Military Aviation News Archive

Moscow, Washington Make Progress on Flight Safety Issue in Syria

10/11/2015

Russia and the United States discussed their proposals on flight safety in Syria during a video conference, the Russian Defense Ministry said Saturday in a statement.

US-China Military Agreements Dodge Deep Differences

10/10/2015

The new U.S.-China agreed rules for military air-to-air encounters are being hailed in some quarters as “ground-breaking” and a “milestone.” But like their 2014 agreement on safe military encounters at sea, this “annex” does not address the fundamental differences that give rise to these encounters .

US weighing Russian response on Syria flight safety

10/10/2015

Russian leaders have responded to a proposed draft of safety guidelines for military aircraft flying missions in the increasingly crowded skies over Syria, the Pentagon said Friday.Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said Friday that a second round of talks between the two countries about the plan could take place as soon as this weekend. The U.S. and Russia are trying to hash out flight procedures to ensure that there are no collisions or other incidents as both countries conduct bombing operat

Russian planes complete 67 combat missions in Syria, hitting 60 ISIS facilities

10/10/2015

The Aerospace Forces of Russia continue to strike positions of the international terrorist organization ISIS in the Syrian territory, Chief of the Russian Air Force's Main Staff Lt. Gen. Igor Makushev has said. "Sixty-seven combat flights were completed from the Hmeimim airbase in the past 24 hours. Sukhoi Su-34M, Su-25SM planes defeated 60 facilities held by terrorists," Makushev told a briefing conference on Oct. 9.

South Africa's Dirt-Cheap War Machine

10/10/2015

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and the Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker dominate the headlines when it comes to the combat aircraft market, but there are many places in the world where such extravagant machines are just not needed.

As Russia Bombs Syria, U.S. Pulls Aircraft Carrier Out of Persian Gulf

10/10/2015

As Russian warships rain down cruise missiles as part of its military strike in Syria, there's now a glaring absence in the region: For the first time since 2007, the U.S. Navy has no aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Military officials said Thursday that they've pulled the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is home to about 5,000 service members and 65 combat planes, so that it can undergo maintenance.

Now on Sale: China Set to Export New Fifth Generation Fighter Jet

10/10/2015

China's leading aircraft manufacturer is about to start exporting its fifth-generation fighter jet, according to industry sources. In a recent report, China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC) revealed some tactical and technical characteristics of the J-31 Gyrfalcon fighter at the last air show in Beijing.

Greece Scrambles Jets After Turkish F16s Violate Airspace

10/10/2015

Greece scrambled fighter jets to intercept a pair of Turkish F16 planes over neutral waters of the Aegean Sea in a move condemned by Ankara but described by Athens as fully consistent with international procedure.

Russian Army to Receive 16 Helicopters, 29 Combat Aircraft by Year End

10/10/2015

The Russian Aerospace Forces will receive 16 Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters, 18 Su-30SM Flanker multi-role fighter jets and 11 MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic interceptor aircraft before the end of the year, the aircraft manufacturers told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu Friday.

Russia, US to Hold Talks on Anti-ISIL Air Operations in Syria Over Weekend

10/10/2015

Russia and the United States are expected to hold military-to-military talks on Syria, where both countries have been carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIL) militants, this weekend, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesperson Peter Cook said on Friday that the US Department of Defense had received a formal response from Russia on the issue of ensuring safe air operations over Syria and was in the process of reviewing the response.

How to Rebuild a Shrinking, Aging American Military

10/09/2015

Today’s U.S. military is shrinking and using older equipment as troops face more deployments and emboldened adversaries abroad, according to a new report that lays out a plan to revitalize American defenses. The new report from the American Enterprise Institute said that “America’s military power has been declining ever since the first wave of cuts in the aftermath of the Cold War.”

U.S. officials say Russian missiles heading for Syria landed in Iran

10/09/2015

A number of cruise missiles launched from a Russian ship and aimed at targets in Syria have crashed in Iran, two U.S. officials told CNN Thursday. Monitoring by U.S. military and intelligence assets has concluded that at least four missiles crashed as they flew over Iran. The U.S. believes, based on intelligence reports of damage assessments, that some buildings were damaged and civilians may have been hurt.

Chinese Newspaper: Spy Satellites Will Target US Carriers

10/09/2015

China’s military is getting its ducks in a row for what many experts see as a realistic competence at destroying US aircraft carriers during a confrontation scenario over Taiwan. In a recent issue of the Chinese-language state-run China Youth Daily newspaper, a report claims that the Gaofen-4 geostationary earth observation satellite will be launched by the end of this year with the express purpose of hunting US aircraft carriers.

Taranis to enter third testing phase

10/09/2015

The test programme had gone quiet after two phases of testing in Woomera in Australia, but it will now continue for one more phase to develop technology that could be incorporated into a future combat air system. Details of what will be tested in this third phase remain unknown.

Lockheed demonstrates F-16V capabilities in Indonesia

10/09/2015

Lockheed Martin has sent an F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter cockpit demonstrator to Indonesia, in a bid to demonstrate the capabilities of F-16V. Indonesia is planning to replace its old fighter aircraft. The latest version of Lockheed's Fighting Falcon, the F-16V features advanced fourth generation capabilities, including scalable agile beam radar (SABR).

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.