bring Iraqi Volunteer Battalion to Fight ISIL in Syria

11/06/2015

The first photographic evidence of an Iranian Air Force plane that brought Iraqi Shiite volunteer fighters to Syria to fight against ISIL terrorists has appeared on the Internet. A picture posted on the Instagram account of the Iranian group Holy Defense shows an Iraqi soldier standing in front of an Iranian C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft supposedly in Syria.

What China's 'Militarization' of the South China Sea Would Actually Look Like

11/05/2015

Much has been said about the legal and geopolitical aspects of Chinese land reclamation in the South China Sea, but U.S. PACOM Commander Admiral Harry Harris’s Congressional testimony last month gave a closer look at specific U.S. military concerns posed by China’s artificial islands. Harris detailed the military utility of deep water port facilities and 3,000 meter runways on three newly built Chinese islands.

Bomb by Islamic State likely caused Russian plane crash: security sources

11/05/2015

Evidence now suggests that a bomb planted by the Islamic State militant group is the likely cause of last weekend's crash of a Russian airliner over Egypt's Sinai peninsula, U.S. and European security sources said on Wednesday. Islamic State, which controls swathes of Iraq and Syria and is battling the Egyptian army in the Sinai Peninsula, said again on Wednesday it brought down the airplane, adding it would eventually tell the world how it carried out the attack.

The Air Force’s New Bomber Faces a Pentagon Budget Battle

11/05/2015

The battle over who will build the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation stealth bomber came to a close last week, but a new conflict is already developing at the Pentagon. A defense budget passed Friday has Congress and military planners seeking $5 billion in defense cuts, as the Air Force prepares to squeeze another costly development program into a Pentagon budget already packed with big-ticket weapons buys.

Crew of the last Vulcan bomber investigated over footage of the plane performing an 'illegal' barrel roll in its final weeks in the air

11/05/2015

The last flying Vulcan bomber might have performed an illegal roll in the weeks leading up to its final flight, it was claimed today. Footage is being investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority to establish whether the much-loved Cold War aircraft - XH558 - performed the manoeuvre during a recent flight.

Watch 'cursed' $3.5bn F-35A fighter finally fire its 3,000 bullets a minute cannon in flight - but it STILL won't have a fully working gun until 2017

11/05/2015

It has so far cost over $3.5bn, and is eight years late. Hailed as the most expensive weapon in history, the controversial F-35 stealth fighter jet is undergoing rigorous testing at California's Edwards Air Force Base. Now, researchers have revealed the hugely delayed and over budget project has finally fired its first shots in the air.

Cold War-style jousting between combat aircraft a high-stakes game of chicken

11/05/2015

DEADLY games of chicken are once again playing out in the skies above Europe and the South China Sea. Combat planes from Russia, China and the United States are all out to prove a point. But a declassified video reveals how horribly wrong things can go. In recent months, footage of fully armed Russian and Chinese aircraft passing dangerously close to US and European counterparts have breathed a fresh chill into a Cold War long thought over.

Pentagon Approves Sale of 200 Hellfire Missiles to France

11/05/2015

The US Department of State has approved the sale of up to 200 Hellfire air-to-ground (AGM) missiles to France, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a news release on Wednesday. "The government of France has requested a possible sale of two-hundred (200) AGM-114K1A Hellfire Missiles; Hellfire Missile conversion kits; blast fragmentation sleeves and installation kits; containers; and transportation," the release stated. "[T]he total estimated cost is $30 million."

Southeast Asia Market Eyes BrahMos Missiles Jointly Made by Russia, India

11/05/2015

Several Southeast Asian nations, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, have shown interest in buying Russian-Indian supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles, a spokesman for the manufacturer said Wednesday.

Russia, U.S. Air Forces Held Joint 'Training Exercise' Over Syria

11/04/2015

The Russian and U.S. air forces held a joint training exercise in Syria on Tuesday, Russian news agencies reported, citing a general with Russia's armed forces, while the U.S. downplayed the report, saying event was merely a test of safety protocols. Russian and U.S. air forces held a joint training exercise in Syria on Tuesday meant to prevent dangerous encounters between their aircraft, Russia's defense ministry said.