Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russian Aerospace Forces to receive 28 Mi helicopters before end of 2018

04/25/2016

The Russian Defense Ministry and the Russian Helicopters company have signed the first serial contract on the delivery of Mil Mi-28UB combat training helicopters to Russia's Aerospace Forces, as well as a contract on the delivery of Mil Mi-26 helicopters as part of the state defense order.

In China’s shadow, region eyes upgrade of aging fighter jets

04/25/2016

Despite tight budgets across the region, sales executives say they are busier than ever after a five-year lull - and both industry and government sources say the next months could see several multibillion-dollar deals from Malaysia to Vietnam. A trade conference held in Kuala Lumpur this week thronged with would-be buyers and salesmen from Russian, French, British, Chinese, Pakistani and American firms. Held every other year, attendees reported it was busier than ever.

Bomb-Sniffing Drones Could Become Nightmare for Terrorists

04/25/2016

Drones may soon have the capability to save thousands of lives each year by detecting terrorists' improvised explosive devices and active land mines from long-ago wars thanks to innovative technology developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The proven detection technology that also can detect chemical and nuclear weapons and drugs was successfully miniaturized and attached to an unmanned aircraft by Fusion Technology Lab graduate students about five months ago.

Navy Green-Lights Development of New Helicopter-Airplane Hybrid

04/25/2016

Jointly built by helicoptering powerhouses Boeing and Textron, the V-22 Osprey is a marvel of engineering. Launching and landing vertically, flying at speeds in excess of 300 mph and as high as five miles in the sky, the Osprey can carry up to 32 troops (or 15 tons of cargo) into combat, to battlefields as far as 1,000 miles distant.

Obama dismisses North Korea proposal on halting nuke tests

04/25/2016

A day after North Korea's foreign minister told The Associated Press that his country is ready to halt its nuclear tests if the United States suspends its annual military exercises with South Korea, President Obama said Sunday that Washington isn't taking the proposal seriously and Pyongyang would "have to do better than that."

Reliance Defence and Antonov to co-operate on Transport Aircraft for Military and Civil Use

04/24/2016

Coming close on the heels of its deal with Rafael for modern weapon systems including Air to Air Missiles, Air Defence Systems and Large Aerostats, Reliance Defence Ltd along with Ukraine based State Corporation ANTONOV have agreed to cooperate on dual version transport aircraft for Military, Para military and Commercial use in India.

Calling in the helicopters for the ground war

04/24/2016

Earlier this month, Nahal infantry field commanders hunkered down in a field in northern Israel, pinned down by mock enemy fire. They were on a “mission” to destroy targets similar to a rocket launcher hidden in a building in the middle of a Hezbollah-controlled village in southern Lebanon.

BAE systems optimistic of bid to sell Eurofighter Typhoon to M’sia

04/24/2016

UK-based BAE Systems (International) Ltd is optimistic of its Eurofighter Typhoon bid and is now awaiting the Malaysian government’s decision to replace the current MiG-29N fleet for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF). Managing Director for South-East Asia and India, John Brosnan, said it was up to the Malaysian government to evaluate the proposals and select the aircraft that would meet the requirement.

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.