Military Aviation News Archive

US Army Mulls Expanding Units Comprising Active, Reserve Pilots

01/28/2016

The US Army is considering how multi-component units might help it achieve greater capability as the force shrinks in a time of budget austerity and implemented such a structure within its fixed-wing aviation branch for the first time.

How the Air Force’s New Planes Could Bankrupt the Pentagon

01/28/2016

The push by the U.S. Air Force to modernize its equipment, even as it pursues big-ticket items like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and a next-generation bomber, is setting up the Defense Department for a budgetary flood of spending, according to a new think-tank study.

F-35 combat jet to be displayed at two UK air shows in 2016

01/28/2016

The F-35 Lightning II will appear at the Royal International Air Tattoo and Farnborough Air Show in July, the US Air Force has announced. It was due to be shown at the 2014 events but was cancelled days before after the entire fleet was grounded in the US following an engine fire. The RAF says the aircraft will place it at the forefront of fighter technology.

Stop chasing France’s Rafale: India’s air warriors can’t fly on foreign wings forever

01/28/2016

The Indian Air Force’s requirement for a medium multi-role combat aircraft continues to remain unfulfilled. In the early 2000s, the IAF decided that the logical answer to its problems of obsolescence, attrition, and declining fleet strength was to induct additional numbers of the single-engined Mirage 2000. This aircraft had an excellent safety and serviceability record, and played a decisive role in the Kargil conflict.

Japan Reports North Korea Readying Long-Range Missile Launch 'Next Week'

01/28/2016

Citing an unnamed government official, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reports that satellite imagery appears to show Pyongyang preparing to launch a long-range missile from a test site known as Tongchang-ri.

Russia Grounds MiG-31s After Crash Over Siberia

01/27/2016

A cornerstone of Russia’s national air defense is temporarily down after the Defense Ministry on Monday grounded all of Moscow’s 120 or so serving MiG-31 interceptors pending an investigation into the loss of a MiG-31 in the skies of Siberia earlier that day. The Russian Defense Ministry announced Monday afternoon that a MiG-31 went down over the Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk. The plane’s pilots ejected safely and the crash did not cause any damage on the ground.

Taliban vs. Turboprops: Afghanistan’s New Attack Planes

01/27/2016

On January 15, four A-29 attack planes touched down at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan. For a project beset by seemingly never-ending delays and military-industrial rivalries, the event was a major milestone.

Russia learns stealth warplanes are hard to do

01/27/2016

After confronting serious technical and economic difficulties, Russia has dramatically cut back its air force program to field its first radar-evading “stealth” fighter jet. By delaying large-scale acquisition of the Sukhoi T-50 fighter, the Kremlin is tacitly acknowledging a truth that the U.S. military learned decades ago — and that China might also learn in coming years: developing stealth fighters is hard.

German Military Called 'Overstretched, Underfunded'

01/27/2016

Germany's military is overstretched and underfunded as its troops are engaged in anti-jihadist missions from Syria and Afghanistan to Mali while also aiding refugees at home, the defense commissioner said Tuesday, according to Agence France-Presse. Plagued by a series of defense equipment failures, the military is "at a crossroads" and has reached "the limit of its capacity for interventions," said Hans-Peter Bartels.

A-10 Dodges Another Bullet

01/27/2016

As of early 2016 the U.S. Air Force struggle to retire all its A-10 ground attack aircraft is over. For the moment at least. The air force now says that the war against ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and the threat from Russia caused this change of mind. The real reason is that the A-10 has long been the most effective and popular ground attack aircraft and that Congress agreed with these troops rather than the air force generals.

Expert urges RAAF to drop JSF for F-22

01/27/2016

Australia will never achieve regional air superiority with the new Lockheed F-35 Lightning Joint Strike Fighter and should instead look to the US F-22 Raptor, a former RAAF officer says. Retired Wing Commander Chris Mills said the F-35 was never designed to achieve air superiority and was outclassed by advanced new Russian aircraft entering service in regional air forces.

F-22 with historic Maloney’s Pony insignia has been the first Raptor to go into combat in Syria

01/27/2016

A very special F-22 belonging to the 27th Fighter Squadron from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia visited the 411th Fighter Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California in June and November of 2015 as part of the Signature Management Program, which is aimed to maintain its stealth characteristics.

Air Force refits training aircraft for combat mission

01/27/2016

The Nigeria Air Force headquarters says it has reconfigured two demilitarized Alpha Jets acquired without weapons delivery capability for counter-insurgency operations in the north east. A statement on Tuesday by Air Force spokesman Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa said the two aircrafts are among the four Alpha Jets bought from the United States in 2015.

Boeing to Provide C-17 Training to NATO

01/27/2016

The Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) program will soon train C-17 aircrews at Boeing’s [NYSE: BA] C-17 International Training Centre (ITC) in the United Kingdom under a new $8 million contract. SAC is comprised of ten NATO countries and two NATO Partnership for Peace countries. The program will begin training its multinational aircrews early this year. Prior to this contract, the SAC program sent aircrews to the United States for training.

Russian military denies rumors of new air base in Syria

01/26/2016

Russia’s Defense Ministry has denied speculations about constructing second air base in Syria. The rumor could be a false flag operation by Ankara to cover up the concentration of Turkish forces on the Syrian border, MoD spokesman said. “There are no ‘new’ airbases or additional ‘jump-up bases’ for Russian warplanes in the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as no plans to create any,” Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov told media briefing on Monday.

Boeing Tanker Passes First Midair Refueling Test for Air Force

01/26/2016

In perfect weather for a test flight Sunday, Boeing's KC-46 tanker successfully passed jet fuel to an F-16 jet fighter in the air, the first time the new tanker has accomplished an air-to-air refueling mission. The Air Force said the tanker passed 1,600 pounds of fuel to an F-16 piloted by Lt. Col. Daniel Alix, 416th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Test Wing out of Edwards AFB, Calif., who characterized the mission as a complete success.

Germany Picks CH-53K , CH-47F as Options for New Helo

01/26/2016

The German armed forces has shortlisted the CH-53K from Sikorsky and the CH-47F Chinook from Boeing as potential successors to its aging fleet of CH-53 heavy-lift helicopters, a spokesman for the German Air Force confirmed. A selection should be made by the end of this year, the spokesman said, but added there is currently no favorite.

Afghan Air Force receives first four A-29 attack aircraft

01/26/2016

The U.S. Air Force delivered four A-29 Super Tucano airplanes to the Afghan Air Force Jan. 15 at Hamid Karzai International Airport here. Eight combat-ready attack pilots and a handful of maintainers graduated Dec. 17, 2015, and have returned to Afghanistan after a year of training at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, with the 81st Fighter Squadron. These pilots are the first of 30 who will be trained by the 81st FS in the next three years.

Philippines joining Cope North for first time on Guam next month

01/26/2016

The Philippines will take part for the first time in Cope North, a large-scale air exercise with the U.S. and four other nations in the western Pacific. Philippine airmen will join more than 1,800 personnel from the U.S., Japan, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand for the exercise, which runs Feb. 10-26 out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

Dassault to work with India to build on new Rafale agreement

01/26/2016

Dassault says it will “go step by step” to securing further Rafale orders from India after prime minister Narendra Modi signed an agreement on 25 January with his French counterpart to purchase 36 of the type.

Bahrain debut for export-ready Tejas fighter

01/26/2016

Speaking at the Bahrain International Air Show on 22 January, Dr S Christopher, director general of New Delhi’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), noted the Make in India policy also extends to seeking international sales of its equipment. “Our aim is to ensure we have a quality product – not just for indigenous requirements, but also for export,” he says.

Defense Ministry Releases Video of Bombers Pounding Daesh Positions (VIDEO)

01/26/2016

The Russian Defense Ministry has released fresh footage from its combat operation in Syria, publishing a video showing combat sorties of Tu-22M3 long-range bombers against terrorist targets.

India, Russia Slash Fifth Gen Fighter Jet Development Costs by 40%

01/26/2016

India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and Russia’s Sukhoi negotiators cut the costs of Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) project joint project from $12 billion to $8 billion.

Philippine Supreme Court approves military deal with US

01/25/2016

The Philippines Supreme Court on Tuesday declared constitutional a security deal with the United States, allowing an increased US military presence in the former USA colony as tension rises in the South China Sea. Aquino negotiated the accord to help the Philippines improve its military capabilities and draw the United States closer, partly to counter a fast-expanding Chinese presence in disputed parts of the South China Sea.

Russian 5G fighter to go into serial production in 2017 – top brass

01/25/2016

The final primary batch of PAK-FA fighter jets is almost complete and tests will be finished in 2016, top military officials told the media. The Russian Air Force hopes to start regular production of the new 5G jets soon, with the first planes coming in 2017.