Military Aviation News Archive

Venezuelan soldiers reported crossing border into Colombia

09/20/2015

Inhabitants of the village of Majayura in the Colombian municipality of Maicao reported that troops of Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard, or GNB, had crossed the border and entered the country.

Watch how DARPA’s new close air support system works on an A-10 attack jet

09/20/2015

Modern ground combat is a mess of factors that result in an overwhelming amount of friction. People are trying to kill one another, communication can be near impossible and separating civilians from the enemy is a herculean task.

India Must Enhance Its Aerial Capabilities Soon: Air Force Chief

09/20/2015

For India to have a greater strategic footprint in the existing world order, it will have to improve its aerial platforms, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha said today. Enhanced air mobility, heavy lift, airborne early warning and in-flight refueling were considered inescapable, were among the platforms that India will need to build on over time, he said.

High stakes: US begins military talks with Russia over Syria

09/20/2015

As the first Russian combat aircraft arrived in Syria, the Obama administration reached out to Moscow on Friday to try to coordinate actions in the war zone and avoid an accidental escalation of one of the world's most volatile conflicts.

The RAF will always honour the legacy of The Few

09/20/2015

Seventy-five years ago, the Battle of Britain was being fought in the skies above our country. From June 1940, Britain had stood alone as the last bastion of freedom and democracy in Europe. Between Hitler’s invasion plans and our freedom stood the Royal Air Force and its ability to secure the skies.

Russia sends combat aircraft to Syria

09/20/2015

As the first Russian combat aircraft arrived in Syria, the Obama administration reached out to Moscow to try to coordinate actions in the war zone and avoid an accidental escalation of one of the world's most volatile conflicts.

Putin Instructs Ministers to Ink Deal to Establish Air Base in Belarus

09/20/2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given the go-ahead for a contract that will green-light the establishment of a Russian air base in Belarus. A corresponding document was released on Saturday on the official internet-portal for legal information.

Russia sends fighter jets to Syria after talks with U.S.

09/19/2015

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter spoke with his Russian counterpart Friday as Russian military moves inside Syria continued to escalate with the arrival of fighter jets. In a "constructive conversation," both Carter and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoygu agreed to "further discuss mechanisms for deconfliction in Syria," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement, as the United States and its allies continue military operations against ISIS inside Syria.

World's Largest Combat Aircraft Take Part in Russia's Center-2015 Drills

09/19/2015

The Tu-160 (NATO reporting name Blackjack) bombers were escorted by MiG-31BM (Foxhound) fighter aircraft, which took off from an airfield near Russia's city of Perm. "Each pair of fighters practiced one by one escorting of Tu-160s and enemy interception at long distances," the ministry said.

Thorn in Pentagon's Side: China's New J-11D Jets Boast Advanced Features

09/19/2015

"Are short-range American tactical fighters relevant in the Pacific theatre?" US defense expert Dave Majumdar asks, adding that F-22 Raptors and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters could be outperformed by the sheer numbers of Chinese jets.

Beijing 'Extremely Concerned' by US Challenge to China's Territorial Claims

09/19/2015

A top commander in the US military has suggested active patrols near China’s islands in the Spratly archipelago. On Friday, Beijing announced that it was “extremely concerned” about such an aggressive proposal.

China Unveils Next-Generation Wing Loong II Drone

09/19/2015

Chinese defense contractor Chengdu Aircraft Corporation unveiled its second-generation Wing Loong II unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) at the biennial Beijing Air Show earlier this month.

DSEI: U.S. Marine F-35Bs Will Operate From British Queen Elizabeth Carriers

09/18/2015

The U.S. Marine Corps will deploy its Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II strike fighters on combat sorties from Britain’s new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, a senior U.K. Royal Navy officer has confirmed. Rear Adm. Keith Blount, who is responsible for delivering the two 65,000 ton ships, said that using Marine aircraft and pilots to bolster the U.K.’s nascent carrier strike capability would be a natural extension of coalition doctrine.

The A-10 ‘sparks panic’ in ISIS fighters, so why does the Air Force want to kill it?

09/18/2015

The A-10 Thunderbolt II (often called the “Warthog” for its aggressive look and the teeth often pained on its nose cone) is beloved by the troops who need its close-air support and by its pilots — who hear the calls for that support from the controllers on the ground.

Analysis: RAND Says US Facing Tough Fight With China

09/18/2015

A new RAND report challenges the US military to rethink a war with China. The report examines US and Chinese military capabilities in 10 operational areas, producing a “scorecard” for each, from four years: 1996, 2003, 2010, and 2017. Each of the scorecards evaluates capabilities in the context of geography and distance, each of the scorecards evaluates capabilities in the context of two scenarios: a Taiwan invasion and a Spratly Islands campaign.

BAE Systems tests night vision helmet for fighter pilots

09/18/2015

BAE Systems' new Striker II helmet-mounted display is undergoing trials to evaluate its digital night vision capabilities. If the trials prove successful, Striker II will replace analog night vision goggles worn by fighter pilots. "Striker II has a high-definition, lightweight night vision camera which translates information and displays it on the helmet's visor," said Peter Kosogorin, a test pilot for BAE Systems.

Tornados Get Tail Fin Makeover

09/18/2015

Five RAF Tornado GR4s have taken to the skies sporting new painted tail fins. The tradition of painting combat aircraft is common to virtually all air forces, offering a way for crews to celebrate achievements or commemorate past events. The aircraft, four from RAF Marham and one from RAF Lossiemouth, are carrying special centenary markings to commemorate the 100th anniversary of squadrons, and 40 years of Tornado service.

Deal for France’s Rafale Fighter Jets Still Stuck in Negotiations

09/18/2015

Five months after India announced a deal to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets "off the shelf" from France, much of the expectations from the big-ticket deal appears to have evaporated due to protracted negotiations. While voices from both sides say there is hope for the deal being concluded by December, on the French side there is some frustration at the long-winded nature of the negotiations.

Air Force Admits: Our New Stealth Fighter Can’t Fight

09/18/2015

The U.S. Air Force has finally admitted that its new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter isn’t maneuverable enough to beat older jets in a dogfight. But despite its earlier promises that the pricey, radar-evading warplane would excel in close combat, now the flying branch insists that the stealthy F-35 doesn’t even need to dogfight.

HAL seeks to lighten LCA burden

09/18/2015

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which manufactures the Light Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, plans to offload to industry larger chunks of the fighter plane to produce than is being done now. It is working on a process to rope in eight to 12 large industry partners as tier-1 or tier-2 suppliers of bigger ‘modules’ or structures, according to HAL Chairman and Managing Director T. Suvarna Raju. He said an industry partner may gear up to the task over a couple of years.

China Reveals Air-to-Air Missile for Its Fifth-Generation Fighter Jet

09/18/2015

Rumors about China’s latest PL-10 short-range air-to-air missile have been circling for the last two years. Speaking during a Chinese television interview, the missile’s chief designer revealed that the missile is nearly complete, and offered new key details.

For U.S. Pilots, the Real War on ISIS Is a Far Cry From ‘Top Gun’

09/17/2015

Soon after this aircraft carrier arrived here for its Middle East deployment, two F/A-18 Super Hornets catapulted off its deck for a six-and-a-half-hour bombing run toward Islamic State targets in Iraq. In one of the fighter jets was Navy Lt. Michael Smallwood, 28, call sign Bones, and in the other was his friend and roommate, Navy Lt. Nick Smith, also 28, call sign Yip Yip.

Air Force delivers new and innovative vision of future warfare

09/17/2015

It’s 2035, and US Air Force pilots are flying “D” model Joint Strike Fighters. This afterburning F-35D controls an uninhabited long-range strike bomber in tandem with a team of cyber operators. Using line-of-sight data links, the fighter pilot of 2035 can control the drone bomber, if the enemy cuts out the link to the drone pilot back in the United States, while a cyber team constantly updates the level of autonomy the unmanned bomber are able to perform.

RAAF blows up IS troop carrier in Syria

09/17/2015

An Australian warplane has conducted the first air strike on Islamic State in Syria, destroying an armoured personnel carrier with a precision guided bomb. In another major development, Australia will withdraw more than 100 troops from Iraq in what the government describes as reshaping the scope of the mission to advise and assist the Iraqi army.

Shoulder-fired Missile Threat to Civilian Aircraft

09/17/2015

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recently issued a warning to all national aviation authorities and aircraft operators of enhanced risk to the safety of civilian aircraft from terrorists, while flying over Pakistan. This warning has been issued at the behest of the civil aviation regulator of France, DGAC, that has made it mandatory for French aircraft operators not to fly below an altitude of 24,000 ft in Pakistan.