Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

2 weeks of Red Flag exercises, GPS interference testing begin; Southern Nevada

07/14/2015

Over the next two weeks, Southern Utah, southern Nevada and possibly the Arizona Strip between the two, may experience some reverberation as military exercises are underway at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. Beginning Tuesday GPS intervention testing commences in the same region intermittently over the same period, impacting aviation. Nevadans, in particular, may notice increased military aircraft activity.

US delivers first F-16 fighters to Iraq

07/14/2015

The U.S. on Monday delivered the first lot of F-16 fighter jets to the Iraqi government to be used in the fight against Islamic militants. Brett McGurk, the administration’s deputy special presidential envoy to the coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), confirmed the deliver on Twitter.

China-Pakistan cooperate on fighter jet production

07/14/2015

For more than a decade now, China and Pakistan have worked together to develop and manufacture a new kind of fighter jet. The aircraft itself exemplifies the friendship and cooperation between the two countries. China named this beauty “FC-1 Xiaolong” – which stands for “ Fighter China, Fierce Dragon”, and in Pakistan it’s called “JF-17”, short for “Joint Fighter”.

Ten Signs The F-35 Fighter Program Is Becoming A Smashing Success

07/14/2015

Summer is the silly season for defense coverage in the nation’s capital. With much of official Washington gone, journalists have to work harder to find anything worth reporting. When they uncover an item that sounds like it might be newsy, they get as much mileage out of it as they can.

Lockheed Martin’s JAGM Goes Two for Two in Latest Flight Tests

07/14/2015

Lockheed Martin demonstrated its multi-mode Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), engaging two laser-designated stationary targets during recent Government-led flight tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In the first test, the missile flew four kilometers, engaged its precision-strike, semi-active laser and hit the stationary target.

Russia Developing Unique Communications Systems for Next-Generation Bomber

07/14/2015

Russian engineers are developing a one-of-a-kind communications system for Russia's next-generation PAK DA strategic bomber which will be able to conduct analysis, make changes and switch its operation modes, a representative of Russia's United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC) told RIA Novosti.

Northern Fleet Su-33’s Redeployed to Crimea for Training

07/14/2015

Three Su-25UTG aircraft and three Su-33 carrier-based fighters were redeployed from the Severomorsk-3 airfield of the Northern Fleet to the Saki airfield. The training sessions will take several weeks and include 10 flying shifts.

Russia Developing Airships Equipped With Anti-Ballistic Missile Radars

07/14/2015

The principal advantage of an airship is the large surface of its body where radar systems can be mounted. The antennas of anti-ballistic missile radars will be mounted on the cover of an airship, according to a representative of Russia’s KRET company.

China Wants to Develop a New Long-Range Strategic Bomber

07/13/2015

China needs to develop a new long-range strike bomber capable of attacking targets farther out in the Pacific. This is the principal conclusion of a meeting of Chinese military officials, according to AFP citing a full-page China Daily article published last Tuesday as its source.

Military airstrikes continue against ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq

07/13/2015

On July 11, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 16 airstrikes using bomber, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 11 airstrikes approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense using attack, fighter-attack and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

Op Tempo, Sustainment Flaws Hit Russian Air Force

07/13/2015

Russia's Air Force is falling from the sky. As the Kremlin continues to assert its air power in a bid to intimidate NATO allies in Europe and North America, its mostly Soviet-built aircraft are being pushed to their limits — a fact experts point to when attempting to explain the loss of five aircraft of different designs in just the past month.

AgustaWestland celebrates 100 years of aircraft manufacturing in the U.K.

07/13/2015

Finmeccanica-AgustaWestland on July 12 celebrated the centenary of the formation of the Westland Aircraft Works in Yeovil and the many aeronautical achievements that have been made during 100 years of continuous aircraft manufacturing on the site. Established in 1915 Westland has produced many famous fixed wing aircraft designs such as the Whirlwind, Welkin, Wapiti, Lysander before focussing on helicopter production and later on its own designs such as the Lynx and AW101.

Japanese Air Force plane lands twice at Mumbai airport

07/13/2015

Mumbai airport played host to a new guest recently. A Japanese Air Force aircraft made stops twice in the last week during its anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, in the Horn of Africa, a peninsula in the north-east of the continent. The airplane landed in Mumbai to refuel as well as to allow its crew to rest.

European Clout Expands in South Korea

07/13/2015

European defense clout is expanding in South Korea, which has long been regarded as a second home turf for American weapon systems. In a sign of growing popularity of European weapons here, Airbus has clinched back-to-back arms acquisition deals for helicopters and in-flight refueling tankers.

Security officials say Saudi-led airstrikes, ground fighting rage on in Yemen despite truce

07/13/2015

Airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition targeting Shiite rebels and their allies struck several Yemeni cities on Sunday, with combat raging near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait despite a declared truce, military and security officials said. Some 500 troops loyal to exiled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, along with allied militias, were pushing to take areas near the strait, the officials said.

Defence review: 'Spend more' on SAS and drones

07/13/2015

The prime minister has asked them to look at increasing funding for special forces as part of the strategic defence and security review. They have also been urged to consider new spy aircraft, including drones. The priorities were set out after last week's Budget pledged to spend 2% of national wealth on defence until 2020.