Military Aviation News Archive

US Navy Dreams of Stealth Jets, Carrier-Launched Drones, Laser Weapons

08/14/2015

A top US Navy commander unveiled the force's vision for the future of its carrier-based air power, and it involves stealth fighter jets, carrier-launched drones, submarine-detecting helicopters and laser weapons.

Belarus Air Force Boosts Orders of Ultra-Modern Russian Yak-130 Jets

08/14/2015

Major General Oleg Dvigalev said the country has signed two contracts for four Russian Yakolev Yak-130 Mitten trainer/strike aircraft. He also confirmed that an order for 12 Mil Mi-8MTV-5 Hip helicopters had been signed in June, the BelTA news agency reported.

Rockwell Delivers First Gen 3 Helmet for F-35

08/13/2015

Marking a milestone for the joint strike fighter program, Rockwell Collins this week delivered the first Generation 3 helmet for the F-35. The Generation 3 Helmet-Mounted Display System (HMDS), which was handed over to the Joint Program Office Tuesday in a ceremony at the company's headquarters in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is crucial to the F-35's advanced suite of technologies.

Pentagon officials say US F-16 fighters fly first missions from Turkey against IS militants

08/13/2015

The U.S. on Wednesday launched its first airstrikes by Turkey-based F-16 fighter jets against Islamic State targets in Syria, marking a limited escalation of a yearlong air campaign that critics have called excessively cautious. In a brief statement the Pentagon announced the F-16 strikes were launched from Incirlik air base in southern Turkey but provided no details on the number or types of targets struck.

U.S. Jets Meet Limit as Iraqi Ground Fight Against ISIS Plods On

08/13/2015

Navy fighter jets roar off this nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in support of Iraqi troops approaching Ramadi, a city in Anbar Province overrun by Islamic State fighters in one of the worst defeats for the American-led coalition.

Rafale fighter warplane deal runs into problems over sales term

08/13/2015

India's order of 36 French-made Rafale fighter jets has run into trouble with government officials struggling to agree sales terms, sources said, four months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened to break a logjam in previous commercial negotiations. Two senior Indian defence officials said that both sides were wrangling over the unit price of the aircraft and a condition that planemaker Dassault Aviation invest a big percentage of the value of the multi-billion dollar contract in India.

Europe plays catch-up with US in drone technology

08/13/2015

Locked away in a large shed in the north of England, surrounded by fields of cows, is one of Britain’s most closely guarded secrets. It is home to Taranis, the unmanned stealth jet built by BAE Systems to test the technology that could drive the next generation of combat aircraft to fly for Britain.

IAF to Opt for Fewer Russian Stealth Fighter Jets

08/13/2015

Notwithstanding the dwindling fighter jet fleet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to opt for fewer Russia-built advanced stealth fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFA). IAF is currently looking at only 65 aircraft, with 18 each for three squadrons and the rest for training. FGFA is based on the T-50 aircraft under the Russian PAK-FA (Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) programme that will challenge F-22 Raptor of the US.

Lockheed Martin Expands Cruise Missile Production Facility

08/13/2015

Lockheed Martin celebrated the opening of its cruise missile annex with a ribbon cutting ceremony today at its Pike County Operations facility in Troy, Alabama. Customers, state officials and community leaders joined employees in opening the annex, which will support an increase in U.S. and international orders.

U.S. Army Awards Lockheed Martin Contract to Upgrade Apache Helicopter Targeting and Pilotage System

08/13/2015

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $21.7 million Lot 4 follow-on contract to continue production of the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter.

Russian Air Force to Receive First Modernized Tu-160 Bomber in 2021

08/13/2015

The Russian Air and Space Forces will receive approximately 1,000 new airplanes and helicopters by 2020, Air and Space Forces Commander Col.-Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Wednesday. According to Russia's $325-billion rearmament program, fourth-generation aircraft are being replaced with new models, increasing by 2020 the amount of upgraded military equipment to 70 percent.

Russian Air Force to Purchase 30 MiG-35 Jet Fighters After 2018

08/13/2015

The Russian Defense Ministry plans to sign a contract for the purchase of more than 30 MiG-35 (Fulcrum-F) multirole jet fighters no earlier than 2018, Air and Space Forces Commander Col.-Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Wednesday. The MiG-35 is an advanced version of the Mig-29 aircraft and features the integration of 4++ generation Russian fighter aircraft technology.

Night Fighting Tests of China's J-11 Aircraft in Tibet

08/12/2015

China has conducted night combat training of its J-11 regiment of the PLA air force in Tibet. “A group of J-11 heavy fighters were seen taking off amid twilight on August 9. They were engaged in a confrontation drill carried out at night,” Chinamil reported Tuesday. The regiment has carried out various night training of air battle as part of its annual training plan.

USAF's first two combat-coded F-35s take flight

08/12/2015

The US Air Force’s first two combat-coded Lockheed Martin F-35s have come off the assembly line at Fort Worth in Texas, with the second aircraft completing its first flight last week. Those aircraft, AF-77 and AF-78, are being prepped for delivery to Hill AFB in Utah where they will be operated by the 34th Fighter Squadron, the air force’s first operational F-35 group.

U.S. F-16 crashes in Germany; pilot safe

08/12/2015

A pilot ejected from a U.S. F-16 before it crashed Tuesday morning in a forested area in Germany's Bavaria region, the U.S. Air Force said. The pilot was safe, though it wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries, the Air Force said.

The Saudi-Led Coalition Exploits Success

08/12/2015

Anti-Houthi forces supported by the Saudi-led coalition have built up significant momentum in Yemen. To the south, Southern Resistance fighters have renewed their efforts after capturing Aden, pushing north and northeast from the port city. Greatly assisted by an influx of combat power, including Saudi-operated armored units, they captured Lahj and al-Anad air base last week and are advancing.

Why the F-35 Is Particularly Ill-Suited to Succeed in the Asia-Pacific

08/12/2015

A new report titled “Thunder without Lightning,” (PDF) authored by Bill French and Daniel Edgren for the National Security Network (NSN), argues that the United States’ fifth-generation fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), has major shortcomings that will leave it particularly ill-suited to project air power in the Asia-Pacific region.

MH17 Crash Investigators Examine Possible Missile Parts

08/12/2015

Dutch officials investigating the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine are examining parts recovered in the area that are suspected of having come from an antiaircraft missile. The recovery of such parts, if confirmed, would be the clearest indication on what brought down Flight 17 on July 17, 2014, while it was cruising at 33,000 feet.

Russian Defense Ministry to Sign Major Contract for Purchase of Su-35 Jets

08/12/2015

The Russian Defense Ministry and the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) will sign a contract for the delivery of 48 Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft (NATO reporting name Flanker-E) at the MAKS-2015 air show in late August, local media reported Tuesday.

Serbia Eyes Contract to Purchase 2 Russian Helicopters This Week

08/12/2015

The Serbian Ministry of Defense announced that the country was awaiting the signature of an agreement with Russia on the purchase of two new helicopters. The Republic of Serbia is awaiting the signature of an agreement with Russia on the purchase of two new helicopters this week, the Serbian Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday.

Chinese Motorists Spot Enormous New Missile Transport and Launch Vehicle

08/12/2015

Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) vehicles are used to quickly transport and fire surface-to-air, cruise and ballistic missiles. Chinese drivers have recently spotted a new version of the vehicle, which appears similar to the military's standard TEL, except that the latest model is "much, much larger," according to Popular Science.

Inside Syria: Kurds Roll Back ISIS, but Alliances Are Strained

08/11/2015

Green drapes were drawn against the sun, cloaking the room where members of a Syrian Kurdish militia huddled around walkie-talkies, assiduously taking down GPS coordinates. Talal Raman, a 36-year-old Kurdish fighter, worked on a Samsung tablet, annotating a Google Earth map marked with the positions of the deserted apartment buildings and crumbling villas from where his colleagues were battling Islamic State fighters south of this northern Syrian town.

Jordan airforce buys nine Pilatus trainer planes

08/11/2015

The Jordanian airforce will buy nine Pilatus training aircraft for fighter jet pilots, the Swiss company said Monday, without divulging the price tag on the deal. The deal for the nine PC-9 M two-seater planes also includes a simulator, training equipment and logistics support, Pilatus Aircraft said in a statement.

Air Force Advances JSTARS Replacement Efforts

08/11/2015

The Air Force awarded three contracts for modernization of its high tech radar surveillance plane designed to scan large geographical areas for activity, the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or JSTARS, service officials said. Describing the effort as a recapitalization, or recap, the service is looking at a range of airframes from Gulfstream jets to Bombardier airplanes and Boeing 737-700's as potential replacements for its aging fleet of 16 E-8C JSTARS airplanes.

China hits back at U.S. criticism over South China Sea 'restrictions'

08/11/2015

China hit back on Monday at U.S. criticism that it restricts navigation and overflights in the South China Sea amid a festering marine territorial dispute with some of its neighbors. China claims most of the South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei have overlapping claims..