Military Aviation News Archive

New Delhi issues tri-service MALE UAV requirement

07/05/2016

India’s ministry of defence (MOD) has issued a combined tri-service requirement for the acquisition of up to 150, medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAVs.

Russia's Irkut to Finish Su-30 Fighter Jets Deliveries to Algeria in 2017

07/05/2016

According to annual report, Russia's Irkut aircraft manufacturer will finish the deliveries of 14 Sukhoi Su-30MKA multirole fighters to Algeria in 2017.

Flight Tests of Russia's Advanced PAK FA Fighters Almost Completed - Sukhoi

07/05/2016

According to the Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, flight tests of Russia's Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighter aircraft are at the final stage.

Delivery of New Sukhoi T-50 Jets to Russian Aerospace Forces to Begin 2018

07/05/2016

According to Sukhoi aircraft manufacturer, Russia will start serial production and deliveries of the Sukhoi T-50 (PAK FA) fifth-generation fighter aircraft to the country's Aerospace Forces in 2018.

Beijing flexes military muscle ahead of South China Sea ruling

07/04/2016

Beijing announced the manoeuvres will be held in waters between its southernmost territory, Hainan island, and the contested Paracel Islands from July 5 to 11. International shipping and aircraft are prohibited from entering the waters during that time.

France offers EUR 1 billion to revive India's combat jet engine project

07/04/2016

France has offered to invest EUR 1 billion to revive India's combat jet engine project, proposing a joint development plan that could see the stalled 'Kaveri' gas turbine powering indigenous Tejas fighters by 2020.

US, Canada to Hold Observation Flight Over Russia

07/04/2016

?he head of the Russian Defense Ministry's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center said that the United States and Canada will carry out an observation flight over Russia's territory under the Open Skies Treaty.

Putin Warns Finland Against Joining NATO, Says Moscow Would Shift Troops

07/04/2016

During a meeting with Finnish President Niinisto on Friday, the two leaders engaged in a frank discussion on how best to ensure peace in the region leading to historic steps by both sides. If Finland were to join NATO, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday during an official state visit that his country would be forced to reposition its troops to guard against the specter of NATO hostility.

‘The Best Aircraft I’ve Flown’: India’s Pilots Cheer 1370mph Tejas Fighter

07/04/2016

The indigenous jet comes in at about one-tenth of the unit cost of an American made fighter jet with combat specifics that wowed the India’s most venerable fighter pilots. "It is comparable and on par with any fourth generation fighter aircraft you have in the world," said Madhav Rangachari, the Commanding Officer of the Indian Air Force squadron 'Flying Daggers 45.'

Chinese actions over Senkakus spark more Japanese jet scrambles

07/02/2016

Chinese military activity near islands covered under the U.S.-Japan defense treaty resulted in a record number of Japanese fighter aircraft responses in recent months, Japan Defense Ministry officials say. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled jets against Chinese aircraft about 200 combined times in April through June, compared with 114 incidents during the same period last year, defense officials told broadcaster NHK during a news conference Thursday.

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.