Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Luke Air Force Base F-35s drop first weapons

03/17/2016

The F-35A Lightning II program took another step toward initial operational capability on Tuesday when two aircraft assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron successfully employed four laser-guided bombs on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. This marked the first weapons release by F-35s assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base.

Additional F-16s for Pakistan May Hit Hurdles

03/17/2016

Additional F-16s from the US remain central to Pakistan’s modernization efforts, but analysts say since there could be hurdles ahead, surplus fighters may be a credible alternative. News reports here citing senior officials have stated that the air force requires some 190 new aircraft to replace its legacy Mirage III/5 and Chengdu F-7 fighter fleets by 2020.

Afghan Air Force flew more than 20,000 missions in 2015

03/16/2016

The Afghan Air Force flew more than 20,000 missions last year as the Afghan national security forces went through a significantly challenging year after assuming the full security responsibilities from the coalition forces. Hailing the Afghan forces for improving their capabilities, the NATO Secretary General said the Afghan security forces are ‘showing great courage and determination.”

This is how you avoid enemy radar! RAF and USAF pilots overbank and invert jets as part of a joint low-level flying exercise over the Welsh mountains

03/16/2016

RAF pilots were joined by the USAF for low flying training over the Welsh mountains on Monday. Their aircraft were seen flying over the Mach Loop, a set of valleys between Dolgellau and Machynllet, in north Wales, as part of the session between 10 and 11am. An RAF Hawk T2 from Hawks Valley, which is used to train pilots for fast low flying, was seen twirling over the hills at between 100ft and 250ft, at one point inverting over a ridge line - a technique often used to avoid enemy radar.

Here’s the first video of the Russian combat planes leaving Syria

03/16/2016

On Mar. 15, the Russian Defence Minister General of the Army Sergei ??Shoigu? ordered to redeploy a large part of the the Russian Aerspace Forces contingent deployed to Syria to fight terrorists.

After the F-35: The Time to Start Planning Is Now

03/16/2016

The Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is holding an inquiry into the planned acquisition of the F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter). ASPI has had a keen interest in this project for over a decade, so we made a submission.

Why the F-35 May Not Be Combat-Ready Until 2022

03/16/2016

If you were the CEO of an airline business and got a negative report about your new, very expensive aircraft that has been in development for a number of years, what would you say to your engineering and production managers? The report highlights look like this:

Russia's Syria Pullout Pressures Damascus to Commit to Peace Talks

03/16/2016

Russia's decision to withdraw its airgroup from Syria is putting pressure on the official Damascus to commit fully to the political transition, Syrian opposition figure and founder of the Organization for Democracy and Freedom in Syria, Ribal Assad told Sputnik.

Syria Rewind: How Missions Are (Actually) Accomplished

03/16/2016

A video look at Russia's mission in Syria over the past six months, and how it accomplished its stated goals, prompting a withdrawal.

Korean Crisis: Why Neither Side Would Be Able to Achieve Victory in a War

03/16/2016

Tensions on the Korean peninsula escalated to new highs this week, with the US and South Korea carrying out massive military drills, and North Korea test-firing missiles and threatening more nuclear tests. With tensions now threatening to spark open war, military analyst Konstantin Sivkov warns that if war did break out, both sides would lose.

India Signs $5.5Bln-Worth of Military Procurement Deals in Six Months

03/16/2016

Indian defense ministry signed 28 contracts - 18 with Indian companies and 10 with firms from Russia, the United States, Sweden and Israel - totaling to approximately $5.5 billion, according to official statement.

Syria conflict: First Russian planes leave after Putin surprise move

03/15/2016

Russian defence ministry video showed the first group of aircraft taking off from Hmeimim air base in Syria on Tuesday morning and later in flight. Western officials cautiously welcomed the move, saying it could pressure Syria's government to engage in talks. Peace talks aimed at resolving the conflict are entering a second day.

Russia Withdraws Airgroup From Syria as Goal to Stop Daesh Reached

03/15/2016

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to start withdrawing the Russian air group from Syria on Tuesday, as the task assigned to it has been completed. "I think it is a clever decision because if they [aerospace forces] stay longer, it could potentially lead to an additional tension between the sides to the conflict and that could be dangerous. The job is done because the Daesh has been stopped," Mariani said.

Indian Air Force Admits It Can't Fight China, Pakistan At the Same Time

03/15/2016

Indian Air Force vice-chief Air Marshal BS Dhanoa admitted on Thursday that the IAF did not have sufficient number of warplanes to fight a two-front war, setting off alarm bells about the country's ability to tackle a combined threat from China and Pakistan.

Turkey attacks Kurds in Iraq in wake of Ankara bombing

03/15/2016

As reported by world media, Turkish military aircraft carried out the attack early on Monday. This has been confirmed by the Turkish army. It was stated that 11 combat aircraft took part, attacking 18 previously established targets that have "all been destroyed."

Defence Council Endorses Project for New Jets for Bulgarian Air Force

03/15/2016

Bulgaria’s Defence Council has approved the investment project for acquiring new fighter jets for the country’s Air Force, public broadcaster BNR reported on Monday. The decision was taken by the consultative body within the Defence Ministry last week, according to BNR.

Air Force deployments fall, but still lean heavily on RPA, ISR, refueling

03/15/2016

The Air Force is still relying on tens of thousands of airmen to carry out its mission overseas — but the type of airmen being deployed is changing greatly. The number of airmen deployed last year has dropped from fiscal 2013, according to statistics provided by the Air Force Personnel Center.

Two Emirati pilots martyred in Yemen

03/15/2016

Two Emirati pilots were martyred after the fighter aircraft they were flying in crashed while performing their national duty in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition's Operation Restoring Hope. As per a statement issued by the UAE Armed Forces on Monday, the martyrs are Mohammed Obaid Salem Al Hammudi, based in Diba Al Hisn in the emirate of Sharjah, and Zayed Ali Al Kaabi, from Mebreh area in Fujairah.

Taking Off

03/15/2016

For an indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) disparaged by the Indian Air Force brass as “overweight”, “underpowered”, “obsolete”, “a three-legged cheetah” and, in technical terms, as a plane that “cannot fly without telemetry, pull more than 6G or an angle-of-attack (AoA) greater than 20 degrees” and “with an air intake that starves the engine”, is supposedly afflicted with “53 identified shortfalls”, and fails to meet the “minimum air staff requirements (ASRs)”.

U.S. confirms death of ISIS operative Omar al-Shishani

03/15/2016

Two U.S. officials told CNN that the Obama administration has confirmed that ISIS senior operative Omar al-Shishani is dead. The officials said he was injured in a U.S. airstrike last week and then died subsequently, though they wouldn't say how they know he is dead. The initial U.S. assessment was that he was "likely killed" in the strike, but further assessments led them to understand he had been injured and only later died.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Two KC-130J Super Hercules to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

03/15/2016

Lockheed Martin recently delivered two KC-130J Super Hercules aerial refuelers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to be operated by Royal Saudi Air Force crews. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the 16th country to operate the C-130J Super Hercules to meet its refueling and airlift needs. Saudi Arabia has the distinction of having the largest legacy Hercules fleet outside of the United States of America.

Second CH-53K Helicopter Joins Flight Test Program

03/15/2016

Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company, today announced the second CH-53K helicopter has joined the flight test program and achieved first flight. In addition the first aircraft into the test program has achieved flight envelope expansion to 120 knots for the U.S. Marine Corps’ CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter program.

Australia's Finely Balanced Role In The South China Sea Dispute

03/14/2016

Australia is set to walk a finely balanced diplomatic line as strategic competition heats up over China's heavily disputed and growing territorial claims in the South China Sea. Commander of the US Pacific Air Forces, General Lori Robinson, said in Canberra on Tuesday the U.S. and its partners had to "maintain a credible combat power" with China's "militarisation" of the South China Sea, warning that China's military build-up raised the risk of sparking a miscalculated, unexpected incident.

Can Saudi Arabia fight two wars at once?

03/14/2016

For nearly a month, the kingdom has been hosting forces from 20 allied nations, its first chance to practise integrating the Saudi-led Islamic Coalition announced last year to combat terrorism. This, say the Saudis, is the largest concentration of military forces in the region since the Desert Storm campaign of 1991 drove Iraq's army out of Kuwait.

Military strikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

03/14/2016

On March 12, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted six strikes using attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets. Additionally in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 12 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using rocket artillery and attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.