Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Israel insists on in-country F-35 MRO activities

08/21/2015

Israel insists it will undertake the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of its on-order fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 combat aircraft, going against the airframer’s strategy of creating regional sustainment centres for the Joint Strike Fighter. "We have made it clear that the maintenance of the aircraft including depot-level [work] will be done in our bases," a senior Israeli air force officer tells Flightglobal.

Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov Aircraft Carrier is Back in Service!

08/21/2015

The Russian Navy's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, undergoing three months of refit and repair work at a floating dock in Russia's northwest region of Murmansk, is getting set to head back to its Northern Fleet base, Navy spokesman and Captain 2nd Rank Andrei Luzik told Russian media on Thursday.

US seeks greater RAAF role in Syria

08/21/2015

The formal US request for expanded air cover, including enhanced intelligence-gathering, support for US and coalition fighter planes in Syrian air space and the potential for Australian airstrikes, was sent to the Australian embassy in Washington DC yesterday.

North Korea Prepares to Bring Troops to Full Combat Readiness - Reports

08/21/2015

Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, has ordered the country’s army to bring the troops to full combat readiness following the Thursday exchange of fire between North and South Korea, the Yonhap News Agency reports.

US-Led Coalition Against ISIL Destroys Explosives Facility

08/21/2015

The US-led coalition against the Islamic State conducted an airstrike on Wednesday and destroyed a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) facility, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a release on Thursday.

Philippine Navy Weaponizes Helicopters to Deploy on Frigates

08/21/2015

The Philippine Navy is preparing to deploy weaponized versions of its AgustaWestland AW109 helicopter on board its Pilar-class frigates, the Navy's director of public affairs said Wednesday. According to Commander Lued Lincuna, the frigates had previously embarked non-weaponized versions of the helicopter for testing, qualification, and crew familiarization, IHS Jane's reported.

Argentina’s Air Force To Be Left Without Jet Fighters

08/21/2015

By the end of November 2015, Argentina’s Air Force will retire its fleet of Mirage fighters, according to the local web portal El Eco; the nation’s air defense will then be mostly entrusted to domestically-produced FMA IA-63 Pampa training and combat aircraft.

Pakistan Will Purchase Four Russian Mi-35M Helicopters

08/21/2015

According to the Russian Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan signed a contract for Russia's Mi-35M transport and attack helicopters. Pakistan will acquire four Russian Mi-35M helicopters, the Russian Embassy in Islamabad said Thursday.

Ukraine shifts closer to open war with recent attacks

08/20/2015

Renewed fighting in Ukraine has claimed the lives of dozens of civilians and soldiers in the past two weeks alone. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin have both called emergency war councils since Aug. 4, as the ceasefire and diplomacy have further broken down. In its recent reports, the Ukrainian military has used the phrase “most shelling in six months” multiple times, and with increasing frequency.

Russia planting new anti-aircraft missiles in Arctic

08/20/2015

Russia is moving new, specially modified air-defense systems that can withstand harsh arctic environments to key areas along its border with Norway and the U.S., the U.S. Army’s Foreign Military Studies Office (FSMO) said in its August report.

Turkey and Azerbaijan to conduct joint aerial military exercise

08/20/2015

Turkey and Azerbaijan will conduct joint air force exercises next week on Saturday. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry announced that the exercises will include a series of operations such as airstrikes against joint targets. They will feature a variety of military aircraft including Mig-29, F-16 and Su-25 fighters, F-4E bombers, C-130 Hercules transport planes and Mi-35, Mi-17 and Skorski UH-60 attack helicopters.

What is the F-35B and Why is the UK Buying It?

08/20/2015

Over the past few years, the F-35 Lightning II – the fifth-generation, Lockheed Martin wunder-plane set to eventually take over from almost every fighter jet in the US and UK militaries – has received a public relations kicking. It’s expensive – the total cost for the programme so far is an incredible, not-even-hyperbolic trillion dollars.

Israel upgrades F-16Is to cope with missile threat

08/20/2015

Israel is upgrading its Lockheed Martin F-16I combat aircraft with several undisclosed systems in order to cope with the increased threat from surface-launched missiles. A senior air force officer tells Flightglobal that intelligence reports indicate that the enhancement is necessary.“The threats we are facing and will face, according to intelligence assessments, require the installation of new systems," he says.

Generator failure caused drone crash near Africa, investigation finds

08/20/2015

The failure of an onboard electrical generator caused the crash of a drone in February during a mission over Africa, an Air Force investigation announced Wednesday. The Air Force crew in charge of the aircraft intentionally crashed the MQ-9A Reaper over international waters after they were unable to fix the problem Feb. 4, according to the report by the Accident Investigation Board.

Indian Industry Could Lose Out in Revised Rafale Deal

08/20/2015

India’s expanding aerospace industry has expressed regret about the government’s decision to buy 36 Dassault Rafale combat jets directly from France, without an offsets clause. Delhi has committed to signing the inter-government contract by the end of calendar year 2015, AIN has learned from sources close to the negotiations. The tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), which has now been withdrawn, specified 50 percent offsets as well as licensed production of 108 aircraft.

China's military aircraft walk fine line between copying and 'referencing'

08/20/2015

An internet user recently published a black and white photograph of the "number 2013" prototype of the Chengdu J-20 fighter, which hasn't made an appearance in quite some time, on a test flight, according to Sina's military news web portal. The angle of the photograph suggests that the area of the canard wings are quite large and that the body of the plane is long and thin, which suggests that it will have quite a high-speed cruise capability.

Syrian Army Retakes 16 Villages, Kills Over 300 Rebels in Hama Province

08/20/2015

The Syrian army has retaken 16 villages and killed up to 350 rebels during the ongoing offensive in Syria's central Hama province, a military source said on Wednesday. The Syrian military launched a large-scale offensive on Monday aiming to take back territories captured by a rebel alliance that includes al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate, the Al-Nusra Front.

'Combat Commonwealth': CIS Air Defense Drills Kick Off in Russia

08/19/2015

The first Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) integrated air-defense-system combat-training exercises kicked off near Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday.

Is the U.S. Air Force Looking For Another All-New Airplane?

08/19/2015

The U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command (ACC) last week released its 2015 strategy review, “Securing the High Ground,” primarily a guide for updating and modernizing the existing fleet. Near the end of the 15-page document the ACC says, “We must also continue to develop a balanced close air support (CAS) capability across all [Global Precision Attack] platforms, explore opportunities for a future CAS platform, and enact specific initiatives to ensure we maintain a CAS culture throughout the.”

US sends fresh tanks, planes, troops to Europe as ‘message’ to Moscow

08/19/2015

At the weekend, the United States air force also declared it will be sending another 12 A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack planes to reinforce NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve — an ongoing show of force aimed at deterring mounting Russian hostility towards Ukraine and East European states.

Marine Corps Sees Growing Demand for V-22 Osprey

08/19/2015

The Marine Corps is working on training V-22 Osprey crews faster in order to keep pace with the growing demand for the tilt-rotor aircraft, officials said. With its ability to hover like a helicopter and fly like an airplane, cargo carrying capacity, 280-knot speed and 450 nautical mile combat radius, the Osprey is proving to be an indispensable asset for amphibious and expeditionary Corps units involved in training exercises, humanitarian missions and other operations.

First Apaches arrive in Alaska as Army reorganizes

08/19/2015

The first of 24 AH-64 Apache helicopters were scheduled to arrive Tuesday in Alaska as part of the Army’s sweeping five-year reorganization of its aviation assets. The Apaches, which were coming from Germany, were being delivered via an Air Force C-5 Galaxy, landing Tuesday afternoon local time at Ladd Army Airfield on Fort Wainwright.

Air Force looking for more advanced fighter aircraft

08/19/2015

Despite the “air-to-air” capabilities of its South Korean-made F/A-50 “Fighting Eagle” jet aircraft, the Philippine Air Force (PAF) still has its sights on acquiring a more advanced and capable jet fighter. This was announced by PAF chief Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado in an interview Monday.

DoD Tries to Reduce Human Factor by Increasing Drone Use - Advocacy Group

08/19/2015

The US government’s intention to significantly expand drone flights over the next four years indicates that Washington is trying to remove a human role in wars, activist Melinda Pillsbury-Foster of the Drone Free Zone group told Sputnik.

'Loose Tweets Destroy Fleets': Air Force Issues Social Media Warning

08/19/2015

The US Air Force is urging service people to show discretion when it comes to their social media accounts, warning in a new poster: "Loose tweets destroy fleets." The poster, issued by Captain Jonathan McDonald of US Air Force Central Command, is an updated version of the World War II warning "Loose lips sink ships."