Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Finally, the Indian Air Force will allow women to fly fighter aircraft

10/09/2015

On its 83rd anniversary, the Indian Air Force has made a surprise announcement: Women pilots will soon fly its fighter aircraft. “We have women pilots flying transport aircraft and helicopters, we are now planning to induct them into the fighter stream to meet the aspirations of young women of India,” Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said, according to an NDTV report.

Russian Military to Complete Testing on KAB-250 Guided Bombs This Year

10/09/2015

The latest version of Russia's KAB-250 precision-guided bomb will soon complete trials, according to the weapon's manufacturer, Moscow-based Region Scientific & Production Enterprise JSC.

Russia to Sign Contract on Mi-35 Deliveries to Afghanistan in October

10/09/2015

Russia will continue providing support to Afghan government forces and plans to sign a contract on the delivery of several Mi-35 helicopters to Afghanistan in October, Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan and head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's Second Asia Department Zamir Kabulov told the Izvestia newspaper.

Poland to repair 6 engines of Bulgaria's MiG-29 fighter

10/08/2015

Bulgarian government approved on Wednesday a draft intergovernmental agreement on the repair of six engines of the country's MiG-29 aircraft in Poland, and authorized Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev to sign it, officials said. The repair would cost 1.023 million euros (some 1.151 million U.S. dollars) per engine, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.

Russian entry adds to Syria complexity

10/08/2015

Australian combat aircraft have not flown over Syria since Russian aircraft began bombing operations last week but that doesn't mean missions are on hold. Chief of defence force joint operations David Johnston said the RAAF F/A-18 Hornets had so far flown over Syria nine times, dropping bombs on a Daesh armoured personnel carrier and a checkpoint on separate days.

Draken Int'l awarded US Air Force commercial 'adversary' contract

10/08/2015

Draken International, a provider of 4th generation tactical flight services, has been contracted to provide adversary support for the United States Air Force. Flying advanced Douglas A-4K Skyhawk and Aero Vodochody L-159E advanced light combat aircraft (ALCA) fighter jets, Draken is able to replicate numerous types of threat aircraft. Draken aircraft are equipped with modern radars, electronic attack pods, and are operated by highly skilled reserve and former-military professionals.

Russian Troops Fire Artillery and Rockets in Syria

10/08/2015

Russian troops in Syria used artillery and multiple rocket launchers to fire at Syrian rebel positions Wednesday, in what appears to be a further expansion of the Russian military’s role to support the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. The development came on the same day that Russia launched two dozen cruise missiles from navy ships in the Caspian Sea aimed at what it said were ISIS targets in Syria.

U.S. aircraft diverted to avoid Russian fighter

10/08/2015

The U.S. military has had to divert two aircraft over Syria to ensure they could maintain a safe flying distance from a Russian fighter aircraft in the same area, according to Captain Jeff Davis, Pentagon spokesman. It was the first time the U.S. needed to do so since Russia began military operations in Syria at the end of last month.

Exclusive - Modi pushes "obsolete" made-in-India plane on reluctant military

10/08/2015

India's government has turned down the military's request to expand the acquisition of 36 fighter planes from Dassault Aviation SA to plug vital gaps, officials said, nudging it to accept an indigenous combat plane 32 years in the making. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision, in line with his Make-in-India policy to encourage domestic industry, is a blow for not only the French manufacturer but also others circling over the Indian military aviation market worth billions of dollars.

F-16V Comes to Indonesia

10/08/2015

Lockheed Martin brought its F-16 cockpit demonstrator to Indonesia this week to highlight the F-16V, the latest version of Lockheed Martin’s venerable F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter. The F-16V offers the most advanced 4th Generation capability available on the market today, including Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) and enhancements to the aircraft’s mission computer, vehicle systems, aircraft structure, cockpit and electronic warfare system.

Russian Military Official Explains Aims of Syrian Operation to Uzbek Gov’t

10/08/2015

The Russian Defense Ministry’s press service said that the Russian Deputy Defense Minister explained the objectives of the Russian operation in Syria to the Uzbek foreign minister.

Defense Ministry Releases Video of Cruise Missile Strikes on ISIL Targets

10/08/2015

The assembled footage features video and animation of Russian ships launching cruise missile strikes against Islamic State targets from the Caspian Sea. The video combines computer-generated imagery showing the cruise missiles' trajectory with footage of the missiles flying over western Iran and northern Iraq before arriving at their targets in northern Syria.

Russia May Implement US Proposals on Coordination of Anti-ISIL Fight

10/08/2015

The Russian Defense Ministry is willing to put into action the Pentagon proposals on cooperation on fight against the Islamic State (ISIL) extremists, a spokesman for the ministry said Wednesday.

Senate advances bill that would save Selfridge planes

10/07/2015

The U.S. Senate voted to advance a $604 billion defense authorization bill Tuesday that again would bar the Pentagon from retiring the A-10 airplanes at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan and around the country.

Lasers Could Be Coming To The F-35

10/07/2015

Lockheed Martin’s new modular fiber lasers now convert fully 40 percent of input energy to output, which means that — along with advances in manufacturing, targeting, and size-weight-power minimization — the company’s now talking about putting a laser weapon on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Television Report Raises Doubts About China’s Fighter Jet Industry

10/07/2015

While “hand-made” is usually a good thing, this isn’t the case for the equipment used in modern combat aircraft. A propaganda video aired by the official Chinese broadcast mouthpiece shows key components of the J-15 fighter jet, which are made for aircraft carriers, being manually polished at Shenyang Aircraft Corp.

India’s Air Force Will Field 42 Combat Squadrons by 2027

10/07/2015

The head of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, recently announced that the Indian Air Force (IAF) will in all likelihood be able to deploy 42 combat squadrons by 2027 the Business Standard reports. “We are looking forward to building up our combat fleet to 42 squadrons by the end of the 14th plan, by 2027. I think it is possible, it is viable, there are a lot of options available with us, and discussions are already on,” he told reporters last Saturday in New Delhi.

IAF frets over Russian fighter aircraft deal

10/07/2015

The worries of the air force on getting a capable fifth generation fighter aircraft to counter the development of two futuristic fighters by China are mounting with little clarity on the Russian program that New Delhi had signed onto in 2010.

NATO rejects Russia explanation on Turkish air space

10/07/2015

NATO on Tuesday rejected Moscow's explanation that its warplanes had violated alliance member Turkey's air space by mistake and said Russia was sending more ground troops to Syria and building up its naval presence. With Russia extending its air strikes to include the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he was losing patience with Russian violations of his country's air space.

US State Department Approves Possible $243Mln Drone Sale to Spain

10/07/2015

The US State Department has approved a potential $243 million sale of five MQ-9 Block drones and associated equipment to Spain, US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a press release on Tuesday. "The Spanish Air Force intends to use the MQ-9s for homeland security, peacekeeping, peace enforcement, counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations," the press release read. "The estimated total cost [of the sale] is $243 million."

Russian Military: Turkey Proposes Syria Missions Working Group With Russia

10/07/2015

A spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said that the Turkish Defense Ministry proposed to Russia on Tuesday setting up a joint working group to coordinate actions and prevent incidents regarding the Russian operations in Syria.

Russia Deploys Mi-24 Helicopter Gunships to Syria Anti-ISIL Operation

10/07/2015

Russia has deployed its notorious Mi-24 helicopter gunships to Syria, where they are part of the operation against Islamic State terrorist targets. According to Colonel Igor Klimov of the Russian Air Force in Hmeymim Air Base in Syria, the Mi-24 helicopters are currently being used for patrolling the area around the airfield and for potential search and rescue missions. The Mi-24 is considered to be one of most deadly and versatile helicopters in the world.

Turkey Threatens to Shoot Down Russian Planes that Stray from Syria

10/06/2015

As Russian warplanes fly over Syria, neighboring NATO member Turkey says its fighter jets could open fire on them if they stray into Turkish airspace. The threat is serious and highlights the danger of a direct military confrontation between Russia and its old Cold War adversaries, including not just Turkey but the United States.

Lockheed F-35C begins second round of sea trials as bombs drop

10/06/2015

Two US Navy F-35C test aircraft have begun a second round of developmental testing at sea aboard the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, aimed at smoothing the aircraft’s entry into service in 2018.

AN UPDATE ON THE INDIAN RAFALE CONTRACT BY INDIA STRATEGIC

10/06/2015

In an interview with India Strategic and at remarks at his annual pre-Air Force Day briefing here October 3, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha observed that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was “terribly short” of modern aircraft, and that the Government was alive to this. “The contract negotiations with the French are in process… Our intent is to conclude the agreement at the earliest,” he said.