Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Herc Heads Home: Afghans receive fourth C-130; Robins played close role in planning, maintenance

07/11/2015

A fourth C-130H Hercules was delivered June 20 at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, and its significance can be traced back to planners, program managers, engineers and maintainers at Robins. Prior to its delivery to the Afghan Air Force, it first made a stop here for something quite interesting and unique - the complete separation of the aircraft's nose from its fuselage in March 2014.

ISIS in Afghanistan may be planning attacks on US forces

07/11/2015

Defense officials on Friday said "individuals" in Afghanistan — whom local media identified as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants — were planning attacks on U.S. and coalition forces there, necessitating drone strikes earlier this week. "The strikes were against individuals known to be planning attacks against U.S. and coalition personnel," said a U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan.

F-35 Nears Combat Readiness As Massive Order Planned

07/11/2015

Lockheed Martin's (NYSE:LMT) F-35 could be deemed ready for combat in the coming weeks, a major milestone for the $400 billion program after a series of development issues, as the Pentagon readies its largest order yet of the stealth fighter.

The F-35 may have big problems fighting at long range

07/11/2015

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) was supposed to fill multiple roles for the Air Force, Navy, Marines, and US foreign partners. The jet — the most expensive US weapons project of all time — was designed to have aerial combat, close-air support, and long-range-strike capabilities.

The Russian Air Force is falling out of the sky

07/11/2015

The flights began last year. The government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, eager to send a message, began flying nuclear bombers on training missions near the United States and its allies around the world.

Government is rapidly losing out on creating Low Combat Aircraft for India

07/11/2015

The Indian Government is considering to handover project for improved version of 'Tejas' fighter planes to private sector for efficient and time bound execution. Fed up with a string of delays and design flaws, the government wants to rope in a private player for Light Combat Aircraft, or LCA, programme.

Vicious Reasoning: ISIL Kills Thousands of Muslims in the Name of Islam

07/11/2015

The Islamic State’s greatest weakness is that while claiming to defend Muslims, it is most active in killing them, former US State Department Coordinator for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC) Alberto Fernandez told Sputnik on Friday.

Japan Wants to Join NATO's Missile Consortium

07/11/2015

The move would mark Tokyo's first introduction to a multinational defense project. The United States is encouraging Japan's inclusion in the missile group, hoping that it will pave the way for similar alliances in Asia, sources told Reuters. The 12-country consortium oversees development and shares the costs of the Sea Sparrow missile, an American-made, advanced ship-borne weapon designed to destroy anti-ship sea-skimming missiles and attack aircraft.

Arms modernization and military transformation in Indonesia

07/10/2015

The recent crash of an Air Force C-130B airlifter was the latest in a long line of fatal accidents involving the country’s military hardware. Between 2006 and 2015, there were a total of 18 accidents or an average of two incidents per year. These have caused huge material losses and most importantly, claimed the lives of well-trained military personnel.

Finland scrambles to intercept Russian military aircraft

07/10/2015

Nordic and Baltic airspace violations by Russian planes intensify regional tensions. It's been revealed that Finland's Air Force scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft recently after violating the Nordic country's airspace. The Russian IL-76 was travelling west en route from Russia when it entered a kilometer into Finnish territory, border officials said, according to the BBC.

George Washington CSG kicks off Talisman Sabre 15

07/10/2015

Sailors from the George Washington Carrier Strike Group (GWCSG) began their portion of Talisman Sabre 2015 off the north coast of Australia, July 7. Exercise Talisman Sabre is a biennial training activity aimed at improving Australian and U.S. combat readiness and interoperability.

Chinese Aircraft Carrier to Acquire First Battle Group

07/10/2015

Sometime next year, the Liaoning aircraft carrier expects to gain its first aircraft battle group in order to compensate for the limited combat radius of existing fleets, according to Xinhua News Agency. China is looking at various strategies in forming its aircraft carrier battle group, according to the report.

Iraqi militias vow to push Islamic State from Fallujah, site of tough US battle

07/10/2015

Iraq's powerful Shiite militias are vowing to drive Islamic State fighters out of Fallujah, setting off a panic in the city where U.S. Marines saw their bloodiest combat of the war. The militias' campaign to besiege the city 40 miles west of Baghdad comes as Iraq's U.S.-backed regular armed forces are gearing up for a counteroffensive in Ramadi, which fell to the Islamic State two months ago.

First female F-35 pilot completes initial flight

07/10/2015

The first female F-35 pilot has taken flight. Air Force Lt. Col. Christine Mau, deputy commander of the 33rd Fighter Wing Operations group, flew her first flight in an F-35A on May 5 at the pilot training school at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Mau, previously an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot, completed 14 simulator flights before taking to the skies.

Pentagon Reconsidering Total F-35 Buy, Dunford Says

07/10/2015

Gen. Joseph Dunford, the nominee for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he’s willing to rethink the acquisition plan for the most expensive weapons program ever. Much has changed about the Pentagon’s Joint Strike Fighter program in the past 13 years, but one thing has remained steady: the number of F-35s to be bought for the Air Force, Navy and Marines.

Red Tails fighter wing, 1,400 jobs could 'go away'

07/10/2015

If the military doesn't pick the Montgomery-based Air National Guard fighter wing for a jet upgrade, the wing could be no more — potentially eliminating nearly 1,400 jobs and shelving the Red Tails, a squadron that carries with it the name and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. "There's a real potential that we could go away," 187th Fighter Wing Commander Randy Efferson said.

Project to build new, improved version of ‘Tejas’ fighter may be given to private sector

07/10/2015

Frustrated by the persistent delays and design flaws that have dogged the Light Combat Aircraft, or LCA, programme, the government is seriously considering whether to hand over the project to build a new, improved version of the 'Tejas' indigenous fighter plane to the private sector for timebound and efficient execution.

Australia Refuses to Buy F-35B for Its Military

07/10/2015

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot wanted to put short-take-off and vertical-landing F-35Bs – made by American defense contractor Lockheed Martin – on the decks of the Navy's two 27,000-ton troop transport assault ships.

Iraqi F-16s to fly out of Iraq, not Jordan

07/09/2015

Iraqi F-16s and pilots will not be based out of Jordan, as reported by Iraqi media, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said. Abed Issawi, a Shiite member of Iraq's parliament, had told reporters that that the U.S. government was demanding that the Iraqi F-16s fly combat missions from Jordan, not Iraq, according to Rudaw, a Kurdish media outlet.

US Air Force leader sees Russia as 'biggest threat'

07/09/2015

Russia is the biggest threat to US national security and America must boost its military presence throughout Europe even as Nato allies face budget challenges and scale back spending, Deborah James, US Air Force Secretary, said on Wednesday.

Tejas Mark II – Aeronautical Development Agency needs to have realistic goals

07/09/2015

I read two articles with great interest – “First Tejas Mark II engine to arrive in September” and “From Tejas to AMCA” – on July 6, both by Ajai Shukla of the Business Standard. As a retired Colonel of Indian Army, Shukla speaks with a certainty that comes from experience and in these articles he rails against “self-appointed patriots who see no irony in their advocacy of expensive foreign weaponry”.

Exclusive: Lockheed, Textron final suitors for Sikorsky Aircraft - sources

07/09/2015

Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Textron Inc (TXT.N) have emerged as final contenders to buy United Technologies Corp's (UTX.N) Sikorsky Aircraft business, which could be valued at around $8 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. UTC is weighing offers from the two companies and may come to a decision by the end of the month, one of the people said.

Is It Getting Easier or More Difficult to Fly a Fighter Jet?

07/09/2015

First, from one point of view, it's getting harder to fly fighter jets because there are fewer around and the requirements to even climb in to one are remarkably high. I'm very glad I didn't have this kind of competition for so few slots. Let's move on to the other aspect.

Large Russian Aircraft Carrier Design Unveiled

07/09/2015

A design for a large, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was unveiled at the seventh maritime and defense show (IMDS’2015) held last week in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Krylov State Research Center—a government-owned scientific institute specializing in marine technologies—showed a scale model of a “multipurpose aircraft carrier” that was comparable in size to the U.S. Navy Nimitz class. The Russian ministry of defense is funding Krylov’s work under Project Shtorm (Storm).

Northrop Grumman’s Naval Combat Drones Get Lifeline

07/09/2015

The Navy has decided to hold off sending its X-47B combat drones to an aviation museum. For now, the Northrop Grumman aircraft will be kept in flying condition pending high-level decisions on how to move forward. “The Navy is examining a range of potential follow-on activities involving the X-47B air vehicles,” Navy Capt. Beau Duarte, program manager for unmanned carrier aviation, told National Defense in a statement.