Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

U.S. Air Force Awards Lockheed Martin New Contracts for Sensor-Enhanced Sniper Pods and Upgrade Kits

10/23/2015

Lockheed Martin received $176.1 million in contracts from the U.S. Air Force for Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod-Sensor Enhancement (ATP-SE) production and upgrade kits that will convert Sniper ATPs to the ATP-SE configuration. Sniper ATP-SE has improved sensors, a two-way datalink and algorithms that increase air-to-ground, air-to-air and maritime targeting capability. Upgrade kits consist of line replaceable units that will be installed in fielded ATPs. Deliveries of pods and upgrade kits will b

F-16V Takes Flight

10/23/2015

Lockheed Martin successfully completed the maiden flight of the F-16V, the latest and most advanced F-16 on the market today. The October 16 flight marks the first time an F-16 has flown with Northrop Grumman’s advanced APG-83 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), which will deliver a quantum leap in capability for the venerable F-16.

U.S., China agree to avoid unintended war

10/21/2015

Behind the provocative rhetoric by American and Chinese officials over the plan of the United States to test freedom of navigation in the South China Sea after China reclaimed some 2,900 acres of land in the disputed waters, there are efforts by both countries to avoid war. Especially hostilities breaking out over unintentional incidents as tension increase in the area claimed by China, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Beijing Reaches for Military Upper Hand in Asia

10/21/2015

In 1996, when China tried to intimidate voters on Taiwan by firing missiles close to the island, U.S. President Bill Clinton swiftly sent in two aircraft-carrier battle groups. His blunt message to Beijing: back off. America was at the zenith of its power, while China was virtually defenseless at sea and in the air, so the Pentagon could afford to act with swagger. A conflict, had China been foolish enough to provoke one, would have exposed its chronic military backwardness.

Chinese Arms Companies Are Picking Up the Pace in Africa and the Middle East

10/21/2015

The state-owned Chinese company International Aero Development Corporation (IADC) recently launched an ambitious new expansion plan in Africa, according to Defense News. This includes an aviation training center, two regional marketing offices, two maintenance and support centers, and three spare-parts warehouses to promote sales and maintenance for Chinese-made aircraft.

China, Russia, Iran Closing Gap with Smaller, Older U.S. Military

10/21/2015

U.S. adversaries including China, Russia, and Iran are developing military capabilities that will allow them to compete with shrinking and aging American forces in the coming years, according to a new report. The report, authored by the American Enterprise Institute and the Foreign Policy Initiative, warns that U.S. adversaries have been bolstering their militaries and purchasing cheaper weapon systems as the United States cuts its defense budget and delays acquisition of new equipment.

Trudeau Victory Threatens US F-35 Jet Deal With Canada - Reports

10/21/2015

US defense contractor Lockheed Martin’s prospects for selling its F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter-bomber to Canada took a serious blow when Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party won Canada’s general election, according to media reports.

New PM Tells Obama Canada to Withdraw Fighter Jets From Syria, Iraq

10/21/2015

Mere hours after defeating Stephen Harper, Canadian Prime Minister-designate Justin Trudeau has told US President Obama that he will withdraw Canadian jets from Syria and Iraq.

US-Russia Deconfliction Memorandum to Be Shared With Anti-ISIL Coalition

10/21/2015

US Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza said that members of the US-led coalition against ISIL will receive the text of the Memorandum of Understanding on deconfliction of operations in Syrian airspace.

US Deploys A-10 Ground Attack Airplanes to Turkish Airbase

10/21/2015

The US military is deploying A-10 ground attack aircraft to the Incirlik airbase in Turkey, Department of Defense spokesperson Peter Cook told reporters on Tuesday. About a dozen of the planes arrived to Turkey over the weekend and are expected to fly missions against ISIL terrorists in Iraq and Syria, according to media reports.

Breakthrough: Russia, US Sign Memorandum on Military Flights Over Syria

10/21/2015

Moscow hopes that the memorandum will concern all countries taking part in the US-led coalition's air campaign against ISIL. The US vowed to share the safety rules with all parties operating in Syria, Konashenkov added. "We believe that the signing of such a document is an important step that has practical importance."

Syrian, Russian Forces Use ‘New Strategy to Battle ISIL’

10/20/2015

The actions of the Russian Air Force in Syria are very effective, making it possible that soon ISIL will be capitulated and the Syrian refugees will be able to return home, according to a political analyst at George Washington University.

Future Export Bestseller: Russia's Campaign in Syria Helps Promote Su-34

10/20/2015

Foreign buyers of Russian-made military equipment will now be able to take a good look at the Sukhoi Su-34 strike fighters which have been actively engaged in the Russian-led aerial campaign targeting extremists in Syria and hailed as the best hardware Moscow can offer, military expert Igor Korotchenko told RIA Novosti.

Russia to Supply Equipment, Helicopters for Egyptian Mistral Ships

10/20/2015

Cairo and Paris signed a contract earlier this month for the purchase of two French-made Mistral-class helicopter carriers originally built for Russia. "Russia will be, if you want, a sub-contractor, who will supply the missing equipment without which the Mistral warships are just a tin can. And of course, all the helicopters,” Sergei Ivanov said.

She Kills People From 7,850 Miles Away

10/19/2015

Anne crawled out of bed in her North Las Vegas house around 10 p.m. and started to get ready for her shift. She pulled her chestnut hair into a bun and slipped on her olive green flight suit. In the kitchen, she packed fruit to snack on during her shift and stuffed her schoolwork into her backpack-sized lunchbox just in case it’s a boring night. Most nights she doesn’t have a chance to open a book.

Russia Shows Early Success, New Capabilities in Syria

10/19/2015

After a week of heavy operations over Syria, Russia's Air Force is scaling back its efforts so it can analyze its progress and identify new targets after the Ministry of Defense last week claimed to have helped the Syrian regime push back opposition forces. Moving into the third week of Russia's surprise aerial intervention in Syria's four-and-a-half-year-old civil war, Moscow has not only claimed early successes.

An ADIZ with Chinese Characteristics

10/19/2015

While China’s unilateral declaration of an air defense identification zone (ADIZ) over disputed waters in the East China Sea (ECS) caught many by surprise, today’s debate circles around the likelihood that Beijing might take the same action over the South China Sea (SCS). In its pursuit of maritime primacy in Northeast Asia, China has strayed far from the international norms that dictate the implementation and use of an ADIZ.

What is training warplane pilots in Vietnam like?

10/19/2015

At the special training facility, the classroom is the sky and the learning tool is the plane. At 4:30 am one day, the camp of Air Regiment 910 at the academy was busy. Trainers, trainees, technicians and staff of the army ordnance were leaving for the nearby airport. Trainees were queuing for health checks, including blood pressure readings, to ensure that they were eligible for flight.

Putin's New Diplomacy: Act Now, Talk Later

10/19/2015

Russia has invented a new type of diplomacy that defies easy categorization. It might be called "post hoc diplomacy" because Moscow begins negotiations with partners and adversaries not before taking action, as is customary, but only afterward, and with the goal of either consolidating the results of that action or using it as leverage in subsequent negotiations.

Is a No-Fly Zone Over Syria Achievable?

10/19/2015

A number of congressional leaders, former officials, and presidential candidates have advocated the establishment of a no-fly zone or safe zone in Syria to protect Syrian civilians against attack from both the Islamic State and the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

India rescuing western defence firms, not developing domestic ones

10/19/2015

The impression created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with western leaders is that India will buy any de-rated military goods offered. His announcement about purchasing 36 1980s-vintage French Rafale planes to meet the Indian Air Force’s requirement for ‘medium multi-role combat aircraft’ (MMRCA) wrong-footed defence minister Manohar Parrikar, who favoured the bigger, more versatile and economical Su-30 — superior to the Rafale in all roles, including nuclear delivery.

Military Drills in Indian Ocean Signal Deepening Ties

10/19/2015

Warships and aircraft from the U.S., India and Japan practiced hunting enemy submarines during wide-ranging exercises in the Bay of Bengal over the weekend, signaling the three powers’ deepening ties as they contend with a more assertive China. Worries about Beijing’s rapidly increasing military strength and its growing ability to deploy forces far from Chinese shores have helped drive a convergence of strategic thinking in Washington.

Stingers prove lethal at Combat Archer

10/19/2015

More than 120 members of the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard, deployed 38 short tons of cargo and eight F-16 fighter jets to Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, in September to participate in Combat Archer. The two-week exercise is part of the Air Combat Command Air-to-Air Weapons Systems Evaluation Program, which assesses a units overall operational effectiveness, weapons systems performance and reliability.

Russian Airstrikes Help Syrian Army Liberate New Areas Near Aleppo

10/19/2015

Syrian military officials reported army and popular forces, backed by Russian air support, took control of southeastern territories of the northern province of Aleppo after killing and wounding dozens of terrorists in the liberation operation.

Japan's air force to do more aerial refueling

10/18/2015

Japan's Air Self-Defense Force will run more refueling missions once it introduces a new Boeing KC-46A aerial tanker to its fleet in fiscal 2016. The plan is to expand the number of joint operations between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military as well as to better protect remote islands and respond to major disasters.