Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Private sector will build fighter jets in India: Parrikar

02/18/2016

Officially throwing open the contest for fighter aircraft once again, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that India will select one or two fighter aircraft which will be manufactured locally by a private company under Make in India initiative. This is in addition to the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), the production of which is being scaled up.

Spain Agrees to Purchase Predator Drone System With Four Planes

02/18/2016

The Spanish military decided to purchase a Predator B drone system consisting of four planes and two ground control stations with satellite links, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) said in a press release on Wednesday.

Iraqi Officials Fear Daesh May Have Stolen Radioactive Material

02/18/2016

Iraqi officials have lost track of "highly dangerous" radioactive material. Authorities are desperately tracking down the missing materials, and are worried that it may have fallen into the hands of Daesh (IS/Islamic State).

China Reveals New Missiles At Singapore Airshow

02/17/2016

According to Richard Fisher, a senior fellow on Asian military affairs with the International Assessment and Strategy Center, the TL-7 is making its debut as the export model of the KD-88 precision-guided air to surface missile that entered PLA Air Force service on the Xian-built JH-7A fighter bombers in 2006 and 2007.

Malaysia Orders MD530G Light Attack Helicopters

02/17/2016

The Malaysian government has selected MD Helicopter’s new MD530G as the country’s attack helicopter in competition with Airbus, Bell, Boeing and Turkish Aerospace Industries for the long-running requirement. MD will deliver six MD530Gs to Malaysian Army Aviation. Deliveries are expected to start towards the end of this year, while the full complement will arrive in country during the first quarter of 2017.

Hopeless but not Syri-ous

02/17/2016

Welcome to Permanent War, as Russian Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev dubbed today’s Middle East. It isn’t as bad as it sounds, provided, of course, that you’re not in it. The bonfire built on tribal enmity and national disillusionment will have to burn itself out over time. The risk lies in the possible spread of the fire outside the region.

SINGAPORE: New self-protection suite ordered for Indonesian Hawk

02/17/2016

Indonesia’s 24-strong fleet of BAE Systems Hawk light combat aircraft are to receive a self-protection system upgrade from Finmeccanica. Performed by Singaporean prime Aptronics, Finmeccanica’s Seer radar warning receiver will be installed on an initial batch of aircraft for current operations, with an option to provide further systems in future, Finmeccanica says.

WHAT CHINA'S NEW MISSILES MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER

02/17/2016

In late 1995, escalating Chinese threats against Taiwan prompted President Bill Clinton to stage a show of American support for the beleaguered island that Beijing’s leaders couldn’t ignore. Clinton sent two aircraft carrier battle groups steaming into the conflict zone, their heavily armed fighter jets poised on deck for takeoff.

GAO Turns Down Boeing Protest Over Bomber Contract - 2nd Update

02/17/2016

Northrop Grumman Corp. can resume work on developing a new Air Force bomber after a federal overseer on Tuesday rejected a protest led by Boeing Co. on Northrop's contract for a program that could ultimately cost more than $80 billion.

Iran Interested in Implementing Russian Joint Air Defense System

02/17/2016

On February 15, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan arrived in Moscow on an official visit; the minister is expected to meet with Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin, Deputy Premier Dmitry Rogozin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Su-30s, Mi-8s: Iran Considers Inking $8 Billion Arms Deal With Russia

02/17/2016

Iran plans to buy the Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters, the Mil Mi-8 and the Mil Mi-17 helicopters, as well as other weapons from Russia in an arms deal worth more than $8 billion, the Kommersant newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources.

Russia Starts Construction of 7 Mi-171Sh Helicopters for Bangladesh

02/17/2016

Russia has started construction of seven Mi-171Sh combat-transport helicopters for the Bangladesh Air Force, a deputy CEO of the Russian Helicopters company said Tuesday.

Russia Plans to Seal Deal on Mi-17V-5 Helicopters Delivery to India in 2016

02/17/2016

Russian Helicopters plans to sign a contract with India for the delivery of an additional batch of 48 Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters in 2016, the company’s deputy director general said Tuesday.

Look Out, America: China Wants Its Own Vertical Takeoff Jets

02/16/2016

A few scattered reports have emerged in Western news outlets over the last couple of years regarding the J-18 V/STOL fighter, but newly available evidence lends additional weight to the theory that China has a third fourth generation fighter program (in addition to J-20 and J-31 that are well known already).

U.S. Air Force to send F-15 jets to Finland

02/16/2016

The U.S. Air Force will send six F-15s to Finland this spring for exercises that will operate out of a base about 100 miles from the border with Russia, military officials say. The six jets from the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base in Oregon will fly training missions with Finnish forces as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which the United States initiated in 2014 to reassure NATO allies after Russian military intervention in Ukraine.

Pakistan gets F-16s despite Indian pressure

02/16/2016

A decision by the US State Department to sell 8 F-16 fighter jets to help Pakistan in its counter-terrorism operations came in the face of intense opposition by the Indian lobby in Washington and some US Congressmen who argued these aircraft would be used against India.

SINGAPORE: Boeing moots possibility of Indian F/A-18 E/F deal

02/16/2016

Boeing has resurrected the possibility of a sale of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter to India, as part of a broader concept to support New Delhi’s development of an indigenous aerospace sector. Jeff Kohler, vice-president of international business development for Boeing Defense, says discussions are underway between the US and Indian governments about the potential for the US to support New Delhi’s “Make in India” initiative, which envisages local production across a range of industries.

Russia has just deployed its most advanced spyplane to Syria

02/16/2016

The Tu-214R is a Russian ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) aircraft. In other words, a quite advanced spy plane. As we have already explained here in the past, it is a special mission aircraft equipped with all-weather radar systems and electro optical sensors that produce photo-like imagery of a large parts of the ground: these images are then used to identify and map the position of the enemy forces, even if these are camouflaged or hidden.

Why Skunk Works ditched its clean-sheet T-X for Korean T-50

02/16/2016

One year ago this week, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works chief Rob Weiss announced that his advanced design team had been working on a clean-sheet aircraft for the US Air Force’s T-X programme as a potential alternative to the South Korean T-50 Golden Eagle, which Lockheed jointly developed with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and now exports around the globe.

Opinion: Stealth Matters

02/16/2016

The U.S. Air Force selected Northrop Grumman Corp. to develop and build the new Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) late last year. Like other recent big defense contracts, that award is under protest from competitors. But it’s a good bet the Air Force source selection was a sound one. Why? Because stealth matters.

Poland Could Send Four F-16 Jets to Patrol Syrian Airspace

02/16/2016

At least 4 Polish F-16 jets could participate in air alert mission in Syria, the head of the National Security Bureau, Pawel Soloch, said Monday. He added that Warsaw was ready to conduct patrol missions, adding that this move would show solidarity with its allies.

India Considers US Lockheed Martin Offer to Manufacture F-16 Fighter Jets

02/16/2016

India is considering an offer from the US defense corporation Lockheed Martin to organize manufacturing of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft in the country, local media reported Monday, citing high-ranking sources. Besides the F-16s, the US side has also offered other options for warplanes, whose production may be launched in India. The proposal includes aircraft production both for the domestic market and exports, The Economic Times noted.

Russia to Deliver S-300 Air Defense Systems to Iran Soon

02/16/2016

Russia will soon send S-300 air defense systems to Iran while the countries have not held any negotiations on the possibility of delivering S-400 systems.

Australian Air Force Must Make Careful F-35 Choices

02/15/2016

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is preparing to receive its first squadron of 14 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs in-country in late 2018. They will be preceded by a squadron of 12 Boeing EF-18G Growlers that will arrive next year. Like other air arms receiving advanced combat aircraft from the U.S., the RAAF must make careful choices about weapons and software commonality, and training, if costs are to be restrained.

Week Eighteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: A Dramatic Escalation Appears Imminent

02/15/2016

The situation in Syria has reached a watershed moment and a dramatic escalation of the war appears imminent. Let’s look again at how we reached this point.