Military Aviation News Archive

F-35 Engines Deemed Unreliable by Government Accountability Office

04/28/2015

Two separate US government watchdogs are outlining problems with the engines used in their F-35 jet fighters - one finding the systems unreliable and another citing dozens of violations in its quality assurance inspection.

Israel says it launches airstrike on its border with Syria after seeing militants with a bomb

04/27/2015

Israel's military said Sunday it launched an airstrike on its border with Syria after spotting militants carrying a bomb in the Israeli-held Golan Heights. The military said it carried out the strike after troops saw "a group of armed terrorists" approach the border with an explosive intended to target Israeli troops. It said that Israeli aircraft "targeted the squad, preventing the attack."

Operational J-15s loaded onto Liaoning aircraft carrier

04/27/2015

The People's Liberation Army has begun loading operational J-15 carrier-based fighter jets onto the Liaoning, China's first and only aircraft carrier, reports the Beijing-based Sina Military Network. Recently leaked photos reveal that four J-15s, developed by the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and the 601 Institute, have been moved onto the Liaoning, which sources indicate will eventually be able to carry up to 24 fighter jets of similar size.

Syrian military bomb disputed town

04/27/2015

Syrian military aircraft have bombed the north-western town of Jisr al-Shughour today, a day after insurgents seized control of it as part of a broader offensive that has left government forces in the area reeling. The opposition campaign, spearheaded by the al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front and Islamic rebel factions, has captured the two largest urban centres in Idlib province in the space of a month.

Saudi Arabia: Military Training Aircraft Crashes, Killing 2

04/27/2015

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry says a military training aircraft has crashed, killing the instructor and a student pilot. The official Saudi Press Agency quoted the ministry as saying the accident happened Sunday morning and involved a plane affiliated with the King Faisal Air Academy, a military flight school in the capital, Riyadh. It gave no further details.

Royal Navy to send drones to the Mediterranean to save migrants

04/27/2015

Royal Navy ship-launched surveillance drones could be sent to scour the Mediterranean as part of Britain’s effort to combat the migrant crisis, under plans being considered by defence chiefs. The Navy’s new ScanEagle remote-controlled aircraft would search for dangerously overloaded boats packed with people making the perilous crossing from Libya to Europe.

Fighting escalates across Yemen, air strikes on capital Sanaa

04/27/2015

Air raids, naval shelling and ground fighting shook Yemen on Sunday in some of the most widespread combat since a Saudi-led alliance intervened last month against Iranian-allied Houthi militia who have seized large tracts of the country. There were at least five air strikes on military positions and an area near the presidential palace compound in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa at dawn on Sunday, while warships pounded an area near the port of the southern city of Aden, residents said.

Another scam in the making

04/27/2015

Indian Premier Narendra Modi’s arbitrary decision to scrap the $20 billion Rafale combat-aircraft contract — touted as the “mother of all defense deals” signed by New Delhi till date — serve as a warning to this still evolving democracy of the consequences of blindly electing leaders by believing their rhetoric.

Small but Mighty: Belgian F-16 Planes Bomb 107 ISIL Ground Targets in Iraq

04/27/2015

Belgium has been successful in conducting military operations in Iraq: six Belgian F-16 bombers involved in the airstrikes against the Islamic State destroyed 107 ground targets over the last six months, Belgian Le Vif reported. The tiny European nation takes only 5 percent of aerial missions conducted by the anti-ISIL coalition led by the United States in Iraq and Syria. Six Belgian F-16 fighter jets are used by 110 people and operate from an air base in Jordan.

Norway, US Inspectors to Fly Over Russia

04/27/2015

American and Norwegian specialists will fly over the territory of Russia under the Treaty on Open Skies on April 27-30, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov has announced. Russian specialists on board the aircraft will monitor the use of equipment and American and Norwegian inspectors' adherence to the Treaty on Open Skies, according to Ryzhkov.

US, Allies Conduct 15 Airstrikes in Syria, Iraq

04/26/2015

Coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State in Syria and Iraq on Saturday. In Iraq, coalition forces conducted 11 airstrikes approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, using fighter, attack, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft against IS terrorists, the U.S.-led coalition's command said in a statement.

Military plane crashes after hitting another at Mexico Aerospace Fair

04/26/2015

Two Mexican air force planes collided Saturday during an air show at Mexico's Aerospace Fair 2015 in the central state of Mexico, causing one of the planes to crash but without anyone being hurt. The accident took place at 11:05 a.m. and caused no injuries because those on the plane were able to eject before the crash, the National Defense Secretariat, or Sedena, said in a communique.

Defending against China

04/26/2015

China has now gone beyond simply bullying in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). It is now creating islands by destroying reefs. It is also building an airfield on one of the islands it has created. China claims that its rise to superpower status is intended to be peace. But these actions tell a different story. It is clear that it wants complete control of the 1.7 million square miles that make up the East China and South China Seas where six other countries maintain various territorial

Marines at Robins get more Super Cobra attack choppers

04/26/2015

The Marine helicopter unit at Robins will be seen in the skies a lot more often. The unit is getting three additional AH-1W Super Cobra attack choppers from other active-duty squadrons that are getting the new AH-1Z. That takes the unit’s Super Cobra fleet from four to seven. Two of the choppers have arrived in the past two weeks, and the third is expected soon.

USAF Says Will Continue Using Manned Planes As New Bomber Program Moves Forward

04/26/2015

The U.S. Air Force does not share the U.S. Navy's view of air warfare's future. The Air Force will continue deploying manned aircraft and will implement this on future designs, unlike the Navy, which will start focusing on unmanned aircraft. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh, speaking at an event hosted by Defense One, explained the Air Force will continue working with unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) in the future, expanding its current fleet.

Protect the X-47B to safeguard innovation

04/26/2015

Last week, the Navy made aviation history for the second time in two years by accomplishing yet another first for unmanned aircraft: a fully autonomous aerial refueling. This comes on the heels of the Navy's historic landing of a fully autonomous unmanned aircraft, the X-47B, on an aircraft carrier in 2013. To capitalize on these successes, the Navy plans to next retire the unmanned aircraft - built by Northrop Grumman - and stick them in a museum.

The Cost Of Staying In The Air

04/26/2015

One of the major differences between military aircraft is the amount of money it costs to keep them operational. This is usually given in cost per flight hour (for fuels, spare parts and maintenance) or annual operating costs (including upgrades). The following data is for 2014.

IAF to get four more Tejas by end of this fiscal: National Aerospace Laboratories

04/26/2015

The Indian Air Force is likely to get four more indigenously made light combat aircraft Tejas by the end of the current financial year from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, National Aerospace Laboratories' Director Shyam Chetty said here today. "The four aircraft may adhere to international standards on end-to-end accuracy," Chetty said, adding, further research was on to meet the parameters stipulated by the IAF.

Best Friends Forever: Pakistan to Receive 110 Fighter Jets From China

04/26/2015

Friendship between China and Pakistan continues to strengthen as Beijing promised to deliver another 50 fighter jets to its southern neighbor over the next three years, a top Chinese official said, according to the Express Tribute.

Why Does Putin Need an Aircraft Supercarrier?

04/25/2015

Why is Russia planning on building an aircraft supercarrier in the next decade? The answer may seem self-evident: Russia wants to challenge the United States as a global power. One of the United States’s chief tools of projecting its power is its fleet of aircraft supercarriers: 11 ships with a capacity of more than 70 aircraft. Carriers have participated in nearly every U.S. armed conflict since World War II and have proven time and time again to be strategic military tools.

Islamic State shoots down regime aircraft near key military airport in Syria

04/25/2015

The Islamic State shot down a regime aircraft near a key military airport in southern Syria on Friday, with pro-IS Twitter accounts saying the jihadist group had captured the pilot, a monitor said. The plane went down east of Khalkhalah airport, the only air base in Sweida province, a stronghold of the Druze minority that has largely avoided the bloodshed of Syria's war, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Fairford Air Tattoo 2015: French Air Force's spectacular Ramex Delta team confirmed

04/25/2015

One of the most spectacular fast jet displays on the European circuit is promised for this summer's Royal International Air Tattoo. The French Air Force's Ramex Delta team of two Dassault Mirage 2000N strike aircraft is set to provide a dramatic and noisy role demonstration at the Air Tattoo, which takes place at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds, on July 17 to 19.

The purchase of Rafale fighters points to India's failed defence indigenisation plans

04/25/2015

In all the confusion that hangs over the Modi government's decision to procure 36 Rafale fighters 'off the shelf', we need to focus on the real issues. First, the imperative of plugging the shortages in the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s combat strength. Second, to once again kickstart the decades-old effort to develop a fighter of our own.

Confrontation avoided? Iranian ships and U.S. aircraft carrier both turn away from Yemen

04/25/2015

Tensions off the coast of Yemen between the United States and Iran appear to be dissipating, with a fleet of Iranian ships possibly carrying weapons for Yemeni rebels and a U.S. aircraft carrier both turning away from the region, Pentagon officials said Friday.

Top 10 5th generation fighter jets of the world

04/25/2015

The next generation fighter planes are also regarded as fifth generation fighter jets. All top fighter aircraft with the state of the art technology are enlisted in a classification list followed mainly by the United States. The aircraft have unique features like stealth, low probability of intercept radar (LPIR), high performance airframes, advanced avionics features, and highly integrated computer systems capable of networking with other elements.