Military Aviation News Archive

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.

A-29s to start combat operations with Afghan Air Force from March: Wardak

02/13/2016

The commander of the Afghan Air Force Major General Abdul Wahab Wardak said Thursday that the A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft will start combat operations with the Afghan Air Force from the month of March. During a ceremony “Re-birth of the Afghan Air Force” at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Gen. Wardak said the Afghan Air Force is expecting to receive a total of 8 A-29 aircraft until March.

Nigerian Air Force arms two Alpha jets

02/13/2016

The Nigerian Air Force has armed two of the four Dassault Aviation-made Alpha jets it procured from the United States in 2015. Prior to arming the jets, the planes purchased from the United States could not be used in combat operations due to their inability to carry weapons. Instead, the jets were designated for training purposes.

Italian Jet Trainer Finds New Cost-Saving Roles

02/13/2016

Alenia Aermacchi (Finmeccanica, Stand G55) is promoting two new roles for the M346–companion training, and dissimilar air combat training (DACT). “Our existing customers told us it would make an excellent aggressor,” company test pilot Giacomo Ianelli told The International Fighter Conference in London last November. Singapore was the first export customer for the Italian jet, and operates 12 of them for advanced pilot training at Cazaux airbase in France.

F-35s in test deployment

02/13/2016

Six test and evaluation F-35 fighters are on a simulated deployment to conduct key initial operational capability mission sets, the Air Force said. The sets are suppression of enemy air defenses, close air support and air interdiction. The achievements of the F-35A squadron's ability to deploy, employ and sustain operations will set the benchmark capability for the Air Force to declare F-35A initial operational capability, which is scheduled for this fall.

All of These Countries Now Have Armed Drones

02/13/2016

Last week Nigeria joined a dubious international clique when it bombed a logistics base used by the militant group Boko Haram in the country’s northeast. Though the airstrike itself was unremarkable—the Nigerian Air Force has conducted hundreds of strikes against Boko Haram in recent months—it was the first Nigeria has delivered via an unmanned drone.

Post-Nuke Deal Iran Wants To Build Russian Su-30 Fighters And A New Advanced Tank

02/13/2016

Now that Iran is sitting on a pile of cash and the import ban on conventional military hardware has been partially lifted following the nuclear deal, the Islamic Republic is looking to replace its hodgepodge of vintage military hardware. This may soon include producing Russian Su-30 multi-role fighters and T-90 tanks within their own borders.

Boeing, U.S. Air Force Complete KC-46 Tanker Refueling Flight with F/A-18

02/13/2016

A combined Boeing/U.S. Air Force aircrew aboard the KC-46 tanker successfully refueled an F/A-18 aircraft in flight February 10th. The air refueling was the program’s first using the KC-46’s hose and drogue system. During the 4+ hour flight, the tanker’s air refueling operator smoothly transferred fuel to the F/A-18 flying at 20,000 feet.

Unmanned CBARS Tanker Air Segment Draft RFP Expected Later This Year

02/12/2016

Naval Air Systems Command is set to release a new draft request for proposal for its unmanned aerial refueling tanker to industry later this year, USNI News has learned. Built from the work of its Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program, the draft RfP for the air segment for the follow-on Carrier Based Aerial Refueling System (CBARS) will come out ahead of the a final RfP in FY 2017 and a contract award in FY 2018.

Confirmed: Indonesia Will Buy 10 Russian S-35 Fighter Jets

02/12/2016

Indonesia has agreed to purchase 10 Russian Sukhoi Su-35S multirole fighter jets, according to Indonesian media reports. Indonesia’s Minister of Defense, General Ryamizard Ryacudu, will visit Moscow in March to sign the final agreement.

Air Force tanker saves pilot from ejecting over ISIS territory

02/12/2016

A fuel malfunction almost caused an F-16 pilot to eject over Islamic State group-held territory last year — but a savvy KC-135 tanker crew saved him from abandoning his aircraft over enemy territory. Being careful to not disclose too much information, the Air Force said a Stratotanker deployed from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas was refueling some A-10s in the area when the F-16 flew up in need of a helping hand.

Photo Report: Refueling some thirsty GAF Tornado ECR combat planes with an Airbus A310 MRTT

02/12/2016

Last year, Foto Poork‘s photographer Filip Modrzejewski had the opportunity to take part in an aerial refueling mission in support of some of the aircraft involved in the exercise. He flew aboard a German Air Force Airbus A310 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport), a tanker-variant of the civilian A310, that operated at 20,000 feet supporting some GAF Panavia Tornados, which can be refueled mid-air using the so-called hose-and-drogue system.

Budget Request Trims Modernization; Procurement Funds Buy Capability

02/12/2016

Modernization took the biggest hit in the Defense Department's fiscal year 2017 budget request, but the $102.5 billion in the procurement account can purchase a lot of capabilities, Mike McCord, DoD’s chief financial officer, told reporters at a Feb. 9 Pentagon news conference. As part of the Bipartisan Budget Act signed in November, the Defense Department had to make up $22 billion in its budget. Modernization took the biggest hit, McCord said.

Russia accuses U.S. of bombing Aleppo; U.S. officials deny it

02/12/2016

As battles continue to rage around the embattled Syrian city of Aleppo, so too does the war of words among two far-away countries involved in the fight -- Russia and the United States. The defense ministry for Russia, which has been lambasted for its own airstrikes in support of a Syrian government ground offensive around Aleppo, turned the tables Thursday with an accusation against the United States.

HAL set to roll out Combat Hawk aircraft by February 2017

02/12/2016

India is set to soon offer a locally made combat version of the Hawk aircraft for export to the world with license producer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) set to roll out the first of the highly weaponised light attack planes by February 2017.

Lockheed Martin Selects Greenville as Preferred T-50A FACO Site

02/12/2016

Lockheed Martin selected its Greenville Operations facility in Greenville, South Carolina as the preferred Final Assembly and Checkout (FACO) site to manufacture its T-50A aircraft offering in the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Pilot Training (APT) competition.

Lockheed Martin Unveils Advanced Pilot Training Solution

02/12/2016

Lockheed Martin announced today that it will offer the T-50A in the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Pilot Training (APT) competition. The T-50A was developed jointly by Lockheed Martin and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) to replace the T-38 and train the next generation of pilots to fly 5th Generation aircraft.