Military Aviation News Archive

F-16 Fighting Falcon

07/30/2015

The South Dakota Air National Guard is providing two F-16 Fighting Falcon static displays for the airshow. The aircraft are assigned to the 175th Fighter Squadron, part of the 114th Fighter Wing at Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls.

Former Langley fighter squadron reactivated as F-22 training partner

07/30/2015

The "Ironmen" will be back flying at Langley Air Force Base next month. The 71st Fighter Squadron will be re-activated under a slightly different name — the 71st Fighter Training Squadron — during a ceremony Aug. 21, according to a statement from the base.

Boeing Unveils First Royal Australian Air Force Growler

07/30/2015

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Navy today extended advanced airborne electronic attack (AEA) capability to a key U.S. ally, presenting the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with its first EA-18G Growler. Australia is the first country other than the U.S. to obtain this aircraft.

Tu-160M2 to Have New Avionics That Will Increase Its Effectiveness Twofold

07/30/2015

In addition to a new engine, Russia’s elite Tupolev Tu-160M2 strategic bomber (“White Swan”) is capable of carrying cruise and nuclear missiles and will receive cutting-edge avionics, said Vladimir Mikheev, the adviser of the deputy head of Russia’s Radio-Electronic Technologies Concern (RETC), according to Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Reports of Taliban Leader Mullah Omar’s Death Credible - White House

07/30/2015

Washington believes the reports claiming the leader of the Taliban wing in Afghanistan, Mullah Omar, was dead are trustworthy, White House spokesperson Eric Schultz said in a briefing on Tuesday.

US, Turkey Struggle to Define Syrian 'Moderates' for Proposed 'Safe Zone'

07/30/2015

The United States and Turkey have yet to identify a group of "moderate insurgents" capable of leading an operation to clear Islamic State (IS) militants from a stretch of territory along the Turkey-Syria border.

Argentina turns away from Xiaolong purchase

07/29/2015

Argentina has decided to give up trying to purchase the JF-17 Thunder, a multirole fighter known as the FC-1 Xiaolong jointly developed by China and Pakistan, reports the Shanghai-based Guancha Syndicate.

Air Force Secretary Acknowledges Wide Range of Problems with F-35

07/29/2015

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has admitted to a wide range of past and present problems with the F-35 while maintaining that the fifth-general will eventually guarantee the U.S. continued air supremacy over rivals. "The biggest lesson I have learned from the F-35 is never again should we be flying an aircraft while we're building it," James said at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado last week.

BAE Systems at risk of missing target as it fights for orders

07/29/2015

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Lockheed F-35’s Reliability Found Wanting in Shipboard Testing

07/29/2015

The Marine Corps’ version of Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 fighter demonstrated poor reliability in a 12-day exercise at sea, according to the U.S. military’s top testing officer. Six F-35Bs, the most complex version of the Pentagon’s costliest weapons system, were available for flights only half of the time needed, Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational testing, said in a memo obtained by Bloomberg News.

India’s Rafale Fighter Jets May Face Further Delays

07/29/2015

After last month’s announcement that India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program is encountering further delays, with final operational clearance postponed to March 2016 (See: “Surprise: India’s New Fighter Jet Faces More Delays”), the Indian Air Force (IAF) may experience an additional setback in increasing its number of operational combat squadrons.

Latvia Spots Russian Planes, Ships Near Territorial Waters

07/29/2015

Latvia's Armed Forces reported spotting three Russian aircraft and two ships near its territorial waters on Tuesday. In the air, Latvian patrol planes reported spotting two Russian long-range An-124 military transport aircraft, as well as well as an Il-76 multi-purpose strategic airlifter.

China’s PLA Launches Massive War Games in South China Sea

07/29/2015

Amid high tensions in the South China Sea, Beijing announced it conducted large-scale military drills at both air and sea on Tuesday, focusing on new information warfare systems. With over 100 ships and dozens of aircraft, state-run China Military Online reported that Beijing conducted large, live-ammunition drills in the South China Sea.

US Set to Deploy More Troops, Combat Aircraft to Turkey

07/29/2015

The United States is looking to broaden its military presence in Turkey with more personnel and combat aircraft, in its effort to intensify fight against ISIL alongside Turkish armed forces, a Pentagon official announced Monday.

Senior US Official Assures Turkish Troops to Stay Out of Syria

07/29/2015

A senior US official claims that the creation of a safe-zone along an ISIL-controlled border area with Turkey will rely on moderate Syrian rebels, and will not involve Turkish ground troops.

Argentina in negotiations for Israeli Kfir fighters

07/28/2015

After a long period of "preliminary evaluation", Argentina is negotiating the purchase of a batch of Israel Aerospace Industries Kfir Block 60 fighters. The Block 60 is the latest upgraded version of the Kfir, which was used by the Israeli air force between 1975 and 1994. Some aircraft are being offered with General Electric J79 engines with zero hours following a complete overhaul, while other examples would need to have this work performed after their powerplant reaches 1,600 flight hours.

Maybe India should consider the Eurofighter?

07/28/2015

What a difference a few years makes. In 2011 the Rafale had no foreign orders. India had been proclaiming the Rafale the “best aircraft for India” for some 5 years by then and declared it the L1 bidder in the tender for the 126 MMRCA with the Eurofighter Typhoon as the L2.

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.