Military Aviation News Archive

SINGAPORE: F-15SG, AH-64D to perform joint aerial display

02/15/2016

This year’s aerial display at the Singapore Airshow will include a unusual joint performance between a Republic of Singapore Air Force Boeing F-15SG fighter and AH-64D Apache attack helicopter.

Defence analyst warns Joint Strike Fighters may have trouble starting

02/15/2016

A defence analyst says a "bizarre" logistics system could ground Joint Strike Fighter jets headed to the Williamtown Air Force base in New South Wales, even if the planes are fit to fly. Analyst David Archibald has lodged a submission to a Senate inquiry into Australia's Joint Strike Fighters. A total of 72 jets will be based at the Williamtown Air Force base, as well as at Tindal in the Northern Territory.

The Marines' new Iraq mission

02/15/2016

The Iraqi army's recent triumph in Ramadi made it clear that its soldiers aren't cut from the same cloth as those who ditched their gear and fled in terror from the Islamic State group in 2014 — and Marines have been a pivotal part of that transformation.

Saudi Arabia confirms sending jets to Turkey

02/15/2016

A Saudi defense ministry adviser confirmed late Saturday that the kingdom had sent fighter jets to Turkey’s Incirlik air base for the military campaign against ISIS militants in Syria. Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asiri told Al Arabiya News Channel that Saudi Arabia was committed to stepping up the fight against ISIS and that the move was part of those efforts.

Navy strike groups must adapt to rising threats: Experts

02/15/2016

Smaller aircraft carriers and more cruisers. Multiple unmanned airframes for tanking, strike missions and dog-fighting. Sixteen carrier strike groups. As budget season kicks into high gear, House lawmakers called in experts Thursday to discuss the future of the carrier air wing.

Russia to Hold Observation Flight Over Italy

02/15/2016

National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center chief Sergei Ryzhkov said that Russian experts will hold an observation flight over Italy under the Treaty on Open Skies this week.

Unique Russian Aircraft Undergoes Test Flight (VIDEO)

02/15/2016

The Russian private design bureau ‘Modern Aviation Technologies’ has developed a single-engine, all-composite aircraft SR-10. Developed by a private Russian design bureau called KB SAT, the aircraft features a moderate forward-swept wing (FSW) scheme. This feature allows the plane to be more compact, improves stability at low speeds and takeoff and landing performance.

Kerry: 'This is the moment' to find a Syria solution

02/14/2016

The crisis in Syria has reached a “hinge point,” where decisions made in the near future could either end the war or “define a very difficult set of choices for the future,” says Secretary of State John Kerry .

With an eye on China, India sends aircraft carrier to Male

02/14/2016

It's 44,500 tonnes of robust Indian diplomacy cruising on the high seas, hot on the trail of the Chinese in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), first in Sri Lanka and now, Maldives. India has dispatched its largest and most potent warship, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, accompanied by destroyer INS Mysore and tanker INS Deepak, to Maldives to reaffirm its abiding commitment to be "the net security provider" in the IOR.

F-16 sale won’t alter military balance

02/14/2016

The U.S. decision to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan will not alter the military balance in the region, but it will reinforce the centrality of Pakistan’s Army, experts say. The F-16 fighting Falcon is one of the most modern fourth generation aircraft in service, and over 4,400 aircraft of the model have been produced so far and are in service with 25 countries.

Eurofighter Typhoon Continues Storm Shadow and Meteor Missile Trails For Swing-Role Capability

02/14/2016

Eurofighter has conducted trials of the Storm Shadow missile and Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air missile as part of the improvements to enhance swing-role capability of its Typhoon combat jet.

MiG-29K: Russia's Aircraft Carrier to Be Stocked With Formidable Warplanes

02/14/2016

More than twenty advanced MiG-29K ship-based fighter jets will enter service with the Russian Navy before the end of 2016, according to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu. The MiG29K is a 4++ generation jet which can efficiently engage in high-maneuverability combat by using its cannon and missiles for aerial combat as well as for destroying targets on surface.

UK forced to rely on FOREIGN aircraft to defend our skies from Russians

02/14/2016

BRITAIN had to rely on 21 foreign aircraft to plug defences last year. Military chiefs asked Nato for help after Nimrod spotter planes were scrapped in cuts. Since then incursions by Vladimir Putin’s nuclear-powered submarines and combat jets have been reported almost weekly. Germany, France, Canada and the United States have all flown to the rescue amid fears Russia is trying to track British subs carrying Trident nuclear missiles.

Singapore Airshow promises aerobatics spectacle

02/14/2016

The Singapore Airshow 2016 will feature fighter jets from countries including Singapore, South Korea and the United States. To be held from Feb 16 to 19 for trade professionals and Feb 20 to 21 for the public, the Airshow's aerobatics lineup will feature a mix of military assets from both the East and West. The Airshow on Sunday (Feb 14) provided a preview of its aerial display show at the Changi Exhibition Centre.

Asian Procurement Takes Cue From Chinese Modernization

02/14/2016

China's military modernization effort continues to drive defense procurement in Asia as Beijing develops fifth-generation fighter aircraft, procures Russian Su-35 aircraft, builds aircraft carriers, extends the range and punch of its ballistic missile force, pushes to dominate the South China Sea, and threatens to invade Taiwan and occupy the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.

Saudi Arabia is deploying combat planes to Turkey to fight ISIS

02/14/2016

RSAF aircraft are being deployed to Incirlik airbase, Turkey, from where they will launch air strikes against ISIS, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusogluy said on Feb. 13. Saudi Arabia has been part of the US-led coalition fighting Daesh since 2014; by moving its combat planes closer to the area of operations it will be able to increase the ops tempo.

Cloudy Future for Domestic Indian Aircraft Production

02/14/2016

India's quest to build fighter jets through its "Make in India" industry initiative may not be realistic in the near future due to a financial crunch and the lack of in-house building capability, forcing continued reliance on imports, said officials and defense analysts. The government wants to build over 250 fighters in the next 20 years at a cost of more than $200 billion, which will cover life-cycle cost as well, said an Indian Defence Ministry source.

Welsh: Air Force needs new planes, not old ones

02/13/2016

The Air Force must stop relying on older aircraft. It needs to invest in cutting-edge platforms, Gen. Mark Welsh, the service’s chief of staff, told Congress. “The platforms and systems that made us great over the last 50 years will not make us great over the next 50 years,” Welsh told a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Lockheed Martin Lands $270M in Military Aircraft Contracts

02/13/2016

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is being awarded three Navy contracts devoted to military aircraft, including a $141.9 million deal to modernize Greece’s P-3B, the U.S. Department of Defense announced during its Thursday digest of contracts.

A-29s to start combat operations with Afghan Air Force from March: Wardak

02/13/2016

The commander of the Afghan Air Force Major General Abdul Wahab Wardak said Thursday that the A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft will start combat operations with the Afghan Air Force from the month of March. During a ceremony “Re-birth of the Afghan Air Force” at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Gen. Wardak said the Afghan Air Force is expecting to receive a total of 8 A-29 aircraft until March.

Nigerian Air Force arms two Alpha jets

02/13/2016

The Nigerian Air Force has armed two of the four Dassault Aviation-made Alpha jets it procured from the United States in 2015. Prior to arming the jets, the planes purchased from the United States could not be used in combat operations due to their inability to carry weapons. Instead, the jets were designated for training purposes.

Italian Jet Trainer Finds New Cost-Saving Roles

02/13/2016

Alenia Aermacchi (Finmeccanica, Stand G55) is promoting two new roles for the M346–companion training, and dissimilar air combat training (DACT). “Our existing customers told us it would make an excellent aggressor,” company test pilot Giacomo Ianelli told The International Fighter Conference in London last November. Singapore was the first export customer for the Italian jet, and operates 12 of them for advanced pilot training at Cazaux airbase in France.

F-35s in test deployment

02/13/2016

Six test and evaluation F-35 fighters are on a simulated deployment to conduct key initial operational capability mission sets, the Air Force said. The sets are suppression of enemy air defenses, close air support and air interdiction. The achievements of the F-35A squadron's ability to deploy, employ and sustain operations will set the benchmark capability for the Air Force to declare F-35A initial operational capability, which is scheduled for this fall.

All of These Countries Now Have Armed Drones

02/13/2016

Last week Nigeria joined a dubious international clique when it bombed a logistics base used by the militant group Boko Haram in the country’s northeast. Though the airstrike itself was unremarkable—the Nigerian Air Force has conducted hundreds of strikes against Boko Haram in recent months—it was the first Nigeria has delivered via an unmanned drone.

Post-Nuke Deal Iran Wants To Build Russian Su-30 Fighters And A New Advanced Tank

02/13/2016

Now that Iran is sitting on a pile of cash and the import ban on conventional military hardware has been partially lifted following the nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic is looking to replace its hodgepodge of vintage military hardware. This may soon include producing Russian Su-30 multi-role fighters and T-90 tanks within their own borders.