Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Controversial £5billion fighter jet which took 15 years to build dogged by problems every week, says engineer

09/06/2015

The controversial Joint Strike Fighter stealth jet is being dogged by new technical problems every week, the most senior British engineer working on the aircraft has revealed. The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has already cost £5 billion and taken 15 years to develop. It has suffered a series of setbacks including a freak fire which grounded the fleet and the admission earlier this year that it was beaten in a combat exercise by a jet designed 40 years ago.

NATO's 5 Most Lethal Weapons of War

09/06/2015

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was formed on April 4th, 1949. A political military alliance, it was the result of Cold War tensions between the United States and Western Europe on one side and the Soviet Union on the other. The continued stationing of large amounts Soviet forces in Eastern Europe made a common defense organization necessary.

As Industry Awaits Bomber Contract, New Details Emerge

09/06/2015

For months the defense industry has been held hostage, watching closely as the Pentagon weighs a decision that will shape the aerospace world for decades to come. The Air Force is poised to announce who will build its next-generation bomber, and the competition is steep. The two teams represent three of the five top defense contractors in the country: Northrop Grumman, builder of the B-2 stealth bomber, and a teamed Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Russia's Lethal Yak-130 Fighter: The Tiny Terror NATO Should Fear

09/06/2015

In the world of Russian jet fighters, Moscow’s finest?—?such as the Flanker and the fifth-generation Sukhoi T-50?—?tend to grab the most headlines. But the Yakovlev Yak-130, a comparatively non-glamorous twin-seat jet trainer, is quietly turning heads … because it’s obviously more than just a trainer. The twin-engine jet dubbed “Mitten” by Western intelligence is now showing its credentials as a genuine multi-role fighter.

A Canadian Warplane Mistakenly Broadcast Its Location Over Islamic State Controlled Territory

09/05/2015

For what appears to be an entire sortie, a Canadian warplane broadcast its flight location while flying over so-called Islamic State (IS) controlled territory. The revelation regarding a refueling plane flying as part of Operation IMPACT in Iraq, comes from civilian website Flightradar24.com — a collective of thousands of volunteer antenna networks all over the world streamlining location data of planes using something called automatic dependent surveillance-broadcasts (ADS-B).

Has Russia entered the Syrian Civil War? Kremlin aircraft 'spotted' after ISIS attack

09/05/2015

Unverified images appeared showing aircraft similar to Russian Yakovlev jets above the war-torn nation – sparking speculation Russia was about to carry out airstrikes against ISIS targets. It came after the jihadist regime claimed it carried out a deadly car bomb attack on a Russian military headquarters in Dagestan.

Step by Step: Managing Military Incidents Between the West and Russia

09/05/2015

The increased frequency of military air and sea encounters between NATO and NATO partner states and the Russian Federation is a serious cause for concern among policy makers, but relatively little has been done to practically address this issue.

PLA deploys advanced jets to boost electronic capability

09/05/2015

China now has better information and electronic warfare capabilities as the People's Liberation Army has deployed some of the world's most advanced support aircraft, an aviation analyst said.

New details emerge about LRS-B as contract announcement nears

09/05/2015

With a contract announcement imminent, new details about the US Air Force’s Long-Range Strike Bomber have emerged that paint the classified project as being less exotic and probably more affordable than previously imagined.

Two American warplanes land in Estonia amid Russia tensions

09/05/2015

Two of the US Air Force's most advanced planes, F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, made a landmark visit to Estonia Friday, the first time the state-of-the-art aircraft have visited former Soviet territory. The visit comes as tensions are running high with neighbouring Russia over its role in the conflict in Ukraine.

45 Emirati troops in Saudi-led coalition killed in Yemen

09/05/2015

Forty-five troops from the United Arab Emirates were killed in Yemen while taking part in Saudi-led operations against Houthi rebels, the Gulf nation said Friday, in the deadliest day for its military in its 44-year history. The UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said the troops were killed when a missile struck an ammunition depot. On his official Twitter feed, he said the "cowardly attack will not deter us."

Is Russia ramping up its presence in Syria?

09/05/2015

The Pentagon is monitoring a scenario with ominous implications: the prospect of American and Russian warplanes fighting on opposite sides in the skies over Syria. In a development that caught U.S. intelligence by surprise, Russia has set up an air traffic control tower and modular housing units for hundreds of personnel at an airfield near Syria's Mediterranean port of Latikia.

Opinion: Minsk is trying to convince Moscow to give it newer aircraft

09/05/2015

Last week, the Belarusian army newspaper Vo Slavu Rodiny published an article praising the newly received Russian warplanes. However, these Russian aircraft are a step backward compared to the equipment that Belarus already had. President Lukashenka recently publicly complained that the Kremlin had refused to give Belarus a dozen aircraft. The Belarusian authorities therefore are delaying the establishment of a Russian airbase in Belarus.

MM Alam’s record of shooting down 5 Indian war planes remains unbroken

09/04/2015

The record of Pakistan’s 1965 legendary war hero MM Alam vis-à-vis shooting down five Indian war planes in less than a minute still remains unbroken. Alam, popularly known as MM Alam, while piloting an F-86 Sabre, shot down five Indian war planes in less than a minute during 1965 Pak-India war and altogether, downed nine war planes in the aerial fighting.

Video - Rafale orders: who, what, how many?

09/04/2015

In recent months, Dassault Aviation has recorded a series of orders for its Rafale. There are firm orders, those of Egypt and Qatar, each, for 24 aircraft, and then there is that of India, who in April announced the purchase of 36 combat aircraft, though for the moment nothing has been signed even if things are going in the right direction.

Aircraft providers hold sway in USAF’s JSTARS recap competition

09/04/2015

The US Air Force’s $6 billion programme to replace the Boeing 707-based Northrop Grumman E-8C “JSTARS” is shaping up as a battle between platform providers rather than the primes, with Boeing, Bombardier and Gulfstream locked in a three-way contest for the 17-aircraft order.

IAF keen on US Scorpion aircraft offer

09/04/2015

After asking state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) to stop work on the intermediate jet trainers (IJT), the Indian Air Force (IAF) is now keen on the US offer of Textron’s AirLand Scorpion light-attack and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft.

Tu-160 Heavy Strategic Bomber Undergoes Major Upgrade

09/04/2015

The supersonic Tupolev Tu-160, whom Russian pilots lovingly call the White Swan, is about to undergo a major upgrade which will see 60 percent of its equipment replaced with top-end gear, including hypersonic missiles, improved avionics and electronics.

Israel Reportedly Refuels Jordanian Jets During Combat Exercise

09/04/2015

Ten Israeli F-15 fighters recently concluded a joint exercise at an American air force base with the air forces of the United States, Singapore and Jordan. The Israeli planes refueled in mid-air several times en route from Israel to the Red Flag exercise at the Nellis air force base in Nevada. According to the aviation website Foxtrot Alpha, the Israeli contingent also provided the Jordanian fighters with mid-air refueling en route.

Hill Air Force Base Receives First Two F-35A Lightning IIs

09/04/2015

The first two Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing were officially delivered to the base today. The two F-35A Conventional Takeoff and Landing variants, known as AF-77 and AF-78, are the first of 72 F-35As scheduled for delivery to the base.

China Building Two Aircraft Carriers, According to Taiwanese Intelligence

09/04/2015

China is building two aircraft carriers, according to a new report by the Taiwanese Defense Ministry, as Beijing nears what some experts say is its goal of deploying domestic-built carriers by 2020.

Typhoon and Spitfire to fly together for the first time at Battle of Britain Anniversary Air Show

09/03/2015

To mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, a Eurofighter Typhoon from 29 (R) Squadron and a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight will take to the skies together for a remarkable flying display as part of The Battle of Britain Anniversary Air Show on Saturday, September 19.

Russia Rejects Report of Aircraft, Troops Deployment to Syria

09/03/2015

Moscow has rejected reports by Israeli media that it aims to deploy fighter jets and military personnel to Syria to help the Arab country in its battle against the Daesh Takfiri group. "There has been no redeployment of Russian combat aircraft to the Syrian Arab Republic," the website of Russia's television network RT quoted an unnamed source as saying on Tuesday.

Russia, China Will Create Heavy-Lift Helicopter From Scratch

09/03/2015

Russia and China will jointly create a brand new heavy-lift helicopter, the Russian Helicopters company deputy CEO for sales, Grigory Kozlov, said Wednesday. According to the Russian Helicopters deputy CEO, Russia and China will sign a contract on the joint development of a heavy-lift helicopter before the end of the year.

Russia Ready to Supply India With Required Number of Helicopters

09/03/2015

Earlier in the day, media reported that India's Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) had approved the purchase of 48 Mi-17V-5 helicopters worth $1.1 billion from Russia for the needs of the country's armed forces.