Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Air Force chief of staff: Pilots getting half the training they need

08/15/2016

Air Force pilots today are receiving about half the home-station training that new Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said he received when he was a captain flying F-16s. “On average I would go to three flag exercises a year, plus I would do a rotation with the National Training Center, with the Army, and that would be a normal battle rhythm,” Goldfein said Wednesday during his ‘State of the Air Force’ briefing at the Pentagon with Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.

Report: China May Cross Obama’s ‘Red Line,’ Reclaim Scarborough Shoal Next Month

08/15/2016

Tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea and with Beijing increasingly desperate to fundamentally alter the balance of power in the wake of The Hague ruling the possibility for a conflict in one of Asia's most dangerous flash points has never been greater.

Russian Bombers Annihilate Jihadi Bases, Weapons Depots, Tanks in Syria (VIDEO)

08/15/2016

Six Russian long-range bombers hit Daesh (known colloquially as ISIS) positions outside Deir ez-Zor destroying the terror network’s command centers, ammunition depots, and numerous tanks. The terrorists suffered major casualties in the airstrike according to the Defense Ministry.

Russian Air Force Gets New Anti-Stealth Fighter Jets and Multi-Purpose Aircraft

08/15/2016

The Russian Defense Ministry reports that since the beginning of the year the Russian Aerospace Forces have received over 30 new advanced aircraft along with over 30,000 units of aircraft weapons.

Russian Hmeymim Base Crucial to Combat Jihadists on Syrian Outskirts

08/15/2016

Russian air base Hmeymim in Syria is necessary to fight against militants' positions on country's distant outskirts, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday. The Hmeymim air base began operations in September 2015, when Russia started its counter-terrorist aerial campaign in Syria.

A look into how much it costs to fly America's military planes per hour

08/14/2016

The US Defense Department's latest financial-management report on reimbursement rates offers a glimpse of how much it costs to fly America's Air Force and Navy planes per flight hour. The annual report from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) lists rates for "other DoD component user," which are aircraft handled within the Defense Department and "all other user rates" which are for services outside the federal government.

SRI LANKA PRESSES AHEAD WITH NEW FIGHTER PLANS

08/14/2016

According to a number of Sri Lankan news media outlets, the Government of Sri Lanka has greenlit the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF)’s request for a squadron – potentially eight to twelve – new multi-role fighter aircraft (Colombo Gazette and Daily News). Currently, the SLAF’s operable fighter fleet is comprised of a lone Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Kfir, a multi-role Mirage 5 derivative powered by the General Electric J79 turbojet.

JF-17 carries tricolour in Indian ministry goof

08/14/2016

Causing embarrassment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to mark the 70th year of independence with nationwide celebrations, the Indian Ministry of Culture ended up using pictures of fighter jet JF-17, jointly developed by China and Pakistan, flying with the tricolour, in its independence day promotional video, reported Indian Express on Saturday.

Is Russia's Lethal Su-35 Fighter Better than the American F-15?

08/14/2016

I have been asked to compare the venerable American F-15 Eagle fighter to Russia’s new competitor for the crown of best Fourth Generation fighter, the Su-35S “Flanker E.” The former is the airplane that in many ways defined what a Fourth Generation fighter can do. Introduced in the 1970s, it has been extensively updated to keep with the times—and hundreds will remain in service for decades to come.

Argentina could receive a squadron of Mirage F1; Air Force will have no combat aircraft by 2018

08/14/2016

With this situation the government of Mauricio Macri is considering options, which include Italian aircraft and even a squadron of French Mirage F 1 to be supplied in very generous conditions by Paris. One of the aircraft which has been named is Italy's Aermacchi M-346 Master, but allegedly they are too expensive in money value. Some US$ 30 million each plus a completely new tooling and training program.

Russia Defense Ministry Unveils First Video of Amazing Next Gen T-50 Fighter Jet

08/14/2016

The Ministry of Defense released incredibly footage of the next generation T-50 fifth generation fighter jet as well as a number of other high performance Russian aircrafts to celebrate Russia’s Aerospace Forces.

'Terrible Mistake' Chinese Media Hints at War With Vietnam Over Rocket Launchers

08/14/2016

Tensions in the South China Sea resulting from The Hague arbitrational court’s ruling against China’s longstanding claim to the disputed area are at risk of spilling over with rhetoric and tactics escalating.

China to Deploy Lethal Fleet of 'Carrier Killer' Ballistic Missile Destroyers

08/14/2016

Beijing recently produced its eleventh "carrier killer" destroyer and is set to deploy a fleet of the fearsome battleships to the South China Sea in an attempt to ward off American naval forces.

Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

08/13/2016

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

India scales down search for missing military aircraft IAF AN-32

08/13/2016

India has scaled down its largest ever maritime search as chances diminish of finding a missing military aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. The AN32 transport plane with 29 persons onboard disappeared from radar off the Chennai coast on July 22.

Russia Deploys S-400 Air Defense System to Crimea

08/13/2016

Amid reports of Ukrainian military buildup along the border, Russia has announced the deployment of an S-400 air defense system into the Crimean Peninsula. The advanced missile system is designed to prevent enemy combat aircraft access to the surrounding airspace.

RSAF gets a chance to spread its wings

08/13/2016

The ability to deploy live explosives and skirt land threats in a multinational air combat exercise have helped Singapore's air force greatly, said key personnel involved. The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has also been able to strengthen its ties with militaries from other nations participating in the exercise, called Pitch Black, the largest multilateral air combat exercise held in the Australian continent.

B-52 releases JASSM from internal bay: Success marks another 'first-ever' for AFTC

08/13/2016

Team Edwards accomplished another first recently by executing a clean separation of three Joint Attack Surface Standoff Missiles, or JASSMs, from the internal weapons bay of a B-52 Stratofortress here. The aircraft has long been capable of carrying JASSMs on its wing pylons, but this is the first time they have been successfully released from Conventional Rotary Launcher in the internal bay.

The A-10 Warthog Won’t Last Forever. Here Are 5 Potential Successors

08/13/2016

No one has more friends in Washington than the A-10 Thunderbolt, an aged attack plane made famous by its 30-millimeter Gatling cannon and durability—both in battle in the Middle East and in skirmishes between Congress and the U.S. Air Force.

US Supplying $490Mln Worth of Aegis Systems to Japan, S. Korea Navies

08/13/2016

The Department of Defense announced that the US Navy has ordered Aegis systems costing nearly half a billion dollars’ for the navies of Japan and South Korea under the Foreign Military Sales program.

India Rejects SAAB's Offer to Develop Tejas MK1A Aircraft

08/13/2016

Swedish defense firm SAAB had offered to set up a production unit in India to collaborate with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the co-development of the Tejas MK1A fighter aircraft.

Russia Working on Manned, Unmanned 6th Generation Fighter Jets

08/13/2016

Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev said that the construction of sixth generation of jet fighters is not far off. Russia is simultaneously developing both manned and unmanned sixth-generation jet fighters, Russian Aerospace Forces Commander Viktor Bondarev said Friday.

This is How Russia Plans to Improve and Expand Hmeymim Airbase in Syria

08/12/2016

Russia plans to expand its Hmeymim Air Base in Syria to ensure that its operations run smoothly and to enhance its security by adding extra aprons, building barracks and a hospital, as well as assigning extra space for large transport aircraft, etc., an unnamed source in the Russian Defense Ministry told Izvestiya.

Five Reasons U.S. Aircraft Carriers Are Nearly Impossible To Sink

08/12/2016

Large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are the signature expression of American military power. No other combat system available to U.S. warfighters comes close to delivering so much offensive punch for months at a time without requiring land bases near the action. As a result, the ten carriers in the current fleet are in continuous demand from regional commanders - so much so that extended overseas combat tours are becoming the norm.

Is China Getting Ready to Wage a 'People's War' in the South China Sea?

08/12/2016

Last week China’s defense minister, General Chang Wanquan, implored the nation to ready itself for a “people’s war at sea.” The purpose of such a campaign? To “safeguard sovereignty” after an adverse ruling from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The tribunal upheld the plain meaning of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ruling that Beijing’s claims to “indisputable sovereignty” spanning some 80-90 percent of the South China Sea are bunk.