Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Why the Indian Air Force has a high crash rate

06/04/2015

More than 200 Sukhoi Flankers currently form the core of the Indian Air Force’s strike element, for a planned force of over 272 Su-30 fighter-bombers. India received the initial batch of Sukhois in 2002. The first of these aircraft crashed in 2009, and since then five more have crashed.

Navy Growler Study Complete, Awaiting Pentagon Review

06/04/2015

A study that would determine if the Navy should acquire more Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft for a wider joint high-end war fighting requirements has been completed, Navy officials told USNI News on Wednesday. The Growler study, now being reviewed as part of a larger electronic warfare evaluation led by Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work, was led by the Navy with input from the other services.

Dassault Hopeful of Selling More than 36 Rafale Aircraft to India

06/04/2015

Dassault Aviation Chief Eric Trappier is still hopeful of selling extra Rafale fighter jets to India apart from the 36 aircraft deal negotiated by the French Government, Reuters reported Tuesday. Speaking during the rollout of Dassault’s new business jet Falcon 5X, Eric Trappier said that he has not given up hope of selling more rafale fighters to India.

USAF prefers buying Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter, says official

06/04/2015

The US Air Force will prefer buying next-generation aircraft, such as Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter and a new long-range bomber to strengthen its electronic warfare capability, USAF official has said. Reuters reported, citing Air Combat Command Commander General Herbert Carlisle, that the F-35 combat aircraft offers better electronic warfare capabilities.

IAF trainer jet crashes in Odisha's Mayurbhanj, pilots safe

06/04/2015

An Indian Air Force (IAF) jet crashed in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Wednesday, gouging a 10-foot crater in the middle of a paddy field, while the two pilots were injured despite managing to eject. The BAE Systems Hawk advanced trainer aircraft took off on a routine sortie from Kalaikunda air force base in West Bengal, but plummeted to the ground at around 1.30pm after flying for nearly 50 km.

Pakistan and China look to upgrade JF-17

06/04/2015

Pakistan Air Force Chief met top Chinese defence officials as the two countries look to upgrade the jointly produced JF-17 Thunder fighter jet, amid India's move to acquire 36 Rafale warplanes from France. PAF Chief Air Marshal Sohail Aman, who is on a five day visit to China, met Gen Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission (CMC), the high command of the Chinese military.

Czech Planes to Guard Iceland Instead of Canada Which Is Fighting ISIL

06/04/2015

The Czech Republic is sending five JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter planes to guard Iceland’s airspace for six weeks instead of Canada, which is involved in the US-led airstrike campaign against ISIL militants, spokesperson for the Czech Ministry of Defense Petr Medek has told RIA Novosti.

With Dam Seizure, Iraq Fears Fight Against ISIL Could Become 'Water War'

06/04/2015

After Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province fell on May 17, reports surfaced earlier this week that IS had seized and closed a dam in the city, cutting off water to pro-government towns and threatening to create a humanitarian crisis.

USAF to Protect Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Polish Skies – Media

06/04/2015

US fighter jets stationed in Europe could in the foreseeable future be used to safeguard the airspace of the so-called Visegrad 4 countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary), Czech media reported Wednesday.

Russia, Norway Team Up for Joint Exercise in Barents Sea

06/04/2015

Russian and Norwegian rescuers teamed up in the Arctic on Wednesday for a joint exercise of oil spill preparedness and response drills in the Barents Sea, Russia's Defense Ministry announced.

Houthis Pushed Back in Yemen

06/03/2015

The tide of battle in Yemen appears to be turning in favor of the anti-Houthi movement. After a long period of stagnation, Houthi elements and supporters of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh are being gradually pushed back from a number of active frontlines. Though gains are taking time to materialize, progress is being made in places such as Marib, Taiz and Dali. Anti-Houthi forces pushed beyond the city limits of Dali proper, advancing in the direction of Ibb.

India, US To Sign 10-Year Defence Framework Agreement Today

06/03/2015

India and the United States will sign the 2015 US-India Defence Framework Agreement on Wednesday. The 10-year agreement will include maritime security cooperation, joint military exercises and defence technology development. US secretary of defense Ashton Carter is currently in India on three-day visit. This framework agreement with India entails joint development and manufacture of defence equipment and technology that is expected to help take strategic ties to new heights.

Warton to get £1.7m for weapon research

06/03/2015

Workers at BAE Systems’ Warton plant have been given funding to research a new launcher for the Typhoon. The Ministry of Defence has provided £1.7m of funding to come up with a common weapon launcher for the aircraft that could be capable of carrying multiple weapons and weapon types on one type of attachment point. The project will bring together expertise from BAE Systems as the weapons integration lead for Typhoon and the weapons manufacturers MBDA and Raytheon UK.

ACC commander predicts up to seven-year fight in Iraq, Syria

06/03/2015

At 6 p.m. on a recent evening on a base in southwest Asia, an Air Force F-22 Raptor took off for a strike mission against the Islamic State group in Syria. What the aircraft accomplished before it landed 11 1/2 hours later shows why the aircraft is vital to the U.S. fleet, and why it is now tasked with flying in every strike package that goes north into Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the head of Air Combat Command said Monday.

Nellis-based F-35 fighters debut in simulated combat

06/03/2015

The Air Force’s newest fighter jet, the F-35 Lightning II, is taking a star turn in an ongoing air combat training exercise over the Army Combat Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The Air Force has used aircraft equipped with F-35 sensors in past exercises, but this will be the first time that more “operationally representative” aircraft take part, Air Combat Command Gen. Herbert Carlisle said Monday after an Air Force Association event.

New £51M Chinook Helicopter Simulators and Training System for RAF

06/03/2015

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is investing £51 million in a new synthetic training system developed by Lockheed Martin for the Royal Air Force’s Chinook Mk6 helicopter. Lockheed Martin will design and build a purpose built training facility at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, the home of the Chinook fleet, that will prepare pilots and crew for deployment on operations.

Australia Flies RAAF’s First C-17 Equipped with Advanced Network Access

06/03/2015

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flew its first Boeing-built C-17A Globemaster III equipped with a new advanced satellite communication (SATCOM) and imagery display system, providing the flight crew and passengers with unprecedented situational awareness.

Finnish Air Force to Conduct Aerial Bombing for First Time Since WWII

06/03/2015

Finland's Air Force has announced it is going to conduct aerial bombing at its artillery practice range in Rovajärvi for the first time since the Second World War; next week's bombing test is part of a scheduled lifecycle update for the country's Hornet fighter jets.

The Pentagon’s War Moves against China. US Provocations in the South China Sea

06/02/2015

The Pentagon in the third week of May sent a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance plane near Fiery Cross Reef in the South China Sea — called the East Sea by Vietnam. The Fiery Reef is in the archipelago called the Spratly Islands by the U.S., the Nanchan Islands by China and the Truong Sa Islands by the Vietnamese.

WHY WE AREN'T BOMBING ISIS

06/02/2015

Three out of every four times that Obama dispatches American warplanes over Iraq, they return to base with dropping any bombs or launching any missiles. “Seventy-five percent of the sorties that we’re currently running with our attack aircraft come back without dropping bombs, mostly because they cannot acquire the target or properly identify the target,” said U.S. Army General (ret) Jack Keane in testimony before the U.S. Senate last week.

Iraqi Air Force stretched thin over growing ISIS front

06/02/2015

Iraqi forces have been ramping up their offensive against ISIS, and now its fighters are sending a ruthless message of their own. Since Sunday, a U.S.-led coalition has launched another 10 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq, and 13 strikes in neighboring Syria. The Iraqi Air Force is part of that coalition, flying into dangerous territory to combat the terrorists.

Taranis UCAV Set for New Flight Tests

06/02/2015

A third and possibly final series of flight tests planned for Britain's Taranis unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrator is planned for later this year, according to the Ministry of Defence. An industry team led by BAE Systems completed two phases of trial flights at Woomera, Australia, between August 2013 and January 2014, and a third series of test flights is "now planned for the end of this year," an MoD spokesman confirmed.

Lockheed F-35s get first role in major military exercise

06/02/2015

Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 fighter jet will drop weapons and take part in a major U.S. military exercise this week for the first time, another milestone for the Pentagon's largest weapons program, Air Force officials said Monday. The exercise, called "Green Flag West," tests the U.S. military's ability to engage in air-to-surface conflicts and helps get ground troops who pinpoint potential air strikes ready for combat.

Former Air Chiefs say 36 jets not enough for IAF’s modernisation plans

06/02/2015

Limiting the order for new generation Rafale fighters at 36 will play havoc with Indian Air Force's modernisation plans and the number will not be enough to plug capability gaps that are emerging in the air force as older aircraft retire, several retired officers including two air chiefs who were involved in the process of selecting the French aircraft told ET.

Will the F35 be the gamechanger

06/02/2015

With the game-changing F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft in early production stages, rival manufacturers are racing against time. The F-35 may be regarded almost as much as an industrial and coalition-building policy as a warplane made by Lockheed Martin Corp., the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier by sales and the world's largest aerospace company.