Military Aviation News Archive

Putin gave his biggest signal yet that he intends to 'stay the course' of the war in Syria

12/20/2015

The Russian military can "train" in Syria "for a long time without any serious harm to Russia's budget," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual marathon press conference Thursday morning.

Russian Military Bases Abroad: How Many and Where?

12/20/2015

Unconfirmed reports suggesting that Russia plans to expand its presence in Syria, and rumors regarding a possible airbase in Belarus, have been swirling around in the Russian and Western media in recent months. How much truth is there in these rumors, and where is Russia's military power abroad really concentrated?

Report: Russia using Iran air bases for waging war in Syria

12/19/2015

Russian warplanes are using an Iranian air base to launch attacks on anit-Assad regime rebels in Syria, according to a report. “The Iranian armed forces appear to be allowing Russian aircraft to use their military airfields in support of combat operations over Syria,” said a report by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) titled “The Russo-Iranian Military Coalition In Syria May Be Deepening.”

Iraqi military says coalition aircraft struck its soldiers

12/19/2015

The Iraqi military said an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition hit its forces Friday, the first time it has reported a friendly fire incident since American jets began bombing Islamic State militants in the country last year.

Russia, France to Maintain Military Contacts on Anti-Daesh Operations

12/19/2015

Contacts between the militaries of Russia and France on operations against the Islamic State (ISIL) group (also known as Daesh) in Syria will be maintained, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

Pentagon: Russia’s S-400 Air Defense in Syria Forces US to Ground Warplanes

12/19/2015

As part of Russia’s anti-terror campaign in Syria, the Kremlin has deployed sophisticated air defense systems to protect its aircraft. According to the Pentagon, those units have effectively grounded US aircraft.

France Agrees to Reinvest 50% Worth of Rafale Contract in Indian Economy

12/19/2015

The French side agreed to reinvest in the Indian economy 50 percent worth of the contract on the delivery of French-built Rafale fighters for Indian Air Force, the Indian Ministry of Defense said Friday.

Russia, India Likely to Sign Deal on Ka-226T Helicopters Next Week

12/19/2015

An agreement on joint Russian-Indian production of Ka-226T helicopters is likely to be signed either during or after the December 23-24 visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Moscow, a source close to the Indian Defense Ministry said.

Russian Helicopters To Overhaul Egyptian Air Force Mi-8T, Mi-17 Fleet

12/18/2015

Russian defense and aerospace equipment manufacturer Russian Helicopters says that,over the next two years, it will undertake comprehensive maintenance, repair and overhaul works on 41 Mi-8 T and three Mi-17 helicopters of the Egyptian Air Force at the country's main military industrial complex outside Cairo.

What happens when the most advanced fighter jets in the U.S., France and Britain prepare for war

12/18/2015

The rumble started early Tuesday, as one fighter jet after another ascended from a runway here near the Atlantic Ocean and into a bright, clear sky. The mission: Prepare for war against potential adversaries like Russia, which is now patrolling the same skies as the United States over Syria and flexing its muscles in eastern Europe.

Australia plays key part in Ramadi fight

12/18/2015

Australian combat aircraft, special forces and training troops have contributed to operations which have killed about 1000 Islamic State insurgents in bitter fighting around the Iraqi city of Ramadi.

Indian Defense Ministry admits almost half its planes can't fly

12/18/2015

Only about 55 percent of India's military aircraft are in operational order, with a large number grounded due to technical issues according to reports. The surprisingly dismal state of India's military aircraft fleet was reported to a parliamentary panel by Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar in a notice, according to The Economic Times. This means just over 350 of India's 700 combat aircraft are cleared to take flight.

Qatar to receive 24 French Rafale fighter aircraft

12/18/2015

France-based contractor Dassault Aviation received its down payment from the government of Qatar for the delivery of 24 Rafale multi-role fighter aircraft. The contract for the jets was signed in May 2015 by French President Francois Hollande and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. Qatari officials say the contract represents a closer defense relationship between the two countries.

India Becomes 15th International Customer for Lockheed Martin’s Apache Targeting and Pilotage Sensor

12/18/2015

The U.S. Army awarded Lockheed Martin a $107.8 million foreign military sale contract to provide Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (M-TADS/PNVS) systems to the Indian Army, making India the 15th international customer for the M-TADS/PNVS system.

Russian Inspectors to Fly Over Canada Under Open Skies Treaty

12/18/2015

Russian inspectors will conduct an observation flight over the territory of Canada, under the Treaty on Open Skies, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov said.

Russian, UK Military Officials Discuss Communication Channels

12/18/2015

Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff Ilya Makushev and UK Vice Chief of the Defense Staff Stuart Peach have discussed establishing channels of communication.

US to Arm 2 Kurdish Brigades to Help Retake Mosul

12/18/2015

The United States will provide equipment to the Kurds in northern Iraq in an attempt to help take back the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh), US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in a release on Thursday.

Government admits only 55% of fighter aircraft fleet operational owing to technical issues

12/17/2015

In a rare, official admission of the dismal state of the combat aircraft fleet, the government has admitted that at any given point of time, just over half of the planes in the air force inventory are in a state to fly, with a large number of platforms grounded due to technical issues.

U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin $302 Million for JASSM and JASSM-ER Production

12/17/2015

Lockheed Martin has received a $302.2 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for continued production of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM®) and its Extended Range (ER) version. The Lot 14 contract includes 146 baseline JASSMs for U.S. and international partners, 140 JASSM-ER missiles for the U.S., as well as data, tooling and test equipment. The award brings the total number of missiles under contract to more than 2,600.

Lockheed Martin Selling Apache Helicopter Night Vision System to India

12/17/2015

The US Department of Defense announced that Lockheed Martin won a $215 million foreign sales contract to sell night vision systems for Apache attack helicopters to India.

Norwegian Pilot Flies First Test Mission on F-35 Fighter - US Air Force

12/17/2015

Norwegian pilot training at the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona became the first pilot in his country’s air force to fly a US-built F-35 Lightning II multirole fighter jet, the US Air Force News Service reported.

Russia May Equip Indian Aircraft Carrier With Air Defense Systems

12/17/2015

Nevskoye Planning and Design Bureau General Director Sergei Vlasov said that he Indians refused to install Russian air defense systems on the Vikramaditya, but there is reserved space for Russian air defense systems.

UK Set to Back Muslim-Led Coalition Against Daesh

12/17/2015

Despite pledging not to put "boots on the ground" in either Iraq or Syria, military sources have revealed that the UK is preparing to provide air support and "command and control" resources to the recently formed Muslim nations' coalition against Daesh, also known as ISIL.

Australian military plane flies over disputed South China Sea

12/16/2015

An Australian military surveillance plane has flown near disputed areas of the South China Sea, it emerged Wednesday, with the crew heard warning China's navy it was on a freedom of navigation mission.

Air Force May Be Forced To ‘Defer Or Delay’ F-35, KC-Y; New Fund For LRSB?

12/16/2015

The authoritative Congressional Research Service has just published a report asking the questions in the headline. It;’s a basic problem we’ve written about before. The Air Force faces a funding crunch in the next six years as the F-35 and the tanker programs ramp up. the B-3 (Long Range Strike Bomber) program gets rolling and the service keeps buying drones and C-130s.