Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Opinion: Stealth Matters

02/16/2016

The U.S. Air Force selected Northrop Grumman Corp. to develop and build the new Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) late last year. Like other recent big defense contracts, that award is under protest from competitors. But it’s a good bet the Air Force source selection was a sound one. Why? Because stealth matters.

Poland Could Send Four F-16 Jets to Patrol Syrian Airspace

02/16/2016

At least 4 Polish F-16 jets could participate in air alert mission in Syria, the head of the National Security Bureau, Pawel Soloch, said Monday. He added that Warsaw was ready to conduct patrol missions, adding that this move would show solidarity with its allies.

India Considers US Lockheed Martin Offer to Manufacture F-16 Fighter Jets

02/16/2016

India is considering an offer from the US defense corporation Lockheed Martin to organize manufacturing of F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft in the country, local media reported Monday, citing high-ranking sources. Besides the F-16s, the US side has also offered other options for warplanes, whose production may be launched in India. The proposal includes aircraft production both for the domestic market and exports, The Economic Times noted.

Russia to Deliver S-300 Air Defense Systems to Iran Soon

02/16/2016

Russia will soon send S-300 air defense systems to Iran while the countries have not held any negotiations on the possibility of delivering S-400 systems.

Australian Air Force Must Make Careful F-35 Choices

02/15/2016

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is preparing to receive its first squadron of 14 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning IIs in-country in late 2018. They will be preceded by a squadron of 12 Boeing EF-18G Growlers that will arrive next year. Like other air arms receiving advanced combat aircraft from the U.S., the RAAF must make careful choices about weapons and software commonality, and training, if costs are to be restrained.

Week Eighteen of the Russian Intervention in Syria: A Dramatic Escalation Appears Imminent

02/15/2016

The situation in Syria has reached a watershed moment and a dramatic escalation of the war appears imminent. Let’s look again at how we reached this point.

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.