Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

RAF Bombs Diverted to Saudis for Yemen Strikes

07/17/2015

Britain is transferring Paveway IV precision guided bombs originally earmarked for the Royal Air Force to Saudi Arabia to enable the Gulf state to build stocks of the weapon being used against targets in Yemen and Syria, sources here said. The Ministry of Defence has swapped delivery positions on the production line at Raytheon UK to ensure the Saudi Royal Air Force has weapon stocks to continue strike missions with the highly accurate 500-pound bomb.

Russian Air Force Receives New Su-34 Bombers, Su-35S Fighters As Military Expansion Continues

07/17/2015

The Russian Air Force received new orders of upgraded Su-34 bombers and Su-35S fighters on Thursday, state-owned manufacturer Sukhoi confirmed Thursday. The aircraft shipments were a direct result of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan to overhaul the Russian military by the end of the decade.

India to build next aircraft carrier with US technology

07/17/2015

India and the US have worked out the terms of reference for building the next Indian aircraft carrier with US technology. This has been pushed through after the visit of US defence secretary Ash Carter. As both countries prepare for a September round of strategic dialogue in Washington DC, India is preparing to send a team to speed up talks on the aircraft carrier and the Light Combat Aircraft jet engine, which is also slated to be built with US assistance.

Software flaws on Marine F-35 won’t bar combat, Pentagon says

07/17/2015

Five years after the first F-35s were supposed to be declared combat-ready, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer says the fighter jet’s operating software is ready to go “with some minor workarounds” that need to be remedied later.

Japanese Fighter Jet Scrambles Down, Amid Tokyo’s Militarization Push

07/17/2015

Scrambles against Russian aircraft fell 76% to 57 times, Reuters reported. The sharp slide in this year’s quarterly decline, however, does not necessarily signal a slowdown in Russian military activities in the region, according to a Defense Ministry official.

Turkey Confirms Greek Jets Chased Turkish Fighters Over Aegean Sea

07/17/2015

Earlier in the day, several news outlets reported that Greece had scrambled fighter jets after Turkish aircraft had trespassed into Greek airspace. Turkey does not recognize a 10-mile zone of Greek airspace surrounding islands in the Aegean Sea that are the reason of numerous such incidents between Turkish and Greek warplanes in the sky over the sea.

Bribery suspected in plane sale to Iraq

07/16/2015

The Czech Defense Ministry is to gain 780 million Kc for the sale of 15 L-159 military aircraft to Iraq, but the deal, which was struck some time ago, seems to be endangered once again over what some Iraqi sources call suspected corruption, daily Lidové noviny (LN) writes today.

Eurofighter: Typhoon To Be More Agile, Deadly

07/16/2015

Flight tests of a Eurofighter Typhoon fighter sporting several aerodynamic modifications have greatly improved the aircraft's agility and weapons-carrying capabilities, Airbus Defence and Space said Wednesday. The addition of fuselage strakes and leading-edge root extensions and other more minor changes to an Airbus test aircraft resulted in improved lift, angle of attack and roll rate capabilities compared with the standard aircraft, the Eurofighter consortium member said in a statement.

Exercise 'Indradhanush': IAF Contingent Leaves for UK

07/16/2015

A 190-member Indian Air Force contingent, backed by Su-30 fighters, IL-78 tankers, C-17 strategic and C-130J tactical airlift aircraft, left for the UK today to take part in the fourth edition of ten-day long bilateral exercise 'Indradhanush'.

Boeing Alliance Wins U.S. Navy Contract for V-22 Ospreys

07/16/2015

This marks the first sale of the V-22 aircraft through the U.S. government's FMS program. Contract work is expected to be completed in Jun 2018. V-22 Osprey will be used in Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force. It will help to provide relief efforts during natural disasters. Osprey's capabilities include troop transport, disaster relief, personnel recovery, medical evacuation, logistics support and executive transport.

Philippines reopens Subic Bay as military base to cover South China Sea

07/16/2015

The Philippines will station new fighter jets and two frigates as it reopens the former US naval base in Subic Bay to military use in a further response to Chinese expansionism in the disputed South China Sea.

U.K. Defense Chief Sees Air Force Combat Jet Fleet Stretched

07/16/2015

Britain’s top military officer said Wednesday the country’s fleet of combat jets is stretched to the limit and could struggle to take on additional roles in fighting Islamist extremists in the Middle East without scaling back elsewhere.

Missiles Fall Off RAF Combat Plane As It Lands

07/16/2015

The Brimstone ground attack weapons did not explode and no one was injured in the incident at RAF Akrotiri, a spokesman said. The base has been used in airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq. But the spokesman would not be drawn on whether the aircraft was returning from a combat mission against the terror group, also known as ISIS and ISIL.

Pentagon Trying to Entice Drone Pilots With Cash Bonuses

07/16/2015

In an attempt to address the "critical shortage of remotely piloted aircraft pilots," the United States Air Force has just announced an increase of retention bonuses for drone pilots, one that will likely make flying unmanned aircrafts much more appealing.

NATO to Remain Nuclear Alliance as Long as Atomic Weapons Exist

07/16/2015

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Monday that the B61-12 nuclear bomb test in Nevada on July 1, 2015 was openly provocative and contrary to Washington's stated desire for complete nuclear disarmament.

Anti-Houthi Fighters Gain Advantage in Aden

07/15/2015

The U.N.-brokered cease-fire that was supposed to bring a temporary halt to fighting in Yemen over Ramadan failed before it even started. Supposedly taking effect midnight on July 10, the humanitarian truce was largely ignored by forces on the ground — fighting continued through the weekend. Forces loyal to Yemeni President Abd Rabboh Mansour Hadi claim they were not ordered to commit to the cessation of hostilities, though disrupted communications may have been partially responsible.

Israel Air Force to participate in major U.S. air exercise

07/15/2015

The Israel Air Force is completing preparations for participation in the American Red Flag exercises that take place at the Nellis Air Force Base. The delegation going to the United States will be similar in size to the one that was supposed to join the training exercise last year: about 10 aircraft, along with the air crews and technical teams. Israel’s participation in last year’s exercise was canceled for budgetary reasons.

Govt clears defence proposals worth Rs 30,000 cr including 4 more P81 aircrafts, guns

07/15/2015

The top acquisition committee of the Defence Ministry today cleared proposals worth over Rs 30,000 crore, including that to replace army's 60s vintage air defence guns and for buying four more P81 long-range maritime patrol aircraft for the navy.

Why They’re Cheering in Tehran

07/15/2015

The nuclear agreement with Iran announced Tuesday is an astoundingly good deal, far surpassing the hopes of anyone . . . in Tehran. It requires Iran to reduce the number of centrifuges enriching uranium by about half, to sell most of its current uranium stockpile or “downblend” it to lower levels of enrichment, and to accept inspections (whose precise nature is yet to be specified) by the International Atomic Energy Agency, something that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had wanted to avoid.

Two Pilots Killed In Russian Tu-95 Bomber Crash

07/15/2015

Two pilots were killed when a strategic bomber with seven people on board crashed in far eastern Russia on Tuesday, the defense ministry said, the latest in a string of military aircraft accidents. "The search and rescue team of the eastern military district has found where two members of the Tu-95 bomber landed," the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan Expands Lockheed Martin Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod Fleet

07/15/2015

Lockheed Martin received a follow-on foreign military sale contract to produce and upgrade Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP) for the Pakistan Air Force’s F-16 fleet. The contract includes the production of 15 Sniper ATPs and upgrades to the Pakistan Air Force’s existing 22 Sniper ATPs.

Bell Boeing Announces Contract for First V-22 Ospreys to Japan

07/15/2015

Bell Boeing, a strategic alliance between Bell Helicopter, a Textron [NYSE: TXT] company, and Boeing, was awarded a U.S. Navy contract today for five Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to be delivered to Japan, marking the first sale of the aircraft through the U.S. government’s foreign military sales program.

US, Ukraine Sign Open Skies Civil Aviation Agreement

07/15/2015

The United States and Ukraine signed an Open Skies agreement to expand commercial and cargo flights between the two countries, the State Department announced in a statement on Tuesday.

US, Singapore Naval Forces Launch Joint Maritime Exercise Near S China Sea

07/15/2015

On July 13, the US and Singapore naval forces began a joint maritime exercise at Changi Naval Base located in Singapore Strait, which is situated close to the South China Sea. The area holding potentially significant oil and gas reserves, is the subject of a territorial dispute between several regional countries.

Dropping a barrel bomb? Apparently there’s an app for it.

07/14/2015

Wanton death and destruction from the sky? There’s an app for it. According to a recent article in IHS Jane’s Defense, the Syrian Air Force uses iPad apps to help drop explosive, and sometimes chlorine-filled, barrel bombs from the rear of their aging fleet of transport helicopters.