Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

First US Turkish-Based Drone Strike Hits Targets in Syria

08/07/2015

A US drone hit an unspecified ISIL target in northern Syria on Monday, as revealed by the Pentagon spokesperson Navy Capt. Jeff Davis Wednesday. The official said the use of Turkish-based airpower will “put coalition aircraft significantly closer on the map to where these potential targets are.”

Indian Air Force's Top Guns Score Wins in the UK

08/06/2015

In some of the most intense international air combat exercises ever featuring the Indian Air Force, IAF pilots flying Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighters had a resounding 12-0 scoreline in their favour against Royal Air Force Typhoon jets in Within Visual Range (WVR) dogfighting operations.

Fiery Cross Reef: Why China's New South China Sea Airstrip Matters

08/06/2015

Although China is not the first state to build an airstrip in the South China Sea, it is the first state to employ island-building technologies to transform a contested maritime feature into a military base that extends the reach of offensive military capabilities. Other countries have worked to project power to contested South China Sea features; with the airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef, China has worked to project power from them.

No time for rest as F-35 roadshow rolls past Marine Corps IOC

08/06/2015

The US Marine Corps says its first combat F-35 squadron is “ready for battle,” but after 14 years of development marked by cost increases and delays, it is time for the combat jet to prove it is as advanced, stealthy and lethal as advertised. The fifth-generation fighter, conceived in the mid-1990s, has travelled a long, long road to reach initial operational capability, arriving five years behind the original target.

New shot for the MiG-35 in India

08/06/2015

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is finalizing a new tender for purchase of medium-sized multirole fighters. The tender’s main condition is that the supplier consents to the aircraft being assembled in India. The main issue to watch will be whether the Russian MiG-35 can out-manoeuvre its French competitor, the Rafale fighter, this time around.

Why is the UK still so reliant on the Tornado?

08/06/2015

The cockpit of a supersonic Tornado attack bomber is a much more peaceful place than you might expect. "It's incredibly quiet," says Jas Hawker, a former RAF wing commander who flew the aircraft over Iraq and Kosovo. "The pilot and the navigator could drop their oxygen masks and talk to each other. It's not silent but it's a lot quieter than people think."

WHY THE NEXT FIGHTER WILL BE MANNED, AND THE ONE AFTER THAT

08/06/2015

If ever a technology was awe-inspiring, robotics is it. Robots have a long, storied past in literature, dating back at least to the Iliad — and possibly further back depending on your definition of a robot. Robots have long been widely used in the government and commercial sectors — more so now than ever. But as promising as the technology is in a wide range of areas, air combat is not one of them.

US-Led Coalition Against ISIL Launches 29 Airstrikes in Syria, Iraq

08/06/2015

The US-led coalition against the Islamic State undertook 29 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq on the militants’ personnel and infrastructure, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a release on Wednesday.

US, Russia ‘Fully Engaged’ in Anti-ISIL Campaign in Syria - State Dep't

08/06/2015

Washington and Moscow are fully engaged in efforts to counter the Islamic State in Syria, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner told journalists on Wednesday.

Pentagon Doesn't Know Who It Kills with 'Signature' Drone Strikes

08/06/2015

In June, when a CIA drone strike killed an al-Qaeda leader who the agency did not know was among a group of militants, the United States showed that it continues to fire drone missiles at targets whose identities are a mystery.

Syria army plane crash toll rises to 37: activists

08/05/2015

A Syrian military aircraft that crashed during a bombing run over rebel-held territory killed at least 37 people and injured more than 60, activists said. The victims died when the plane crashed Monday in the town of Ariha in Idlib province, and in preceding airstrikes, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which originally said 31 were killed.

Pentagon Requests Funding To Accelerate Harrier Data Link Upgrades

08/05/2015

The Pentagon has asked for an additional $7.5 million in the current fiscal year for the Marine Corps to get started on installing the Link 16 communication system on its fleet of Boeing AV-8B Harriers. In a reprogramming request to Congress, the Defense Department wrote that “funding is required to begin Link 16 Tactical Datalink integration into the AV-8B aircraft for relevancy, safety improvements, and interoperability.

China and Russia to Hold Military Exercise in Sea of Japan

08/05/2015

Russia and China are scheduled to hold joint military drills in the waters and airspace of the Sea of Japan, Bejing's Defense ministry announced. The exercises are set to take place between August 20 through August 28 in the Peter the Great Gulf and other areas of the Russian coast, reported The BRICS Post.

Air Force upgrading radars on its AWACS fleet

08/05/2015

The Air Force has kicked off a $60 million overhaul of communications on its E-3 Sentry fleet to better track enemy aircraft. It is installing the AN/UPX-40 system, meant to eliminate ground clutter to better detect, identify and track enemy and friendly low-flying aircraft, according to a news release on the system. The AWACS aircraft will use the information to send intercepting aircraft to enemy targets.

UK Extends Tornado Squadron To Keep Up Iraq Bombing Effort

08/05/2015

The British government has reprieved a squadron of Tornado GR4 strike jets from being axed in order to maintain its operations against Islamic State group targets in Iraq. The announcement that 12 (Bomber) Squadron will be kept flying for a further year was made by British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon during a visit to Baghdad on Aug. 3.

Tejas Mk-II: India may avail consultancy from European manufacturers who bid for MMRCA deal

08/05/2015

India could avail consultancy from some of European aircraft manufacturers who had bid for the multi-crore tender for fighter jets, won by Rafale, for the development of the Mark-II version of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, timeline for which has been extended.

India Cancels $12B Combat Jet Program

08/05/2015

India has canceled its $12 billion program to purchase 126 medium multirole combat aircraft. According to a July 30 press release from the Indian Ministry of Defence, "The RFP issued earlier for procurement of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) has been withdrawn. In this multi-vendor procurement case, the Rafale aircraft met all the performance characteristics stipulated in the Request for Proposal (RFP) during the evaluation conducted by Indian Air Force."

Saudi-Led Coalition Deploys Nearly 3,000 Troops in Yemen - Reports

08/05/2015

A ground force of 2,800 pro-government troops, accompanied by tanks and armored personnel carriers, pushed toward a Houthi-controlled military base in Yemen Monday as Saudi-led coalition airstrikes cleared their path.

NATO Says 8 Aircraft ‘Currently Sufficient’ to Protect Baltic Airspace

08/05/2015

NATO estimates that reducing its air patrols over the Baltic states in half would be appropriate for the current level of threat, a NATO official told Sputnik on Tuesday. On Monday, NATO announced its plans to halve the number of military aircraft it had allocated to the Baltic Air Policing Mission. The program is aimed at helping Baltic NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia improve their capability, readiness, and responsiveness to deter against aggressors in the region.

Japan Suspends US Base Relocation Work for 1 Month

08/05/2015

Japan will suspend work on the relocation of a US military base in Okinawa Prefecture for 30 days to ease tensions with local authorities, the country’s cabinet chief announced Tuesday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was quoted by the Kyodo agency as saying at a news conference that Tokyo will hold “intensive consultations” with the local authorities to resolve an ongoing standoff.

Turkey To Buy Reconnaissance Aircraft

08/04/2015

Turkey’s procurement authorities approved a new contract to acquire reconnaissance and observation aircraft. The procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), released a request for information (RfI) to which potential bidders must reply no later than Aug. 12.

Dozens dead as Syrian army plane crashes in rebel-held town

08/04/2015

A Syrian military aircraft crashed while on a bombing run over the rebel-held northwestern town of Ariha on Monday, leaving at least 23 people dead, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was not immediately clear how many of the dead were from the crash and how many from the prior bombardment.

Beijing South China Sea Military Expansion: World's Largest Aircraft Carrier Dock Helps China Expand Naval Ambitions

08/04/2015

China has reportedly built the world's largest aircraft carrier dock at its naval base in the South China Sea. The 700 meter-long dock is able to accommodate ships on both sides, allowing it to service two aircraft carriers or other large ships at the same time.

Nato reports surge in jet interceptions as Russia tensions increase

08/04/2015

World powers are reporting surges in airspace violations and instances where aircraft are scrambled to intercept foreign jets, amid a sharp rise in geopolitical tensions in Europe and Asia. Nato member aircraft were forced to conduct more than 500 scrambles over Europe in 2014 – a fourfold increase on the previous year. Nearly 85% of these were to intercept Russian aircraft.

How China's expert fighter jet designer avoids America's mistakes

08/04/2015

There's aircraft designers, and then there's ace designers. There are thousands of engineers around the world producing planes, but ace designers only come along once every few decades. The United States had Kelly Johnson, the designer of the SR-71 Blackbird. Germany's Willy Messerschmitt produced a line of famous fighter planes. The Soviet Union's Mikhail Simonov created the muscular Su-27 fighter-bomber to compete with America's F-15 Eagle.