Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Questions Linger Over Russia’s Endgame in Syria, Ukraine and Europe

02/24/2016

The partial truce that Russia and the United States have thrashed out in Syria capped something of a foreign policy trifecta for President Vladimir V. Putin, with the Kremlin strong-arming itself into a pivotal role in the Middle East, Ukraine floundering and the European Union developing cracks like a badly glazed pot.

TAQNIA Aeronautics and Sikorsky Sign Agreement to Explore Helicopter Business Opportunities in Saudi Arabia

02/24/2016

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company (NYSE: LMT) today signed an agreement with Taqnia Aeronautics to jointly explore helicopter production opportunities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The new agreement outlines the investment, technology and skills needed to establish production jobs for Saudi citizens, and could lead to direct involvement in the assembly of Sikorsky S-70 BLACK HAWK helicopters in the Kingdom.

Gaining Momentum: ‘Chinese Weapons Doing Reasonably Well’ on Global Market

02/24/2016

China has almost doubled its weapons exports over the past five years, a military think tank said on Monday. According to a new report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China’s arms imports have shrunk by twenty five percent from 2011 to 2015.

Russian Aerospace Forces Equipment Renewed by Over 50% - Deputy Commander

02/24/2016

Equipment of the Russian Aerospace Forces has been renewed by more than a half, the forces deputy commander, Lt. Gen. Andrey Yudin, said Tuesday. "We are rearming with modern multi-purpose aircraft, in particular here in the south of Russia, with Su-30SM, Su-35S, new helicopters. In general, the aviation fleet has been seriously renewed and can successfully perform any tasks," Yudin told reporters at the Armavir aviation school in southwestern Russia.

Bullish Saab Sets Rollout Date For Gripen E

02/23/2016

Saab will roll out the first Gripen E version at Linkoping, Sweden on May 18, said Richard Smith, the company’s head of marketing and sales for the combat aircraft. In a bullish briefing at the Singapore Airshow last week, Smith said that thanks to the 60 new-build E/F jets for Sweden, plus the Brazilian Gripen order and other surveillance and submarine programs, the Swedish company’s backlog was at an all-time high of $13.5 billion.

Air force, DRDO, pleased with Tejas performance at Bahrain

02/23/2016

In a milestone for India’s Tejas light-combat aircraft (LCA), two Tejas fighters travelled from India to performed aerobatics at the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS-2016) from January 21-23. Business Standard has obtained the first official account of this first international outing, where the Tejas impressed global aerospace experts, taking an important first step towards export in the future.

Raytheon Announces Bid for USAF T-X Trainer Competition

02/23/2016

Raytheon on Monday officially announced it is teaming with Italian aerospace company Finmeccanica and CAE to offer the T-100 for the US Air Force T-X advanced trainer competition, a move first reported by Defense News last week.

US Dominates Arms Trade as Asia, Mid-East Boost Imports

02/23/2016

The global transfer of major arms has risen in recent years, with the United States increasing its dominance of the trade while the flow of weaponry to Africa, Asia and the Middle East has increased, a new study published Monday showed.

F-16 sales to Pakistan to address specific counter-terrorism: US Envoy

02/23/2016

US Ambassador to India Richard Verma on Monday reiterated that Washington's decision to sell F-16 combat aircraft to Pakistan was to help it fight terrorism. “Our security partnership with Pakistan was made clear,” Verma said while answering questions after delivering a lecture on “Indo-US strategic partnership: Present status and future trends”

Report: U.S. aircraft carriers’ ‘unchallenged primacy may be coming to a close’

02/23/2016

The United States’ aircraft carriers have always been an almost untouchable deterrent, steel behemoths capable of projecting the full weight of the U.S. military wherever they deploy. Yet while many militaries could never hope to match the U.S. carrier fleet in size and strength, countries such as China, Iran and Russia have spent recent years adjusting their forces and fielding equipment designed to counter one of the United States’ greatest military strengths.

As Libya mission intensifies, Italy OKs U.S. to fly armed drone missions

02/23/2016

The Italian government recently cleared the way for expanded U.S. drone operations from an air base in Sicily, giving the American military more options for tracking — and potentially targeting — Islamic State militants and their spread across North Africa.

HAL, BAE Eye Joint Venture for Hawk, Jaguar Work

02/23/2016

BAE Systems and India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) are considering establishing a joint venture to co-produce variants of the Hawk trainer, upgrade the Jaguar aircraft and establish a partnership focused on logistics and producing spares in India.

Iran, Russia Negotiating ‘Next Generation' S-300 Missile Systems' Supplies

02/23/2016

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu paid an official visit to Tehran to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and the Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghani. Representatives of both countries discussed, among others, the sale of S-300 missile systems, Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

Daesh Using Civilians as Human Shields Against Advancing Syrian Army

02/23/2016

Daesh terrorists are going door-to-door in Raqqa and in the surrounding villages looking for civilians to be used a human shields against the Syrian army and popular forces moving in from Aleppo and Hama provinces, Iran’s Fars news agency wrote on Sunday.

Military strikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

02/22/2016

On Feb. 20, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 18 strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and fighter, attack, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

Navy Commander: South China Sea Not a US-Versus-China Battle

02/22/2016

The commander of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said Monday that he is wary of the situation in the South China Sea being painted as a battle between the United States and China, but added the presence of a Chinese missile system on a disputed island will not stop the U.S. military from flying over the region.

Cope North Exercise Showcases Top Military Warplanes

02/22/2016

When this base opened its gates to the public Feb. 20 for a chance to see dozens of aircraft and support vehicles displayed near the airfield, cars lined up for several miles waiting to get inside. It's rare that top military aircraft from America, Australia and Japan would be gathered in one spot; rarer still that the public would get an up-close look. But Cope North, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored two-week exercise running through Feb. 26, provided the opportunity for this open house.

Russia’s Air Campaign in Syria Has Changed the Course of History

02/22/2016

When the Russian aircraft first arrived at Hmeimim, the war was going badly for the Syrian government. The terrorists were able to make major advances during the prior months, and were close to threatening Damascus itself. Syrian forces were demoralized by their setbacks and suffering from shortages of equipment and ammunition.

Open house draws hundreds to Andersen

02/22/2016

Hundreds of residents lined up at the gates of Andersen Air Force Base to take part in one of the few events during which the base is open to the public. The Pacific Air Partners Open House event concluded Saturday afternoon but not before providing residents the opportunity to see up close the various aircraft utilized by the U.S. Air Force and its partners in the Pacific.

US commander defends Joint Strike Fighter F-35A ahead of Senate inquiry

02/22/2016

The American head of the global Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program has acknowledged the software in the aircraft is "a big risk" ahead of a Senate inquiry into the Federal Government's acquisition of the jets. Australia is spending $17.8 billion on buying 72 US-made aircraft and associated systems, with the first expected to arrive in Australia in 2018 and enter service in 2020, replacing the F/A-18 Hornet fleet.

KC-135 crew must be ready for anything

02/22/2016

Dwight David Eisenhower was in the White House when the KC-135 Stratotanker rolled off the assembly line. Tensions with Moscow were running high and the island nation of Cuba was a constant source of news. That was 57 years ago. Friday morning, when the same, now-aging aerial refueling jet rolls down the runway at MacDill Air Force Base, Barack Obama is in the White House, tensions with Moscow are once again running high and Cuba is once again a constant source of news.

The Q-1 Predator Became A History-Changing Deadly Missile Slinger 15 Years Ago Today

02/22/2016

The Predator unmanned aircraft system and the Hellfire missile were the right technologies at the right time for an America that had just declared war against terror following the horrific events of September 11. Just over six months before planes slammed into the Twin Towers, Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, the Predator had gone from aerial intelligence collection asset to flying assassin.

Chinese Weapons Exports Increase Over the Past Five Years

02/22/2016

China has almost doubled its weapons exports in the past five years, a military think tank said on Monday, as the world’s third-largest weapons exporter pours capital into developing an advanced arms manufacturing industry. In 2011 to 2015, China’s arms imports fell 25% compared with the previous five year period, signaling a growing confidence in the country’s homegrown weaponry despite key areas of weakness.

The Air Force of the Future: Lasers on Fighter Jets, Planes That Think

02/21/2016

Fighter jets that shoot high-powered lasers. Robots that mine hours of intelligence data in milliseconds. A tactical aircraft that can think for itself. These are just a few of the cutting-edge technology breakthroughs the Air Force hopes will change the game in the future battle space.

Indonesia Chooses Russian Su-35 Over Northrop’s F-5 Fighter Planes

02/21/2016

In the Singapore Airshow 2016 today, Indonesia agreed to buy about one dozen Sukhoi Su-35 fighter planes from Russia, to upgrade its fleet. The transaction will take a month to complete. The Indonesian Air Force wants to replace 12 of its aging Northrop Grumman Corporation (F-5 fighters. The country already has two of Russia’s Su-27SK aircraft, three Su-27SKM, two Su-30MK, and nine Su-30MK2 jet fighters.