Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Australia deeply embedded in US military build-up in Asia

05/26/2015

Just over a week ago, the remarks of US Assistant Defence Secretary David Shear to a Senate committee in Washington triggered strenuous denials in Canberra that the government had any intention of allowing the Pentagon to base nuclear-capable B1 strategic bombers in Australia.

US military trials British navigation tech to combat GPS jamming

05/26/2015

The US military is exploring whether eLoran, a navigation technology that was pioneered in Britain, could protect against GPS jamming attacks The US military is testing a new type of navigation technology that was developed in Britain, in the hope that it that could prevent criminals from hijacking its vessels with GPS jamming attacks.

Sweden, Norway, Finland Host Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015

05/26/2015

Sweden, Norway and Finland are to host one of Europe's largest fighter jet drills, dubbed the Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015 (ACE 2015), due to start on Monday. The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) National Air Operations Center (NAOC) chief Brigadier General Jan Ove Rygg is in charge of this year's drills, which will run through June 2. This is the second such multinational training exercise held by the Scandinavian neighbors since 2013, with plans to continue them every second year.

Global Times explores PLA's growing might

05/26/2015

The People's Liberation Army has rapidly developed into one of the world's most powerful militaries and could have up to 10,000 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, reports Huanqiu, the Chinese-language website of the nationalistic tabloid Global Times. Citing a detailed report into the PLA's military might by Russian media, the Global Times notes the speed of which China's military technology has been developing since the turn of the century.

Deterrence and power projection - Why India remains a major arms importer

05/26/2015

During her two-day India visit (May 26-27), German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen is expected to hold talks with top Indian officials, including her counterpart Manohar Parrikar, and push for a stronger bilateral defense cooperation and being part of the "Make in India" initiative designed to boost foreign investment.

Russia, Egypt agree on major contract for MiGs - paper

05/26/2015

Russia and Egypt have agreed on a contract to supply 46 Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter aircraft, the Vedomosti newspaper reported, citing sources in the Russian aviation industry. The contract could be signed in the very near future, the paper says. A Rosoboronexport spokesman declined to comment. Efforts by the newspaper to reach a spokesperson for the Russian aircraft manufacturing corporation MiG have failed.

Russia and Western nations staging rival air combat exercises

05/26/2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered four days of air combat readiness testing on Monday, the third major military exercise staged by the Kremlin in as many months. The drills will involve 12,000 troops, 250 aircraft and nearly 700 artillery pieces and other heavy weaponry and include cruise missile strikes at an imaginary enemy target at a Siberian firing range, the Tass news agency reported.

New robotic Russian T-50 fighter jet fit for star wars

05/26/2015

Russia's new fifth-generation T-50 fighter jet, currently in the testing phase, incorporates elements of automation which make it more like a robot than a fighter plane, explains a representative from the Rostech corporation. Russia, China Sign Deal to Boost Sukhoi Jet Sales in Asian Markets. The Sukhoi PAK FA fighter jet, also known as T-50, is ready to go into production next year, and boasts innovative technology which renders the pilot one part of the plane's whole control system.

Syrian warplanes batter jihadists in ancient Palmyra

05/26/2015

Syrian government aircraft carried out intense strikes Monday against the Islamic State group in and around the ancient city of Palmyra after its fall to the jihadists, a military source said. "The air force struck more than 160 Daesh targets, killing and wounding terrorists and destroying weapons and vehicles equipped with machineguns" on Palmyra's outskirts and elsewhere in the east of Homs province, the source said.

Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

05/25/2015

Coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq between 8 a.m., May 23, and 8 a.m., May 24, local time. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 11 airstrikes using attack, bomber and fighter aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 17 airstrikes approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense using attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL terrorists.

Experts warn of military conflicts in S.China Sea

05/25/2015

Experts on Sunday warned of a potential military conflict over heightened US surveillance in the South China Sea and cautioned that both sides should try their best to avoid miscalculation in the world's most important bilateral relations. Analysts believe that recent US military activity is another example of how the US is struggling to maintain the status quo while coping with the rise of China as a global power.

Obama under pressure to send US target spotters to Iraqi front

05/25/2015

Daesh’s seizure of Ramadi has revived a debate in the Obama administration about whether to send a limited number of US military specialists to Iraqi battlefields to target air strikes on the extremists. The group’s advances in the capital of Anbar province have called attention to the limits of using US air power to support Iraqi government and Kurdish forces and local militias.

Yemen's Iran-backed rebels show off wreckage of Saudi F-16 they say they shot down as fighting rages on the ground

05/25/2015

Yemeni rebels claim to have shot down a Saudi F-16 fighter jet during a fresh wave of airstrikes. The Iran-backed rebels were pictured celebrating with the wreckage of the downed aircraft which crashed in the district of Bani Harith in the northern part of Sana’a today. The fighter jet had reportedly conducted a number of airstrikes against Yemen’s al-Dailami air base before it came down.

Not grounding Su-30s combat jets post-crash: Parrikar

05/25/2015

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force (IAF) doesn`t intend to ground its fleet of Sukhoi SU-30MKI combat jets despite a sixth plane crashing in six years, says Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar even as concerns over the frontline fighter continue. The SU-30 fleet has in the past been grounded thrice after accidents but this would not happen again despite Tuesday`s crash of a fighter in Assam.

Israeli arms sales to Africa mark steep rise in past year

05/25/2015

Israeli exports of weapons to African countries rose by 40 percent in 2014 compared with the previous year, according to Defense Ministry data published last week. But overall foreign arms exports to foreign countries were down compared to 2013 by nearly $1 billion in 2014, the data published in Haaretz showed.

The Osprey: Half-airplane, half-helicopter, totally badass

05/25/2015

In 2001, “60 Minutes” bashed it as a boondoggle. Six years later, Time magazine called it “A Flying Shame.” But quietly, the helicopter-airplane hybrid V-22 Osprey has become an indispensable part of the United States military, playing triumphant roles in both war and peace.

Saudi Arabia denies plane shot down

05/25/2015

Saudi sources have dismissed claims that Al Houthi militiamen have shot down a Saudi fighter in Yemen and recovered two missiles. “The claims lack credibility and are not at all true,” the sources said. “What the Yemenis saw was merely a disposable external fuel tank that the plane released by the plane on its way back to the base. It is a routine action that the pilot did on the way back,” the sources told local news site Sabq on Sunday.

US, Norwegian Inspectors to Fly Over Russia

05/25/2015

The United States and Norway will conduct a joint observation flight over the territory of Russia under the Treaty on Open Skies, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov has announced. The flight will be carried out on May 25-29, using the CN-235 medium-range transport plane, according to Ryzhkov, who explained that the aircraft is not equipped with any weapons.

Airbus warns of bug in A400M engines

05/23/2015

The company said in a statement it had sent out an alert to its clients urging them to carry out “specific checks of the Electronic Control Units (ECU) on each of the aircraft’s engines”. The ECU controls how the aircraft’s engine operates. The potential flaw was uncovered during internal checks separate from an official investigation into the crash of an A400M cargo plane near Seville in which four people were killed 10 days ago.

China flies military planes over Miyako Strait for first time

05/23/2015

The flight on Thursday, the first for Chinese military aircraft on that flight path, comprised bomber planes which flew in accordance with international norms and without affecting commercial flights, Chinese military spokesperson Col. Shen Jinke told the media. On a military website, Shen claimed the exercise was not aimed against any country.

Audio and Video of the U.S. P-8A aircraft defying China’s Navy warnings to leave airspace over disputed islands

05/23/2015

On May 20, a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft belonging to Patrol Squadron (VP) 45 conducted a routing surveillance flight over the South China Sea, where has started building an airstrip on the disputed Spratly Islands in the waters claimed by the Philippines.

Why Saudi Arabia's Yemen war is not producing victory

05/23/2015

As the war in Yemen escalates after a short humanitarian truce, the stakes are getting higher for Saudi Arabia's princes, the region and Washington. The United Nations-hosted talks in Geneva next week are unlikely to get much traction. The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) and its Arab allies resumed their bombing campaign this week after a five-day cease-fire to allow humanitarian supplies into Yemen.

Sikorsky S-97 Raider Achieves First Flight

05/23/2015

The Sikorsky S-97 Raider hit an important milestone Friday with the successful first flight of its experimental rotorcraft. The S-97, with two pilots, took off at the company's West Palm Beach, Fla., facility about 7 a.m. and performed all of its proscribed movements over roughly an hour. The flight test took on the basics — three take-offs and landings, and all cardinal movements at 10 knots — before more advanced tests over the year.

Eurojet looks for EJ200 to power ahead on new platforms

05/23/2015

Each time a quick reaction alert sortie is launched from any of the nations operating the Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, it is dependent on the availability of the type’s twin Eurojet EJ200 turbofan engines. Flown by partner nations Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, plus export users Austria and Saudi Arabia – and also to be delivered to Oman from later this decade – the Eurofighter provides the backbone for their air defence capabilities.

India's New Aircraft Carrier May Face Further Delays

05/23/2015

India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, will be re-launched next week according to local media reports. The vessel was officially launched in August 2013 with the completion of phase I of construction. The re-launch on May 28 at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi will mark the successful completion of the most critical stage of phase II.