Military Aviation News Archive

Iran Interested in Implementing Russian Joint Air Defense System

02/17/2016

On February 15, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan arrived in Moscow on an official visit; the minister is expected to meet with Russian presidential aide Vladimir Kozhin, Deputy Premier Dmitry Rogozin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Su-30s, Mi-8s: Iran Considers Inking $8 Billion Arms Deal With Russia

02/17/2016

Iran plans to buy the Sukhoi Su-30SM fighters, the Mil Mi-8 and the Mil Mi-17 helicopters, as well as other weapons from Russia in an arms deal worth more than $8 billion, the Kommersant newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources.

Russia Starts Construction of 7 Mi-171Sh Helicopters for Bangladesh

02/17/2016

Russia has started construction of seven Mi-171Sh combat-transport helicopters for the Bangladesh Air Force, a deputy CEO of the Russian Helicopters company said Tuesday.

Russia Plans to Seal Deal on Mi-17V-5 Helicopters Delivery to India in 2016

02/17/2016

Russian Helicopters plans to sign a contract with India for the delivery of an additional batch of 48 Mi-17V-5 military transport helicopters in 2016, the company’s deputy director general said Tuesday.

Look Out, America: China Wants Its Own Vertical Takeoff Jets

02/16/2016

A few scattered reports have emerged in Western news outlets over the last couple of years regarding the J-18 V/STOL fighter, but newly available evidence lends additional weight to the theory that China has a third fourth generation fighter program (in addition to J-20 and J-31 that are well known already).

U.S. Air Force to send F-15 jets to Finland

02/16/2016

The U.S. Air Force will send six F-15s to Finland this spring for exercises that will operate out of a base about 100 miles from the border with Russia, military officials say. The six jets from the 173rd Fighter Wing at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base in Oregon will fly training missions with Finnish forces as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, which the United States initiated in 2014 to reassure NATO allies after Russian military intervention in Ukraine.

Pakistan gets F-16s despite Indian pressure

02/16/2016

A decision by the US State Department to sell 8 F-16 fighter jets to help Pakistan in its counter-terrorism operations came in the face of intense opposition by the Indian lobby in Washington and some US Congressmen who argued these aircraft would be used against India.

SINGAPORE: Boeing moots possibility of Indian F/A-18 E/F deal

02/16/2016

Boeing has resurrected the possibility of a sale of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter to India, as part of a broader concept to support New Delhi’s development of an indigenous aerospace sector. Jeff Kohler, vice-president of international business development for Boeing Defense, says discussions are underway between the US and Indian governments about the potential for the US to support New Delhi’s “Make in India” initiative, which envisages local production across a range of industries.

Russia has just deployed its most advanced spyplane to Syria

02/16/2016

The Tu-214R is a Russian ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance) aircraft. In other words, a quite advanced spy plane. As we have already explained here in the past, it is a special mission aircraft equipped with all-weather radar systems and electro optical sensors that produce photo-like imagery of a large parts of the ground: these images are then used to identify and map the position of the enemy forces, even if these are camouflaged or hidden.

Why Skunk Works ditched its clean-sheet T-X for Korean T-50

02/16/2016

One year ago this week, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works chief Rob Weiss announced that his advanced design team had been working on a clean-sheet aircraft for the US Air Force’s T-X programme as a potential alternative to the South Korean T-50 Golden Eagle, which Lockheed jointly developed with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and now exports around the globe.

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.