Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia Declares There’s No Such Thing as ‘NATO Airspace’

02/09/2016

In the bitter quarrel with Turkey over the latest alleged violation of the Turkish airspace by the Russian Sukhoi SU-34 frontline bomber, Russia sees no role for NATO to play. On the contrary, Turkish Prime-Minister Ahmet Davutoglu instructed his country’ s Foreign Ministry to demand from Russia to give the explanations over the alleged incident straight to the NATO secretary general, Russia’s RIA News agency reported.

Mega Sale: Russian Cutting-Edge Fighter Jets Going Global

02/09/2016

If not a direct opposition from Washington, this machine possibly would have become indispensable in Arab East and in Iran. But tanks aside, Russian fighter jets are taking on a large niche in the markets of many countries of the world. The fighter jets image considerably strengthened when analysts studied and estimated the impact of Russia’s air campaign in Syria.

Russian Snap Military Drills Involve 8,500 Servicemen, 200 Aircraft

02/09/2016

The ongoing snap military exercises in southern Russia involve up to 8,500 troops, some 900 military vehicles and 200 aircraft, Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Monday.

Drones an option to replace Orions

02/08/2016

The military is considering using unmanned drones to patrol waters surrounding New Zealand. At present, six Orion aircraft provide airborne surveillance, support for customs and police operations, search and rescue missions and disaster relief. Illegal fishing and drug smuggling need to be watched for in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is the fourth largest in the world and 20 times the country's land mass.

Classic Hornets ‘stretched beyond capability’ if JSF delayed

02/08/2016

A damning report last week on the progress of the F-35, by the Pentagon’s top weapons tester, has fuelled concern that delivery schedules for the new fighter could be delayed once again. Any further delay in the delivery of the 72 Australian F-35s would create an acute problem for the RAAF, which would be forced to keep its 71 Classic F/A-18 Hornets flying beyond their effective life expectancy.

Russian Aggression Drives Swedish Defense Spending

02/08/2016

Sweden’s discomfort over Russia’s long-term political and military ambitions in the Baltic Sea and High North has risen further after a senior military chief stated the Nordic state could find itself under attack "within a few years."

Cold War-Era Alternatives to the Navy’s Carrier-Based Drone

02/08/2016

Turning the U.S. Navy’s next carrier-based drone into a tanker, as the service announced this week, is probably a reasonable idea. For some time, buddy-tanking F-18 Hornets has been a questionable use of other Hornets, but one completely necessitated since 2009 by the full retirement of the Lockheed S-3 Viking.

Trudeau to announce Canada’s new training role in ISIS fight

02/08/2016

Canadian fighter jets pounded Islamic State targets in Iraq on Saturday, destroying a fighting position and heavy engineering equipment in two separate attacks. After more than a year of attacking ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria, these could be among the last combat missions flown by CF-18s.

Why China Purchases Russian Su-35 Fighter Jets

02/08/2016

China’s purchase of 24 new Russian Su-35 aircraft is essential for Beijing. The Chinese Air Force will not only get new jets that could affect the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait, but may also allow the Chinese military to assess the progress and development of J-11.

In Saudi Arabia’s Footsteps: UAE Poised to Send Ground Troops to Syria

02/08/2016

When asked if the Gulf state was prepared to send troops to Syria, Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash told reporters in Abu Dhabi that this had been his country’s position all along.

Syrian Air Force Pounds Daesh's Main Oil Supply Route to Turkey

02/08/2016

Syrian Air Force jets pulverized Daesh positions in the eastern part of Aleppo province on Saturday, causing serious damage to the main road used by the militants to send oil tankers into neighboring Turkey.

Japan to Take Measures Against N Korea Rocket Launch Without Hesitation

02/08/2016

Japan, in close cooperation with the international community, will not hesitate to take measures against North Korea after Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket, the office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Sunday.

Launch of military blimp delayed

02/07/2016

Safety concerns have, for now, grounded plans by the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to fly a radar-equipped balloon that can spot hostile threats coming from as far as Malacca. The 55m-long helium-filled military blimp, known as an aerostat, was supposed to be airborne early last year to watch over Singapore.

Task Force Al Taqaddum: The Role of U.S. Troops During Operations in Anbar Province

02/07/2016

Things have changed a bit around Al Taqaddum Air Base in Iraq since the 2011 withdraw of U.S. troops in the Anbar province. What once was a busy hub for aircraft coming in to scatter the area with military personnel now seems far more subtle in its footprint. The Iraqi military installation now houses different components of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), including the 8th Iraqi Army Division and the Anbar Operations Command (AOC).

AN ITALIAN FIRST: THE F-35 CROSSES THE ATLANTIC AND LANDS AT PAX RIVER, FEBRUARY 5, 2016

02/07/2016

At 1430 on February 5th, the first Italian made F-35A flew into the pattern at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland and touched down. Known to all Naval Aviators as “Pax” this historic flight of an Italian fighter pilot, wearing his cold water survival suit, flew the single seat, single engine F-35A flew in the dead of winter over the North Atlantic.

A new ‘decade of darkness’

02/07/2016

It’s regrettable but predictable Canadian defence policy and programs under the Liberals are receding toward a new “decade of darkness”. Historically — at least so far as the last 60 years are concerned — the Liberal party has seldom encountered a significant military effort it enthusiastically endorsed or a defence expenditure for which it couldn’t envision a better use of its funds.

Why 'Prospect of Turkish Military Invasion in Syria is Very High’

02/07/2016

Senior Fellow at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies Boris Dolgov told Radio Sputnik that the prospect of Turkey's military invasion in Syria is "very high."

North Korea Fires Long-Range Rocket

02/07/2016

According to the South Korean Yonhap news agency, the rocket is believed to have range of over 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles). Earlier this week, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) confirmed it had received North Korea’s notification of plans to launch a satellite between February 8 and 25. Pyongyang later changed the launch dates by one day.

Belarusian Yak-130 aircraft to test air-to-air rockets

02/06/2016

Belarusian Yak-130 aircraft will test air-to-air rockets for the first time in the former air force exercise area Polessky in Gomel Oblast on 5 February, representatives of the Belarusian Defense Ministry told BelTA. According to the source, Belarusian Air Force and Air Defense units continue mastering the combat and training aircraft Yak-130. “Today Belarusian pilots will launch guided air-to-air missiles using Yak-130 aircraft for the first time ever in the former exercise area Polessky.

Can Air Force F-35 Pass Deployment Test To Be Ready For Combat?

02/06/2016

The F-35 needs to pass new tests at a base in Idaho later this month for it to stay on track toward being combat ready for the Air Force by August. The Air Force is sending its version of the Lockheed Martin (LMT) F-35 to Mountain Home Air Force Base in southwestern Idaho from Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, according to Maj. Gen. Jay Silveria in a Reuters report.

More Bombs, More Boots: The US War on ISIS Is Heating Up

02/06/2016

For months, members of Congress and former Pentagon officials have been criticizing the Obama administration's approach to defeating ISIS, arguing that airstrikes and occasional special-forces operations are not enough to destroy the Islamist insurgency. In November, Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the CIA, told CBS's Face the Nation, "I think it's now crystal clear to us that our strategy, our policy vis-à-vis ISIS, is not working."

This New Ad Reveals More Of Northrop Grumman's Vision For A Sixth-Generation Fighter

02/06/2016

Most ads aren’t designed to break big news, but Northrop Grumman has been in the habit of using dramatic commercials to bring us surprise details on its vision for America’s air combat future. The company’s latest one gives us one of the best looks yet at their evolving sixth-generation fighter concept.

The Air Force Is Finally Getting The Flying Arsenal Ship It Badly Needs

02/06/2016

Secretary of Defense Ash Carter has been busy highlighting key pieces of the Pentagon’s upcoming budget that will be published on February 9th. One of the primary items identified in it is the development of an aerial arsenal ship. The arsenal ship concept is something we talk about regularly here on Foxtrot Alpha, both those that fly and float.

How America's New Invisible Flying Gas Stations Could Keep Russia in Check

02/06/2016

Ashton Carter, the US secretary of defense, is currently on a promo tour for the Pentagon's 2017 budget — and as he's been attempting to sell the proposed $582.7 billion in funding, he has been spilling the beans about a number of previously classified weapons and technology programs.

Helmet Could Let Pilots 'Look Through' Aircraft

02/06/2016

The Eurofighter Typhoon is one of the most advanced combat aircraft in the world and BAE Systems has created a helmet that could make its pilots more effective. Striker II has an integrated night vision camera and a high definition digital display that projects flight information onto the visor. BAE claims the helmet has the ability to virtually see through a Typhoon by linking up to different systems on the aircraft.