Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

UK Targets ISIS Bunker With Royal Air Force’s Largest Bombs

04/28/2016

The United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF) has ramped up its bombing campaign against ISIS. Enhanced Paveway III (EPW III) bombs, the largest in RAF's arsenal, successfully hit two entrances to an underground bunker as part of the coalition's efforts to combat ISIS. The strikes, which occurred on April 21, targeted a large complex of tunnels and bunkers in the terraced hillsides above the Euphrates in western Iraq, according to a press release from the Ministry of Defense.

John Ivison: Trudeau shouldn’t rule out purchasing Lockheed’s F-35 just because he said he would

04/28/2016

One of the first lessons a president learns is that every word he says weighs a ton, Calvin Coolidge once said. The same is true of Canadian prime ministers, which is perhaps why you haven’t heard Justin Trudeau talk recently about blocking Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet from the competition to replace the venerable CF-18s.

Why the pugnacious A-10 is flying maritime patrols over the South China Sea

04/28/2016

The situation in the South China Sea has grown even more complex over the past week, with A-10 attack planes flying maritime patrols over a coral reef chain known as Scarborough Shoal. It’s less than 150 miles to the west of the Philippines, and considered a site where Beijing may carry out “land reclamation” and continue its military expansion in the region this year, prompting concern from the United States and its partners in the region.

Egypt-Russia-France Cooperation on Mistrals 'Progressing Greatly'

04/28/2016

Cairo’s cooperation with Moscow and Paris on the sales to Egypt of the Mistral helicopter carriers France originally built for Russia is progressing "in leaps and bounds," Mohamed Elkeshky, Egypt’s deputy defense minister, told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Russia to Deliver 3 Yak-130 Fighter Trainers to Myanmar by Year End

04/27/2016

Russia’s state arms exporter Rosoboronexport and the Irkut manufacturer plan to deliver three Yak-130 (Mitten) advanced jet trainers and light attack aircraft to Myanmar by the end of the year, Russian media reported Tuesday, citing defense cooperation sources.

Revealed: Flying America’s Mighty B-2 Stealth Bomber

04/27/2016

Air Force pilots of the 1980s-era stealthy B-2 Spirit bomber plan to upgrade and fly the aircraft on attack missions against enemy air defenses well into the 2050s, service officials said. “It is a dream to fly. It is so smooth,” Maj. Kent Mickelson, director of operations for 394th combat training squadron, told Scout Warrior in an interview.

Gloves come off in fight to win Denmark's combat jet order

04/27/2016

U.S. defence giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing have stepped up their battle in Denmark to win a $5 billion order for combat jets which is due to be decided next month, with an advertising blitz in newspapers and on billboards by Boeing reflecting the importance they give to winning the deal.

Congress wants the Air Force to prove the F-35 can take over for the A-10

04/27/2016

House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry drafted a bill that would stop the Air Force from using funds in their 2017 budget to retire or reduce the use of the A-10 Warthog until the Pentagon's weapons tester completes comparative tests between the A-10 and the F-35 Lightning II.

Syria: Russia's continuing war

04/27/2016

Last week, the Pentagon said forces loyal to the Syrian government were beginning "to mass and concentrate combat power around Aleppo." The US spokesman said: "It is primarily [the] al-Nusra [Front] who holds Aleppo, and, of course, al-Nusra is not part of the cessation of hostilities. So it's complicated. We're watching it." As so often with recent Russian military campaigns, the media message has been at variance with the reality of events on the ground.

Additional Troops, New Technology Enhance Counter-ISIL Battle

04/27/2016

The latest in military technology and the addition of up to 450 more U.S. troops announced yesterday will enhance the U.S.-led coalition’s efforts to enable ground forces in the campaign to defeat Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorism in Iraq and Syria, the deputy commander for operations and intelligence for Operation Inherent Resolve told Pentagon reporters today.

MOD releases unseen footage of its latest F-35B Lightning II fighter jets flown by British pilots in the US

04/27/2016

The MOD has released unseen footage of its latest fighters jets being flown by British RAF personnel in the US. The F-35B Lightning II, a state-of-the-art stealth aircraft, is shown alongside its US counterparts at Marine Air Corps Station Beaufort, South Carolina. Britain will receive 138 of the advanced aircraft this summer, but they will will first be seen by the public at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in July and the Farnborough Air Show in Hampshire.

John McCain: F-35 program has been a 'scandal'

04/27/2016

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's record on cost, schedule and performance has been a scandal and a tragedy, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee told senior Pentagon officials Tuesday during a withering critique of the most expensive weapons program in U.S. military history.

Sikorsky King Stallion Lifts First External Load

04/27/2016

Lockheed Martin today announced the CH-53K helicopter has achieved its first external lift flight by successfully carrying a 12,000 pound external load. "Achieving our first external lift signifies another milestone for the CH-53K program," said Mike Torok, Sikorsky's Vice President of CH-53K Programs.

Boeing KC-46 Program’s Second 767-2C Aircraft Completes First Flight

04/27/2016

With a successful first flight on April 25th, Boeing has added the fourth and final flight test aircraft to the KC-46 Pegasus fleet, a 767-2C. During the 1 hour, 40 minute flight, test pilots performed operational engine checks, flight controls and environmental systems checks and took the 767-2C to a maximum altitude of 39,000 feet prior to landing at Boeing Field, south of Seattle.

Dassault Well Positioned To Supply Additional 90 Fighters To India

04/26/2016

We will be well positioned to provide additional 90 aircraft, if New Delhi confirms its need for 126 combat aircraft, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said. In an interview with French news daily, Challenges, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier said Monday that, “Significant progress in the Rafale deal with India has been made and I sense a real determination to succeed, possibly in the coming weeks.”

IDEAS ABOUT THE JF-17 BLOCK-III’S IRST

04/26/2016

Alongside an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar, helmet mounted display and sight (HMD/S), high off-boresight (HOBS) air-to-air missiles, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) is also considering to equip the forthcoming JF-17 Block-III with an infrared search and track (IRST) system.

Fighter exercise concludes Anglo-French Griffin Strike

04/26/2016

Four French air force Dassault Rafale Cs and eight Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons deployed to RAF Leeming in mid-April for Exercise Griffin Strike. The manoeuvres were intended to validate part of the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) component of the bilateral Lancaster House Treaty, signed in 2010.

Indian head hunter for ISIS killed in US drone attack

04/26/2016

Shafi Amrar the head and principal recruiter of Islamic State (IS) in India was reportedly killed in a drone strike few days ago, said sources. Shafi Amrar (26), a resident of Bhatkal in Karnataka, was allegedly in charge of recruiting members for the ISIS in India.

Germany Plans $73M Base In Turkey To Strengthen Fight Against Islamic State Group

04/26/2016

Germany is planning to open an air base in southern Turkey that will assist its military in an intensified campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria. The planned $73 million base will be built as an extension to the Incirlik base, which both the German and U.S. military use for refueling missions to Syria, Spiegel reported.

Manila confirms patrols by US aircraft over South China Sea

04/26/2016

Manila: Confirming reports of patrols by US aircraft over the South China Sea, Manila on Monday said these were part of “maritime situational awareness” flights carried to assert Philippine claims to disputed island territories. Brigadier Restituto Padilla, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman, said four US fixed-wing aircraft, and two attack helicopters flew over the area of the Panatag Shoal from Clark Air Base north of Manila on April 19.

Japan's Fighter Jets Intercepted Chinese Aircraft 571 Times in 2015

04/26/2016

The Japan Air-Self Defense Force (JASDF) had to dispatch its fighter jets 571 times during fiscal year 2015 to intercept Chinese military aircraft approaching or intruding Japanese airspace, Japan’s Defense Ministry revealed, according to The Japan Times.

LOW-ALTITUDE PENETRATION AND ELECTRONIC WARFARE: STUCK ON DENIAL

04/26/2016

Desert Storm remains the benchmark for a modern air campaign. In 40 days, a diverse assembly of coalition airpower managed to shatter one of the world’s largest military establishments, paving the way for the mere 100 hours it took ground forces to eject the Iraqi military from Kuwait. The air campaign was preceded by the most effective defense suppression effort ever, dismantling the Iraqi air defense system in 72 hours.

House Legislation Restricts A-10 Retirement

04/26/2016

Congress waded back into the debate over the Air Force’s A-10 retirement plans today, unveiling House legislation that would restrict funds for the service to move ahead with sunsetting the attack plane. In his markup of the defense policy bill, House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry prohibits the Air Force for using FY17 funds to retire, prepare to retire, or place in storage any A-10 aircraft, which primarily conduct close-air support.

US deploys F-22 stealth fighter jets to Romanian base on Black Sea

04/26/2016

Two American F-22 Raptor 5G stealth fighter jets and a refueling aircraft have been deployed to an airfield in Romania as manifestation of NATO’s support to its Eastern European members against “Russian aggression.” The US Air Force aircraft arrived at the air base on the Black Sea, less than 400km from the Russian military stronghold of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula.

C-130J accident report: Propping up yoke to unload cargo not uncommon, expert says

04/25/2016

An Air Force Mobility Command accident report released April 15 pinpointed the cause of a C-130J crash in Afghanistan last year: a forgotten night-vision googles case jammed behind the control yoke used to steer the plane. The pilot had used the case so he didn't have to manually hold the yoke in place to keep the elevators as high as possible for unloading and loading cargo.