Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

AMC crews face manning shortages, increased missions

07/28/2015

Air Mobility Command is losing aircraft tails, squadrons and people. But don’t think that means fewer missions and less work for those flying and maintaining the Air Force’s airlifters and tankers. “Our ops tempo is not going down one bit,” Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer said in a July 22 interview with Air Force Times. “Yet there’s clamor to have the resources go down. So you’ve got the lines on the chart going in opposite directions.”

UPDATE 1-U.S. Marines see decision soon on F-35 fighter combat-readiness

07/28/2015

The top U.S. Marine Corps aviator on Monday said an initial squadron of 10 Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jets met all the requirements for a declaration of combat-readiness during a recent review, and a decision from Marine Corps Commandant General Joseph Dunford was expected soon.

China’s New Islands Are Clearly Military, U.S. Pacific Chief Says

07/28/2015

The top U.S. military officer in the Pacific sternly warned China on Friday to immediately cease its “aggressive coercive island building” in the South China Sea, which he argued was intended clearly for China’s military use as forward operating bases in combat against their regional neighbors.

Why is Russia sending bombers close to U.S. airspace?

07/28/2015

Two Russian bombers intercepted by U.S. fighter jets off the California coast on July Fourth could be seen as having raised a metaphorical middle finger to the United States. "Good morning, American pilots. We are here to greet you on your Fourth of July Independence Day," they said, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

US to Send More Troops and Aircraft to Turkey to Combat ISIS

07/28/2015

The U.S. will be sending more Air Force personnel and aircraft to Turkey to combat ISIS but plans for a no-fly zone over the Syria-Turkey border remain on hold, Pentagon officials said Monday. "We're holding ongoing consultations with the Turks," said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, but currently "we have no plans for imposition of a no-fly zone."

US Rules Out Military Solution to Topple Assad - State Department Official

07/28/2015

A State Department official said that the United States was not planning to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad militarily because force alone will not solve the crisis in Syria.

Russia Has No Plans to Deploy Tu-22M3 Nuclear Bombers in Crimea – Air Force

07/28/2015

The Russian Air Force has no plans of deploying long-range Tu-22M3 bombers capable of delivering nuclear warheads to the Crimean Peninsula any time soon, Air Force Commander Col.-Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Monday.

US and Turkey to Provide Air Cover for 'Moderate' Syrian Rebels

07/28/2015

Reversing a long standing decision by the two countries, the United States and Turkey have announced plans to provide air cover for "moderate" Syrian rebels. While the Pentagon has admitted severe problems in identifying so-called moderates, the new strategy is meant to combat ISIL and to establish a safe zone along Turkey’s Syrian border.

Sinai's ISIS offshoot is most effective in Mideast, senior IDF official say

07/27/2015

Wilayat Sinai is a well organized and highly skilled terrorist organization. That’s the impression senior Israel Defense Forces officers have gotten from the Islamic State-affiliated group after its string of attacks on Egyptian security forces in Sinai, culminating in a major attack near the town of Sheikh Zuweid on July 1.

Philippine Build-Up At Subic Relies On U.S. Air, Navy To Stop Chinese

07/27/2015

Mysterious containment booms with Chinese markings on them have ratcheted up tensions in the South China Sea while the Philippines plans to return Subic Bay to its historic mission as a military base. Local fishermen describe the booms, painted orange, linked in a string one kilometer long, as buoys intended to mark off oil spills.

Military Reports Weekend Airstrikes Against ISIL Terrorists

07/27/2015

U.S. military aircraft, including planes from the soon-to-be San Diego-based USS Theodore Roosevelt, continue to strike Islamic terrorists, with 31 strikes reported so far this weekend. The Defense Department regularly reports the airstrikes under Operation Inherent Resolve, which includes aircraft from the U.S., other Western nations and Arabian allies. The attacks are directed at the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, better known as ISIL or ISIS.

Talisman Sabre: Trying to deter China

07/27/2015

More than 33,000 U.S. and Australian troops took part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial exercise that involved 21 ships including the aircraft carrier George Washington and the landing helicopter dock Bonhomme Richard’s expeditionary strike group.

Saab Earns Dividend as Europe Struggles With Budgets

07/27/2015

Saab is about to reap the financial reward of a state-backed defense-industrial strategy shaped under Sweden's former Moderate government, which was ousted by the current pro-defense spending Social Democratic Party-led coalition in September 2014.

Under Obama, Our Military’s Strength Has Significantly Decreased

07/27/2015

Barack Obama is not likely to be mistaken for Teddy Roosevelt. Yes, his foreign policy has been quite soft-spoken—especially when addressing openly hostile states such as Iran. But he has whittled America’s “big stick” down to kindling.

Stealthy F-22s aid combat against militants

07/27/2015

Screaming through the air along southern Virginia’s coast, the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor routinely puts on a dazzling show of loops, dives and combat maneuvers designed to bedevil and defeat opponents before they ever know it’s there. But in its first months of combat in the skies above Iraq and Syria, the stealthy jet’s contribution has been more of an escort role. It has been using its high-tech sensors and communications to guide and protect other fighters that are actually dropping the bombs.

Canada, Hungary to Hold Observation Flight Over Russia – Security Official

07/27/2015

Canadian and Hungarian experts will fly over Russia on Monday as part of the Treaty on Open Skies, the head of the Russian National Center for Reducing the Nuclear Threat said. Sergei Ryzhkov said the joint Canadian-Hungarian mission will be carried out by a Hungarian An-26 observation aircraft.

Turkish Jets Strike Kurdish Targets in Northern Iraq

07/27/2015

The Turkish jets, scrambled from the Diyarbakir airbase, struck PKK positions in the area of Harkurk along the Iraqi-Turkish border, according to the MyNet web portal. Ankara is yet to confirm the strikes.

Taiwan Pursues MH-60R ASW Helos

07/26/2015

Taiwan's Navy seeks to procure eight to 10 MH-60R Seahawk anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopters via the US Foreign Military Sales program to replace aging MD500 "Defender" helicopters, a local defense industry source said. An announcement is expected by the end of this year and a possible letter of acceptance in 2016, the source said. A US-based defense industry analyst said the deal was estimated at $700 million to $800 million.

Turkey Says it Could Send Troops into Syria to Fight ISIS

07/26/2015

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday Turkey could send troops into Syria to combat ISIS shortly after it was announced that coalition aircraft could start flying missions against ISIS from Turkish airbases. In the campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), NATO ally Turkey would be prepared to send its army across the border into Syria "if there was such a need," Davutoglu said at a news conference Friday.

Augmenting operational strength: IAF in the process of inducting more aircraft

07/26/2015

Augmenting its operational strength, the IAF is in the process of inducting additional Su-30 MKI aircraft manufactured under licence by HAL and Light Combat Aircraft ( LCA), which is manufactured indigenously by HAL, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the Lok Sabha. He said that the requirement of fighter aircraft is periodically reviewed to ensure that the IAF meets its operational needs.

Russia Creating Air Force, Air Defense Forces for Northern Fleet

07/26/2015

Russia is set to form an air force and an air defense force within the Northern Fleet, its commander said on Saturday. The decision to establish these forces in the Northern Fleet was announced by the head of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov in late 2014. "We have started the development of air force and air defense force armies within the ranks of the Northern Fleet," Admiral Vladimir Korolev said.

Moscow Close to Selling Air Defense System Better Than S-300 to Tehran

07/26/2015

Negotiations on delivery of a more modernized Russian air defense system than S-300 to Iran are close to a successful conclusion, a source in the Iranian Defense Ministry told Sputnik on Saturday.

Raytheon to Provide US, Saudi Arabia With $180Mln in Air-to-Ground Missiles

07/26/2015

US defense contractor Raytheon has been awarded a $180 million contract to provide the US Navy and Saudi Arabia with guided air-to-ground missiles, the US Defense Department announced.

US State Dep't Confirms Use of Turkish Base for Airstrikes on ISIL in Syria

07/26/2015

The Turkish government approved the use of the Incirlik airbase by US and other anti-Islamic State coalition partners to carry out airstrikes in Syria, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Friday.

Turkish Planes Carry Out Fresh Strikes on ISIL Positions in Syria - TV

07/26/2015

Turkish F-16 Falcon combat jets are carrying out a second wave of airstrikes on Friday against positions of Islamic State militants in Syria, the NTV television reported citing military sources.