Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing to continue support for US military aircraft

02/07/2015

Boeing has received a contract from the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to continue the provision of support services for US military aircraft. Valued at $223m, the performance-based agreement is the second of two received by the company under a five-year deal agreed in September 2014, and covers support for 11 different aircraft, reducing combat logistics support costs and boosting readiness.

CENTCOM Reports US-Led Coalition Destroys ISIL Positions in Syria, Iraq

02/07/2015

The United States-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) conducted airstrikes in Syria and Iraq, resulting in destruction of units, a dozen vehicles and several staging locations, the US Central Command said in a statement on Thursday.

Latvian Army Claims NATO Jets Scrambled to Intercept Russian Plane

02/07/2015

The Latvian Army reported Friday that NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft over the Baltic Sea. NATO Baltic Air Policing QRA ITA Typhoon jets on 6 FEB scrambled to intercept RU Armed Forces Il-38 over the Baltic Sea," the Latvian Army tweeted.

A Field Guide to Jordan's Battle Against ISIS

02/06/2015

There are few nations in the Middle East, perhaps aside from Morocco (a bit of prejudice here), that is as blessed with such decent people and respected leadership as Jordan. It is a vulnerable, but stable desert kingdom constantly defying the forces arrayed against it. Jordan's boundless generosity has provided a safe haven for the human tide of refugees that have been thrust upon it from war-ravaged Syria and Iraq.

Kazakhstan to acquire Su-30SM fighters

02/06/2015

Kazakhstan is to acquire the Sukhoi Su-30SM 'Flanker' as it looks to recapitalise its Soviet-era fighter force, the government announced on 4 February. The disclosure was made by the Commander in Chief of the Kazakhstan Air Defence Forces (KADF), Major General Nurlan Ormanbetov, during a visit to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant where the Su-30SM is built.

Here’s What You’ll Find on the Fighter Jet of 2030

02/06/2015

On Monday, President Barack Obama’s budget request for the Pentagon featured more than $5 million dollars for an item tagged “Next Generation Fighter.” If you haven’t heard of it, it’s the plane of the future meant to replace the F/A-18 Super Hornet and EA-18 Growler aircraft by 2030. Much like the future itself, it’s been a source of much speculation but exists only as an idea.

Greek, US training reaffirms rock-solid friendship

02/06/2015

With the White Mountains of Crete as their backdrop, U.S. and Hellenic air forces F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft soared to great heights and speeds as part of a continuing flying training deployment (FTD) Jan. 16 through Feb. 13 at Souda Bay, Greece.

US moves pilot rescue aircraft closer to Syria battlefield

02/06/2015

The gruesome killing of a Jordanian pilot who had crashed in Islamic State territory laid bare a problem of the U.S.-led coalition: There's no sure way to rescue an airman who's down behind enemy lines. Now, in response, the U.S. has moved search-and-rescue aircraft closer to the battlefield, defense officials said Thursday.

Pilots weigh in on UAE suspending airstrikes against IS

02/05/2015

The fight against the Islamic State group is down one key ally for now: the United Arab Emirates. Officials said Tuesday that the UAE suspended its airstrike efforts in December after Jordanian fighter pilot Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh was captured by IS militants, according to the New York Times.

Everything is normal: France on Rafale deal

02/05/2015

Putting a brave face despite the multi-billion dollar Rafale fighter jet contract flowing into rough weather, France on Wednesday claimed that everything is going "normal". Interestingly, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will not be raising the issue of the much delayed Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) during his three day-visit beginning tomorrow.

Air Force seeks more flight hours to recover from 2013 stand down

02/05/2015

The Air Force is asking for a small increase in its flight hours as it still tries to dig itself out of a readiness hole dating back to a stand down of combat squadrons in 2013. Seventeen combat squadrons were forced to stand down for three months, while additional squadrons faced reduced flying hours as a result of sequestration in 2013. More than 44,000 flying hours were cut.

Kremlin pursues military modernization despite economic woes

02/05/2015

Hundreds of new Russian aircraft, tanks and missiles are rolling off assembly lines. Russian jets roar through European skies under NATO's wary eye. Tens of thousands of troops take part in war games showing off the military's readiness for all-out war.The muscle flexing suggests that Russia's economic woes so far are having no impact on the Kremlin's ambitious military modernization program.

Indian Air Force Still Plagued by Poor Procurement Process

02/05/2015

“The Indian Air Force’s capabilities are continuing to deteriorate, despite the arrival of a government that seems ready to make big acquisition decisions,” summarizes a recently published Jane’s Defence Weekly briefing on the current state of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Among aviation experts, the IAF has been notorious for its high accident rate in its MIG-21 fleet.

MPs urge UK to step up fight against jihadists

02/05/2015

The Defence Select Committee found the UK had carried out 6% of coalition air strikes against the jihadist group and said it was "surprised and deeply concerned" it was not doing more. But it stressed it was not in favour of deploying combat forces to battle IS. The government said military action was just part of "comprehensive" action by the international coalition.

Congress to Obama: Boost aid to Jordan to combat ISIS

02/05/2015

Revolted by ISIS’s brutal execution of a Jordanian pilot by burning him in a cage, a powerful group of Republicans and Democrats on Wednesday called on the Obama administration to boost military aid to the Arab kingdom. All 26 members of the Senate Armed Services Committee wrote the State and Defense departments asking for increased assistance. The US already is giving Amman $1 billion in military and economic assistance this year.

Swarms of fighter jets mark 40 years of Red Flag at Nellis

02/05/2015

A pair of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers followed by swarms of U.S. Air Force Raptors, Falcons, Eagles and Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets roared through the skies over Nellis Air Force Base on Tuesday. They headed out for a historic Red Flag air combat exercise to mark 40 years since the base began hosting them at the end of the Vietnam War.

Boeing Receives Contract to Modernize B-52 with Digital Communications

02/05/2015

The B-52 Stratofortress bomber was built during the Cold War, but its digital capabilities have entered the 21st century thanks to Boeing’s ongoing Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT) upgrade. On Jan. 28, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a full rate production contract to deliver 10 CONECT kits that modernize communication systems for the B-52 bombers today and into the future.

Jordan Vows Revenge for ISIS Burning of Pilot

02/04/2015

Jordan said Tuesday that it would hang several jihadist prisoners in reaction to a video showing Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters burning alive captured Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh. Jordan’s government has reportedly scheduled the executions of several jihadist prisoners in response to the killing. One of those reportedly slated for execution is Sajida al-Rishawi, the prisoner ISIS had demanded to be released in exchange for al-Kasasbeh’s release.

Air Force increases combat air patrols for Reaper pilots

02/03/2015

The Air Force plans to increase the number of combat air patrols that MQ-9 Reaper pilots fly. The Air Force's fiscal 2016 budget would fund 60 MQ-9 combat air patrols in a 24-hour period, an increase from 55, said Air Force spokeswoman Vicki Stein. MQ-1 Predator pilots would be funded to fly five combat air patrols, for a total of 65 combat air patrols per day.

Air Force Proposes Big Increases for New Aircraft Purchases in 2016

02/03/2015

The Obama administration’s fiscal year 2016 budget proposal for the Air Force includes continued purchases of F-35 fighters, transport aircraft and a large increase in research and development funding for the long-range strike bomber. Among the four services, the Air Force had the largest plus-up with some $16 billion more than the 2015 enacted level. Maj. Gen. James Martin, Air Force deputy assistant secretary of budget, said that is because the demand for what the service provides is growing.

RUSSIAN BOMBER OVER CHANNEL WAS CARRYING NUKES

02/02/2015

Tensions between Russia and the UK have heightened after it was revealed that the Russian bomber intercepted by RAF fighter jets was carrying a nuclear missile designed to destroy Trident submarines. The TU-95 aircraft were spotted on long range radar flying down from Scotland towards the English Channel, where they were close to entering British airspace, the Sunday Express report.

MacDill could actually gain from military cutbacks

02/02/2015

U.S. Rep. David Jolly, BRAC is not a four-letter word. OK, so it’s not really a word, just another military acronym. But to Jolly, BRAC is still not in the category of those four-letter words you won’t find in these pages. BRAC, which officially stands for the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (I guess BCRC is just too hard to say), is being pushed by the White House and Pentagon, which are looking to cut spending even as they are increasing it.

The Kurds Are Close to Mosul—And in No Hurry to Get There

02/02/2015

In the first 24 hours of the Kurds’ latest offensive there were 16 coalition air strikes. Peshmerga fighters attacked from positions near Mosul Dam, taking Islamic State by surprise and cutting their supply lines. Now the Kurds are close to the militants’ stronghold in the city of Mosul.

New Apache confounded the enemy in combat, commander says

02/02/2015

Lt. Col. John Davis said the enemy in Afghanistan had gotten used to the Apache AH-64D. The enemy knew roughly how long the Apache would take to get there, how long it could engage, when it would have to leave for fuel and when it might come back. The first battalion commander to deploy the new Apache AH-64E Guardian in combat said that's why the new model managed to scare a confused enemy.

Kuban Military Aviation Base to Get 25 New Yak-130 Training Planes in 2015

02/02/2015

The Zhukovsky and Gagarin Air Force Academy in Armavir, Krasnodar is set to receive five new Yakovlev Yak-130 light attack training aircraft this week, with twenty more to be delivered before the year is out, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports. The completed planes, which have been undergoing testing in the Irkutsk region in Siberia at the Irkut Corporation plant, are set to make their long journey across the country this week.