Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The battle to kill the A-10

03/24/2015

The Air Force is on the attack to eliminate the beloved A-10, insisting that the venerable Warthog is not the only airframe up to the close-air support task. To press the point, service leaders showcased a group of fighter pilots, who described their CAS missions in other aircraft. But opponents on Capitol Hill, and troops on the ground, aren't having it, and the service faces an uphill battle to cut the jet and bring its beleaguered F-35 online in time.

Russia’s return to Nicaragua worries many in Central America

03/24/2015

Russia is rekindling its once-strong ties to Nicaragua, possibly including providing the Central American nation with jet fighters, stoking unease as far away as the Andes in South America. Later this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Nicaragua as part of a swing through four Latin American nations, the culmination to a series of high-level Russian visits to this Central American nation in the past year.

US, Coalition Forces Conduct 14 Airstrikes Against ISIL - Central Command

03/24/2015

The United States-led coalition against the Islamic State conducted 14 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, resulting in the destruction of tactical units, fighting positions, vehicles and machinery, the US Central Command said in a statement. “On March 22, Coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria, using fighter and bomber aircraft to conduct eight airstrikes,” the statement, released on Monday, said.

US Approves Sale of 17 Chinook Cargo Helicopters to Netherlands

03/24/2015

The Chinook sale will enhance the defense of The Netherlands and support NATO cooperation, according to the DSCA. The 17 Chinooks will supplement existing Chinook helicopters and eventually replace the Netherlands’ aging Chinook fleet.

Russia to Begin Serial Production of 5th Generation T-50 Fighters in 2016

03/24/2015

Russia plans to start production of fifth-generation T-50 fighter jets in 2016, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said Monday. As of now, the United States is the only country whose Air Force includes a fully-operational fifth-generation jet fighter. “We have plans to deliver the first series of fifth-generation fighter jets next year,” Borisov said during a visit to the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aviation plant in the country’s Far East, where Russia is developing the PAK-FA fighter jet.

Finland Free to Decide on Its NATO Membership

03/24/2015

Finland’s Defense Minister Carl Haglund met his Swedish and British counterparts on board a US aircraft carrier Sunday in a sign of growing military cooperation between Helsinki and NATO.

China Becomes the World`s Third Biggest Arms Exporter

03/23/2015

In just 5 years, beginning with 2010, China` arms sales have grown 143 per cent. That is how China has become the world`s thrid largest exporter in weapon commerce, overtaking the position which was by now occupied by Germany. However, the new study that shows these numbers also reveals the fact that 5 per cent share is still poor when compared to United States` and Russia`s combined 58 per cent. As international conflicts continue to emerge around the world,

Tikrit assault stalls as Obama withholds airstrikes to avoid Iran ties, analysts say

03/23/2015

The lack of U.S. airstrikes in and around the city of Tikrit is slowing the Iraqi counteroffensive to retake the strategically situated city from the Islamic State’s terrorist army. The assault, carried out by the Iraqi Security Forces and Shiite militiamen trained, equipped and led by Iran, has encircled the Sunni-dominated city north of Baghdad after more than three weeks of fighting. The Pentagon now says the battle is “static.”

A-10 Warthog Is Out, F-15 and F-16 Are In, Says the Air Force

03/23/2015

The U.S. Air Force wants to kill the A-10 Warthog. Really, really wants to kill it. But some of the Air Force's ideas for replacing the A-10 are starting to strain credibility. As you're probably aware, the Air Force has argued multiple times in recent months that its new F-35 stealth fighters (built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT)) can do an "adequate" job of providing ground troops with close-air support.

NATO General: West Should Consider Arming Ukraine

03/23/2015

NATO's military commander is again calling on the West to consider sending defensive weapons to Ukraine, to help it offset Russia's continued support for the pro-Russian rebellion in Ukraine's east. U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, speaking Sunday, told a Brussels conference that he does not think "any tool of (the) United States or any other nation's power should necessarily be off the table."

Amid stalled fighter projects, upgraded Mirage cheers IAF

03/23/2015

Faced with huge delays in clinching new fighter projects even as it grapples with fast-eroding air combat power, IAF finally has some reason to cheer. The force will get its first two upgraded Mirage-2000 fighters with new avionics and weapons this week. The defence ministry says France will hand over the two "almost new" Mirage fighters to the project management teams of IAF and Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) on March 25.

Syria helicopter crashes in rebel-held Idlib

03/22/2015

The helicopter went down in Jabal al-Zawiya in Idlib province, an area held by opposition fighters, including those from al-Nusra Front, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Four crew members were captured, while a fifth was killed, the watchdog said.

RUSSIA WARNS DENMARK NOT TO JOIN NATO’S MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM

03/22/2015

“I don’t think that Danes fully understand the consequence if Denmark joins the American-led missile defence shield,” wrote Vanin. “If they do, then Danish warships will be targets for Russian nuclear missiles. Denmark would be part of the threat against Russia. It would be less peaceful and relations with Russia will suffer. It is, of course, your own decision – I just want to remind you that your finances and security will suffer.

Military demand to grow amid Asia tensions - Airbus

03/22/2015

Airbus Group expects to see growing demand for military aircraft in Asia amid simmering tensions in the South China Sea and other areas. The Asian market for defence and space-related business could grow to about $50 billion a year within the next five years, from $45 billion now, said Christian Scherer, executive vice president for marketing and sales at Airbus Defense & Space, the planemaker's defence unit.

Putin’s massive military drills intended to send message to West on Ukraine

03/22/2015

Mammoth Russian military drills ordered by President Vladimir Putin from the Pacific to the Black Sea are designed to send a message to the West: keep your distance and don’t overplay your hand on Ukraine, observers say. Since the start of the Ukraine crisis more than a year ago, Russia has flexed its muscles with a series of war games but the scale of the latest military exercises has triggered a series of new questions.

Navy Launches New Aircraft Carrier Study to Find Cost Savings

03/22/2015

Navy leaders have launched a study to find ways to lower the costs of aircraft carriers, explore alternatives to the big-deck platforms, and increase competition among vendors. The Navy study is expected to last about a year and will examine technologies and acquisition strategies for the long-term future of Navy big-deck aviation in light of a fast-changing global threat environment, service officials said.

Phl to buy 24 more combat aircraft from South Korea

03/22/2015

The Philippines is planning to purchase 24 more combat aircraft, adding to the 12 FA-50 fighter jets it had ordered from South Korea in 2014, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said. It did not specify when or from whom the aircraft would be ordered. The FA-50s were the first order by the Philippines for advanced combat aircraft in decades amid the increasing tensions with China over disputed territories in the South China Sea.

Analysis - Iranian fighter programmes: Bona fide or bluff?

03/21/2015

Over recent years, Iran has made great play of its burgeoning domestic aerospace capabilities by revealing a number of 'new' combat aircraft types to the world. For about the last five years, state media has heralded a steady stream of new fighters and other types which, it claims, demonstrate the Islamic republic's ability to design, develop, and manufacture the latest generation of combat aviation.

Air Force facing increasing shortage of fighter pilots

03/21/2015

The Air Force doesn't have enough fighter pilots in its active duty cockpits due to force structure cuts and increased airline hiring, leading to a long-term drop in those available to train new pilots and test new aircraft, service leaders told lawmakers Thursday.

JBLM’s Army aviation brigade heading to sea for first tests with Navy aircraft carrier

03/21/2015

Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army helicopter crews that spent much of last year navigating Afghanistan’s mountains are heading to sea next week for their first drills training to land on an aircraft carrier. A number of Apache and Blackhawk helicopters from JBLM’s 16th Combat Aviation Brigade are expected to spend Monday flying in the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the carrier USS John Stennis.

French firm makes offer to Malaysia

03/21/2015

France-based Dassault Aviation can offer a customised financial package to support the Rafale jet fighter should Malaysia decide to procure the combat aircraft from the company. Dassault chief executive officer Eric Tappier said the package could be similar to the one taken up by Egypt to support the Rafale multirole fighter aircraft.

Local company offers to upgrade RMAF aircraft

03/21/2015

A local company, Aerospace Technology Systems Corp Sdn Bhd (ATSC), has offered to upgrade the 10 MiG-29N aircrafts of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) to Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA). ATSC chief executive officer Lt Col (Rtd) Fadzar Suhada said today the enhancement proposed by the company would make the aircraft not only on par with other MRCA fighter jets in the market but also extend the lifespan by a minimum of 25 years.

WHY THE TU-22M DEPLOYMENT TO CRIMEA CHANGES EVERYTHING

03/20/2015

As the Russian Airforce is deploying its TU-22M3 ‘Backfire’ aircraft into the recently incorporated area that is Crimea, there are several things changing for the NATO and other military forces in the region. While the political situation has everything to do with these being added to the might of the Russian air and sea fleet over there, the relevance to the whole situation is not that important at all.

Now the U.S. Air Force Wants to Replace A-10s With F-16s

03/20/2015

Eventually, the U.S. Air Force wants to replace the low and slow-flying A-10 Warthog with the fast-moving F-35 stealth fighter. But it’ll take years before the troubled jet fighters are ready for duty. In the meantime, the Air Force still needs a plane for dedicated close air support missions?—?something the A-10 excels at. So what does the flying branch propose? Not keeping the Warthog.

Russia's Baltic Fleet Naval Aviation Conducts Training Flights

03/20/2015

The crews of the Baltic Fleet's naval aviation conducted a series of night training operations and are planning to practice bombing shortly, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service said Thursday. "As part of the large-scale exercise…the crews of Su-27 fighter jets and Su-24M bombers of the Baltic Fleet's naval aviation conducted a series of night training flights," the press service said.