Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Islamic State militants now pose a threat to aircraft

10/27/2014

From the battlefield near Baiji, an Islamic State jihadist fired a heat-seeking missile and blew an Iraqi army Mi-35M attack helicopter out of the sky this month, killing its two crew members. Days later, the Islamic State released a chilling series of images from a video purporting to capture the attack in northern Iraq: a jihadist hiding behind a wall with a Chinese-made missile launcher balanced on his shoulder.

China tests new generation of military aircraft: Report

10/27/2014

China is testing a new generation of military aircraft which includes the country's first and most advanced stealth fighter believed to form the backbone of its air force. The photos of fourth-generation stealth fighter J20, Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) aircraft KJ-500 and Y-20 large military transporter, reportedly conducting tests flights, were published on a popular military forum, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

India halts Su-30 flights after latest crash

10/26/2014

The Indian air force has temporarily suspended flying on its entire fleet of an estimated 200 Sukhoi Su-30MKIs, following an uncommanded ejection involving the type on 21 October. “Flying of the Su-30 fleet has been temporarily suspended. The Court of Inquiry is in progress and certain specific checks are being conducted on the aircraft,” says India's defence ministry.

MoD to speed up Typhoon upgrade for Iraq campaign

10/26/2014

The Ministry of Defence is speeding up plans to upgrade the RAF’s Typhoon jets with precision missiles in case they are one day needed to bomb Isil fighters in Iraq. Defence sources said Britain’s role in the unexpected campaign against Islamist militants had exposed a shortage of ground attack jets which will only get worse as the RAF’s ageing Tornado planes retire.

Why India needs to rethink the Rafale deal

10/26/2014

Russian Ambassador in New Delhi Alexander Kadakin claims Chinese Sukhoi Flankers will swat the Rafale like mosquitoes, but what’s more worrying is India is willing to spend $30 billion on a stop-gap aircraft. Fighter planes fall into two categories – the hunters and the hunted. The French are pitching their Rafale as the dogfight duke that is the crème de la crème of jet fighters.

India chooses Israel over US for $525 mln missile deal

10/26/2014

India has chosen to buy anti-tank guided missiles from Israel, rejecting a rival US offer, as the right-wing government clears projects worth $13.1 billion to modernise its ageing military, official sources said on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government will buy 8,356 Spike missiles and 321 launchers from Israel in a deal worth 32 billion rupees ($525 million), defence ministry sources told AFP.

Defense-spending cuts stir fear

10/26/2014

With Russia asserting itself in Ukraine and the Baltic States and the U.S. and its allies embroiled in conflict against Islamic State militants, there is mounting concern among defense analysts that the U.S. and western Europe should not continue to reduce defense spending. Unless President Barack Obama and Congress abruptly reverse course, the U.S. defense budget is scheduled to absorb automatic reductions, known as the sequester.

China’s newest stealth fighter could fly at Zuhai Airshow next month

10/26/2014

The upcoming Zuhai airshow taking place in China next month will provide an opportunity to get first impressions of the new stealth jets and modernized fighter aircraft currently under development or recently delivered to the People's Republic of China Army, Air Force, Navy.

Are these China’s latest military aircraft? Online photos claim to reveal new generation of jets

10/26/2014

A new generation of aircraft expected to form the backbone of the Chinese air force have purportedly been captured on film and posted online by military enthusiasts. The photos of the fourth-generation stealth fighter J20, Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) aircraft KJ-500 and Y-20 large military transporter, reportedly conducting tests flights, were published on a popular military forum on Saturday.

India Clears Military Projects Worth $13 Bln to Boost Defense Preparedness

10/26/2014

India cleared on Saturday a bulk of defense projects worth $13 billion in a bid to boost the country's national defense preparedness, the Indian Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) said. According to defense ministry sources, the major decisions taken by the Defense Acquisition Council include the construction of six submarines in India at the cost of about Rs 50,000 crore and the purchase of more than 8,000 Israeli anti-tank guided missiles.

Kurdish Forces Regain Control of Strategic Town in Northern Iraq

10/26/2014

Kurdish armed forces have retaken control of town Zumar in northern Iraq and pushed Islamic State (IS) militants out of several nearby villages, a Kurdish security official said Saturday. A source in the Kurdish intelligence told Reuters that Islamic State fighters had put up a fight as they were evicted by local Kurdish forces, who made considerable gains on Saturday morning.

Russia announces start of work on sixth-generation fighter jet

10/25/2014

Russia has announced the start of work on the creation of a sixth-generation fighter jet. The body is to be made of composite materials and it should attain high speeds and have the latest electronic warfare equipment, avionics, and a propulsion system. However, the kind of combat missions the new vehicle will be expected to fulfill are unclear.

Is Libya a proxy war?

10/25/2014

Recent reports of Egyptian military aircraft bombing Islamist militant positions in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi have highlighted once more how the Mediterranean state has become a contested site of regional proxy wars. The projection of Middle Eastern rivalries onto Libya’s fractured landscape has a long pedigree, dating back to the 2011 revolution and perhaps even further.

Syria’s other war: Rebels plead for U.S. military help as Assad forces close on Aleppo

10/25/2014

Rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad called Friday for help from the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, saying the Syrian military is close to encircling the city of Aleppo and cutting off rebel supply routes to Turkey. In a statement, the Syrian Opposition Coalition, once hailed by the United States as the only legitimate representative of the Syrian people, called for U.S. assistance, warning of dire results if Assad’s forces are able to seize the town of Handarat.

F-22 Raptor combat jet is 'Darth Vader' of the airways, part of show in Jacksonville this weekend

10/25/2014

If Darth Vader had a fighter jet, it would be an F-22 Raptor. Though the Blue Angels are the stars of this weekend’s air show, the ferocious looking Raptors are the baddest birds on the planet. It’s been said that in dogfight training with other U.S. fighters, flying the F-22 is almost unfair.

Anti-IS Coalition Continues to Gain Momentum: Pentagon Press Secretary

10/25/2014

The airstrike coalition aimed at quashing the Islamic State (IS) militant group is gaining momentum, Pentagon Press Secretary and Spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby stated. "We believe the strategy is working. The coalition continues to gain momentum and strength," Kirby was quoted as saying on the Pentagon's Twitter account Friday.

US, Russia Continue to Implement New START Treaty Against All Odds: State Undersecretary

10/25/2014

The United States and Russia continue to implement the New START Treaty against all odds, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control Rose Gottenmoeller said. "The United States and Russia are continuing to implement the treaty in a businesslike manner, despite all the tensions," Gottenmoeller was quoted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as addressing students Friday.

Africa’s lodestar nation has weathered Ebola, but an extremist takeover has exposed the flaw at its heart

10/24/2014

The Islamists have looted military garrisons across the region, and now have tanks, armoured personnel carriers, anti-tank weapons and artillery. Boko Haram claims to have downed a Nigerian fighter jet (and has filmed the beheading of the pilot), so it may have anti-aircraft guns, too. The archbishop of Maiduguri speaks of its “inexhaustible boxes of ammunition”.

More than 1,700 bombs dropped in US-led air war on ISIS

10/24/2014

US and allied aircraft have flown nearly 6,600 sorties in the air war against the Islamic State group and dropped more than 1,700 bombs, the American military. The flights for "Operation Inherent Resolve" include thousands of mid-air fuelling runs, surveillance sorties and 632 air strikes in Iraq and Syria, according to US Central Command.

Another Super Herc Little Rock Rollin’

10/24/2014

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered another C-130J Super Hercules to the 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, today. Little Rock AFB’s new C-130J was ferried from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility here by Maj. Gen. Michael Stough, director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Sweden’s Navy Believes Mini-Submarine Seen in Stockholm Archipelago Waters

10/24/2014

Swedish Navy stated Friday, that the alleged foreign submarine, which was hunted for in Stockholm archipelago waters, is very likely to be a mini-submarine. Swedish Navy's Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad said at a press conference, that at least one underwater craft was detected by the Armed Forces. "It was a mini-submarine, not a submarine," Grenstad specified.

Kremlin Threatens to Sue France Over Possible Mistral Contract Breach

10/24/2014

Russia will sue France if Paris refuses to honor a contract on construction of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy, Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said Thursday. "We will file a lawsuit and demand compensation [if the contract is not fulfilled], as it's commonly done in a civilized world," Ivanov told reporters.

Nato jets 'intercept Russian spy plane' over Baltic

10/24/2014

A Russian spy plane has been intercepted by Nato jets over the Baltic Sea, the alliance says, amid heightened tensions in the region. Estonia summoned Russia's ambassador on Wednesday after its military said the Ilyushin-20 plane had entered its airspace for about a minute. But Russia said the plane had been on a training flight and had not violated Estonian airspace.

Libyan Pilots Bombing Benghazi In Egyptian Aircraft? Highly Unlikely, Experts Say

10/23/2014

Claims by a Libyan lawmaker that airstrikes by Egyptian planes against jihadists in the country were actually conducted by Libyan pilots appears highly unlikely, according to two aviation experts. The Egyptian intervention marked the first time in decades that the most populous Arab country took part in a conflict outside its borders. But the idea that it outsourced airstrikes to Libyan air force pilots is preposterous, according to those experts.

As Peshmerga commit to ground forces, more pressure on US to deploy troops

10/23/2014

With Islamic State (ISIS) militants proving more resilient to US-led airstrikes than was originally envisaged, US President Barack Obama’s strategy in Iraq and Syria is coming under ever-greater scrutiny. Over the weekend, Sen. John McCain, a Republican, called for “more boots on the ground”, the further arming of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, creating a no-fly zone and buffer zone in Syria and ratcheting up the number of US-led airstrikes.