Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Defence chiefs clash over South China Sea

05/31/2015

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter has publicly criticised China for expanding a chain of artificial islands in the South China Sea, and declared that the US wouldn’t shy away from confronting Beijing over its determination to flex its military muscles in the region.

US State Department Approves $130Mln Sale of Guided Bombs to UAE

05/31/2015

The US State Department approved the sale of 1,600 guided bomb units to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of a package that is worth more than $100 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced in a press release.

Russian Navy to Receive Advanced Aircraft Carrier by 2026-2027

05/31/2015

The Russian Navy will get an advanced aircraft carrier by 2026-2027, the Navy Ship Building Directorate head, Captain ? Rank Vladimir Tryapichnikov, said on Saturday. "At present, we plan to replace the current Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier with the ship of this class by 2026-2027," Tryapichnikov said in an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio station. The official added work on the ship's design is currently underway.

China Deployed Artillery on Disputed Island, U.S. Says

05/30/2015

The United States has spotted a pair of mobile artillery vehicles on an artificial island that China is building in the South China Sea, a resource-rich stretch of ocean crossed by vital shipping lanes, American officials said. China’s construction program on previously uninhabited atolls and reefs in the Spratly Islands has already raised alarm and drawn protests from other countries in the region, whose claims to parts of the South China Sea overlap with China’s.

Look out for low-flying Warthogs

05/30/2015

From June 8 military aircraft will conduct low-level flights outside their usual trianing areas for the first time, a move that is "necessary in order to maintain the qualification of pilots and relevant abilities required for combat," a statement said. "The first low-level flights in Latvian airspace will be performed by US A-10 "Thunderbolt II aircraft which in February this year were sent to Europe under the Operations Atlantic Resolve program," the information adds.

French air force visit strengthens partnership

05/30/2015

Since its standup in 2009, Air Force Global Strike Command has worked to build and maintain a strong relationship with its allies in the French air forces. A regular series of exchange visits between leadership, participation in joint exercises, and attendance at major events, have served to develop mutual understanding and partnering opportunities between the two nations' strategic air forces.

Why the Air Force Has to Wait Another 5 Years for Indigenously-Built Tejas Fighter

05/30/2015

It has been 32 years in the making but it will be least another five years before the indigenously-built fighter jet Tejas (Mark -II) can be deployed in a combat role, a top Indian Air Force official told NDTV. This is bad news for India which was hoping to induct the Tejas in large numbers to make-up for its ageing fighter fleet. India will have to decommission about 14 Squadrons of MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters by 2022.

China Unveils New Long-Range Drone

05/30/2015

China has unveiled a new twin-fuselage drone that analysts say will give the People’s Liberation Army long-range surveillance and strike capabilities. The Shen Diao, or Divine Eagle, remotely piloted aircraft is being developed by China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation and appears from Chinese Internet photos made public recently to be larger than the U.S Air Force’s Global Hawk long-range surveillance drone.

Marine F-35B Takes Critical Step Towards Combat Readiness this Summer

05/30/2015

The Marine Corps is finishing up its first round of operational testing for its F-35B short-take-off-and-landing Joint Strike Fighter on board the USS WASP, an amphibious assault ship in the Atlantic Ocean, service officials said. The tests -- seen as a key final step before the aircraft becomes operational later this year -- included night-time take-off and landings as well as a wide range of assessments placing the aircraft is various operational circumstances.

U.S. Mulls F-35 Order at Fastest Fighter Output Since 1980s

05/30/2015

The U.S. Defense Department is considering ordering as many as 450 F-35 aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corp., sending warplane output to the fastest in three decades as it gains confidence in the advanced fighter’s performance. While the plan would require U.S. lawmakers’ approval, the so-called block buy wouldn’t face the same congressional scrutiny as a multi-year procurement.

India's Fighter Aircraft ambitions: Desire and Dilemma

05/30/2015

Since the last decade, India has been on a spree of buying modern weapon systems through its ever increasing defence budget. In particular the Indian Air Force is going through a total revamp. India is the only country which has categorised its fighters as heavy, medium and light combat aircrafts. It has assigned specific roles to its fighters however most are multi-role in nature.

Supersonic Tu-160 Strategic Bomber to Increase Russia's Military Capability

05/30/2015

Russia will considerably increase its arsenal of Tupolev Tu-160 ("White Swan") heavy strategic bombers, unique machines, able to attack its targets at high speeds, US journalist Zachary Keck pointed out. Citing Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev, the commander-in-chief of Russia's Air Force, American journalist Zachary Keck pointed out that Moscow is planning to dramatically boost its arsenal of Tupolev Tu-160 ("White Swan") heavy strategic bombers.

NORAD ready to intercept Russian aircraft in Arctic

05/29/2015

U.S. and Canadian fighter jets are to practise intercepting foreign aircraft high over the Arctic in the coming days as Russian military flights up to the edge of North American airspace increase. “This is probably the most active they’ve been since the end of the Cold War,” said Maj.-Gen. David Wheeler, commander of 1 Canadian Air Division and the officer overseeing his country’s role in exercise Amalgam Dart.

U.S. Saw Islamic State Coming, Let It Take Ramadi

05/29/2015

The U.S. watched Islamic State fighters, vehicles and heavy equipment gather on the outskirts of Ramadi before the group retook the city in mid-May. But the U.S. did not order airstrikes against the convoys before the battle started. It left the fighting to Iraqi troops, who ultimately abandoned their positions.

Senate panel: Cut HQ, F-16s to pay for F-35 personnel

05/29/2015

The Senate Armed Services Committee, as promised, is pushing to keep the A-10 flying, and wants to direct the Air Force to find maintainers for the F-35 in other ways, including grounding F-16s and cutting back on headquarters staff. The committee in the last week of May released its report on its version of the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which blocks any A-10 retirement and calls for the Air Force to maintain a minimum of 171 combat-coded A-10s.

UK And US Military Test Lightning II Jets At Sea

05/29/2015

Lightning II is a STOVL aircraft: Short Take Off Vertical Landing. It will place the UK at the forefront of fighter technology, giving the RAF a true multi-role all weather, day and night capability, able to operate from well-established land bases, deployed locations or the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers.

The Clash Over Air Space Above the South China Sea

05/29/2015

I had not given much thought to the flight plan of the airline I recently booked to go back to the U.S. from Vietnam, but recent events in the airspace over the South China Sea prompted an online search. As I discovered, my commercial flight would fly not far from where a U.S. surveillance plane was warned to leave on May 20 by a Chinese radar operator.

HAL and BAE Systems to develop 'Combat Hawk', improved trainer

05/29/2015

The Indian Air Force, facing a severe shortage of fighter aircraft, will have the opportunity to boost its combat strength with an unusual asset - fitting guns and rockets on Hawk trainer aircraft, bought for training IAF pilots before they entered the cockpits of high performance fighters like the MiG-21. On Tuesday, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and UK-headquartered BAE Systems (BAE), agreed to explore the development of a "Combat Hawk" which could even be exported to friendly foreign countries.

New Boeing Avionics Facility to Enhance ROKAF Readiness, Affordability

05/29/2015

Boeing [NYSE: BA] today formally opened a new avionics maintenance and repair center in the Yeongcheon Industry District of Daegu-Gyeongbuk Free Economic Zone. The 10,000 square-foot facility will test and repair aircraft electrical systems, reducing repair times and yielding significant inventory cost savings for the ROKAF. The new facility underlines both Boeing’s growing role as a global enterprise and its participation in the growth of the domestic Korean aerosp sector.

Russia to Buy as Many T-50 PAK-FA Fighters as Manufacturers Can Produce

05/29/2015

The purchase volume of Russia's fifth-generation T-50 PAK-FA fighter jets, to be produced in 2017, will be limited only by on the manufacturer's production capability, Russian Air Force Commander Col.Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Thursday. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said in March that the ministry could reduce the purchases of PAK-FA fighters, due to "new economic circumstances."

Russian MiG-31 Successfully Downs Cruise Missile in Military Drills

05/29/2015

A Russian MiG-31 (Foxhound) interceptor successfully downed a cruise missile that was fired by a Tu-95MS (Bear) strategic bomber over the Pemboi Range in Russia’s northwestern region, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Central Military District’s press service said Thursday.

Russian Air Force to Get at Least 50 New Strategic Tu-160 Blackjack Bombers

05/29/2015

The Russian Defense Ministry will purchase no less than 50 new Tu-160 (Blackjack) heavy strategic bombers when production is renewed, Russian Air Force Commander Col.Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Thursday. “No less than 50 aircraft over time will be purchased in order to cover the costs that will go into production,” Col.Gen. Bondarev said without specifying when production would begin.

Against Islamic State, airstrikes may not suffice

05/29/2015

It's the modern era's military strategy of choice: overwhelming air power delivering precision-guided punishment backed by intelligence on the ground, with minimal exposure for soldiers of the striking side. Seductive though it is to risk-averse governments with war-weary publics, the approach has its limits — and these are on display in Syria and Iraq, where a U.S.-led coalition has carried out over 4,100 airstrikes against Islamic State radicals yet failed to stop the extremists.

Tankers, Helos Top S. Korean Projects

05/28/2015

The selection of a foreign contractor to supply the South Korean Air Force with four aerial refueling tankers is just around the corner. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said April 14 that it started price bidding for the 1.48 trillion won (US $1.36 billion) program. Competitors are Boeing, Airbus Defence and Space, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

Internet pics suggest J-16 fighter close to entering service

05/28/2015

Photos posted on military websites in China show the nation's new domestic J-16 twin-seat fighter repainted in a light grey which suggests the aircraft is almost ready to enter service with the People's Liberation Army Air Force, according to People's Daily Online.