Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

France To Modify Rafales for Egypt

03/15/2015

The Rafale fighter jets sold to Egypt will be modified to remove nuclear missile capability and NATO standard communications, a source close to the deal said. "There will be a few modifications," the source said. Once adapted, the fighters will be delivered, with the first three in time for Egyptian pilots to fly the twin-engine fighter in Egyptian colors over the opening of a new waterway on the Suez Canal in August.

New U.S. stealth bomber shrouded in mystery

03/15/2015

Nearly 30 years after the first U.S. stealth bomber took flight, the Air Force's aging fleet is primed for a makeover; albeit an expensive one. The Pentagon is looking to upgrade its stealth aircraft for the first time since the 1970s, developing a high-priority, super-classified, next-generation bomber.

Oops: US Close-Air Support Bomb Doesn't Fit on the F35

03/14/2015

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will not receive the software package required to operate the Pentagon’s top close-air support bomb until 2022, according to military.com. The article also stated that the JSF office already had discovered earlier that the precision-guided air-dropped Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) does not fit onto Joint Strike Fighter Marine Corps variant without modifications to the aircraft’s weapons bay.

Pentagon’s woes are Sikorsky’s woes

03/14/2015

Restrictions on Pentagon spending and uncertainty over federal government budgets is a key reason the company is considering selling or spinning off Sikorsky Aircraft, United Technology CEO Greg Hayes said. “Defense spending is going to be the governor of growth for them,” Hayes told CNBC. “As much as I like doing business with the DOD, there is huge uncertainty, as well as the margin cap.”

Eight facts about Russian combat patrol missions

03/14/2015

Since the end of last year, countries from Sweden to the United States have noted increased activity of Russian long-range bombers above international waters. What is the point of these patrols and is there reason for the EU and the U.S. to be concerned? RBTH presents eight facts about these flights.

Photos of Czech subsonic planes headed to Iraq

03/14/2015

Czech aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody's subsonic L-159 combat aircraft stand in a hangar in the town of Odolena Voda near Prague, March 11, 2015. REUTERS/David W Cerny The Czech government has approved a sale of 15 subsonic fighter planes to Iraq, the defense minister said on Monday, following the failure of a previous attempt to offload surplus stock to Baghdad.

Pakistan Successfully Tests Its First Armed Drones

03/14/2015

According to a statement released by the Pakistani army, its military has just tested its own indigenously developed, armed drones. The unmanned aircraft come equipped with laser-guided missiles and will be deployed against terrorists along the country’s northwestern border with Afghanistan.

Pakistan and China May Finally Have a JF-17 Buyer

03/13/2015

The JF-17 Thunder (also known as the FC-1 Xiaolong), a combined development project between “all-weather” partners China and Pakistan, hasn’t quite been selling like hotcakes on the international budget fighter market. The lightweight, single-engine, multi-role combat jet, jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, sells at an attractive price point, with a unit cost of just around $15-25 million.

First-Ever Italian F-35a ‘Rolls Out’ Of Cameri Production Facility

03/13/2015

History was achieved today when the first Italian F-35A Lightning II rolled out of the Cameri Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility, marking the first F-35A assembled internationally and the first of eight aircraft currently being assembled. The aircraft, designated as AL-1, will now proceed to additional check-out activities before its anticipated first flight later this year.

NATO, US Air Force AWACS Modernization Moves Forward - Boeing

03/13/2015

NATO is moving forward to modernize its Airborne early Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft with new flight deck and avionics systems, US defense contractor Boeing said in a statement on Thursday. “These improvements provide NATO with an AWACS fleet that will save time and fuel, and will also decrease operational costs by allowing a reduction in the flight crew size,” Boeing AWACS Program Manager Jon Hunsberger said.

Indian Army Wives Urge Government to Replace Outdated French Helicopters

03/13/2015

The Indian Army Wives Agitation Group has urged the country’s defense ministry to scrap old French-developed helicopters that put military personnel’s lives at risk, Meenal Wagh Bhosale, a founding member of the group, told Sputnik on Thursday. “During my meeting with the defense minister, I, on behalf of the Army Officers’ Wives, demanded that these vintage choppers should be phased out,” Bhosale said.

Russia, Serbia to Carry Out Joint Air Force Drills

03/13/2015

Military pilots from Russia and Serbia will conduct joint training exercises in September 2015, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday. "Air Force officials from Russia and Serbia agreed at planing conference in the Russian Defense Ministry on March 12 to carry out joint tactical drills in September this year," spokesman Col. Igor Klimov said in a statement.

ANALYSIS: Procurement questions to dominate LIMA show

03/12/2015

Langkawi is an idyllic location for an air show, but its sunny skies aren’t likely to shed much light on Kuala Lumpur’s procurement agenda. The two years since the last instalment of the biennial Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition have been eventful for the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

U.S. military helicopter crashes off Florida; human remains found

03/12/2015

Seven Marines and four Army aircrew were presumed dead Wednesday, according to a U.S. Defense official, after their Black Hawk helicopter crashed into waters off the Florida Panhandle during a nighttime training mission. By late Wednesday morning, human remains had washed ashore in the area near Eglin Air Force Base, base spokeswoman Jasmine Porterfield said.

Czech Republic confirms sale of combat jets to Iraq

03/12/2015

The Czech Republic has announced plans to sell 15 training and combat aircraft to Iraq for a approximately EUR 28 million. Martin Stropnicky, Czech Defence Minister: "The contract consists of 15 units (of L-159 aircraft) for Iraq. These are three single-seated and one double-seated aircraft directly from the Czech army arsenal and 11 pieces that are stored in Aero Vodochody."

Russia's MiG-31 Interceptors to Stay in Service Until 2026 - Manufacturer

03/12/2015

The Mykoyan MiG-31 Foxhound supersonic interceptor aircraft will stay in service with the Russian Air Force until 2026, the head of the MiG corporation said Wednesday. "The MiG corporation is currently developing heavy fighter-interceptor aircraft to replace the MiG-31, but the MiG-31 will remain in service until 2026," Sergei Korotkov told RIA Novosti.

Russia Launches Simultaneous Military Drills in West, South, Far East

03/12/2015

A series of military exercises with live firing were launched Wednesday in Russia’s southern and western regions and in the Far East, the Defense Ministry said. During a tactical fight training exercise in South Russia’s Stavropol Territory, about 20 Su-25SM (NATO reporting name Frogfoot) fighter-bombers will make 30 sorties with live firing of missiles and rockets.

NATO Fighter Jets Scramble to Intercept Russian Fuel Tanker Over Baltic Sea

03/12/2015

Italian fighter jets protecting airspace over the Baltic states were deployed to intercept a Russian refueling aircraft over the Baltic Sea, Latvian National Armed Forces said via Twitter. The IL-78 (Midas) is an air-to-air refueling tanker and is part of a regiment based in western Russia's Ryazan Region nearly 200 kilometers (122 miles) southeast of Moscow.

Analysis: Is the time right for a European Air Force?

03/11/2015

The European President recently called for the formation of a 'European Army' in order for the continent to better face the growing threats on its doorstep from Moscow and others. While Jean-Claude Juncker's proposal was dismissed by key member states almost as soon as it was announced, might not the formation of a European Air Force gain more traction at a time of heightened security concerns and squeezed defence budgets?

F-35 Will Not Reach Full Close-Air-Support Potential Until 2022

03/11/2015

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter pilots will have to wait until 2022 to fire the U.S. military’s top close-air-support bomb after the Small Diameter Bomb II enters service in 2017, JSF officials explained. The Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) is an upgrade from previous precision-guided air-dropped weapons because of its ability to track and hit moving targets from up to 40 miles.

Why Putin Annexed Crimea

03/11/2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin expands on his motivations for annexing Crimea last year in a preview for an upcoming documentary. Putin notes that Russia was “forced to start working on returning Crimea to Russia because we could not abandon this territory and the people who live there to the mercy of fate, to be crushed by nationalists.” ”It wasn’t us who committed a coup d’etat, it was done by nationalists and people with extreme views, they were given support,” Putin said."

Pakistan To Offer JF-17 Fighters to Bulgaria

03/11/2015

Pakistan plans to offer its PAC JF-17 Thunder fighter jets to Bulgaria under the country's tender to acquire 16 combat aircraft for its military. The Bulgarian Air Force is aiming to replace its outdated Soviet-designed Mikoyan MiG-21 aircraft, reports local news agency Novinite.

Tech complexities among reasons for Light Combat Aircraft project delay: Manohar Parrikar

03/11/2015

Development of hi-tech technology from the scratch, lack of skilled manpower and technological complexities were some of the reasons the government today gave for delay in completion of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project.

Islamic State Weakened by 12 US, Coalition Airstrikes - Pentagon

03/11/2015

US and anti-Islamic State Coalition military forces continued to weaken the militant group by launching 12 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, the US Defense Department said in a statement. “Fighter, bomber and remotely piloted aircraft conducted four airstrikes near Kobani [in Syria],” the statement, issued on Tuesday, said. “Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted eight airstrikes in Iraq.”

Here's how the Air Force is trying to limit the fallout from its controversial decision to retire the A-10

03/10/2015

As it faces yet more political backlash over the mothballing of the A-10 warplane, the Air Force is launching a new effort to prove that it truly cares about the mission of supporting ground troops with massive firepower. In an unprecedented move, top Air Force leaders last week convened a “Close Air Support Summit” at the Pentagon with senior officials from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, National Guard Bureau and Special Operations Command.