Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Iraq War III

08/13/2014

So once again the U.S. is bombing Iraq, as it has done under every U.S. president since George H. W. Bush. It’s worth remembering how thrilled U.S. diplomats were in 1984 when the U.S. finally established full diplomatic relations with Baghdad. The State Department’s Arab experts were overjoyed that the U.S. would have relations with, and a modicum of influence over, one of the largest and most powerful Arab states.

Negotiation on for Rafale aircraft: India

08/13/2014

The negotiation for Rafale aircraft is on, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said Tuesday. The minister told the Rajya Sabha that Dassault Aviation of France, the original equipment maker of Rafale aircraft, had emerged as the lowest bidder for procurement of medium multi-role combat aircraft. "Given the complexity of the procurement case, the process of negotiations with Dassault Aviation on various aspects of the commercial proposal and provisions of draft contract is on," Jaitley said.

Light Combat Aircraft business partners decide to increase indigenisation

08/13/2014

The business partners working on India's prestigious Light Combat Aircraft - a lightweight multirole fighter jet - have decided to ensure the indigenous content of components used in the aircraft touches 80 per cent in the next three years.

Sikorsky, Boeing Selected to Build Technology Demonstrator for Future Vertical Lift

08/13/2014

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., and Boeing have been selected to build a helicopter for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator Phase 1 program (JMR TD), paving the way for the next generation of vertical lift aircraft.

Russia Builds New $28Mln Fighter Jets

08/13/2014

Russia's new Sukhoi fighter jets cost more than 1 billion rubles ($28 million), Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev, the Russian Air Force commander-in-chief, said Tuesday. "New aircrafts appear, and their cost is enormous. Each plane costs more than 1 billion rubles: Su-30, Su-35, Su-34," Bondarev told Rossiya-24 television channel.

Moderate rebels face worsening situation in Aleppo

08/12/2014

Moderate rebel forces are warning that they are in danger of losing their last foothold in Aleppo, once Syria’s commercial center, and that government troops are pressing an offensive that is just three miles from completely cutting rebel supply lines.

Pentagon Will Arm Kurds Directly to Fight the Islamic State

08/12/2014

The Obama administration on Monday made clear that U.S. airstrikes against the Islamist militants sweeping toward the capital of Iraq's quasi-independent Kurdistan were meant to blunt their advance while giving the Kurds' vaunted Peshmerga fighters, who have not easily dispatched with the Sunni guerillas, time to regroup. But as the Islamic State gains ground, the question is whether these storied Kurdish fighters are up to the task.

Biden Signals Potential for Deeper U.S. Involvement in Iraq

08/12/2014

Vice President Joe Biden on Monday told Iraqi leaders the U.S. is ready to help a new government in its fight against Islamic State militants, signaling the potential for deeper U.S. involvement in Iraq. Mr. Biden spoke separately with Iraqi President Fuad Masum and Haider Al Abadi, the country's new prime minister-designate, by telephone the White House said. Mr. Masum selected Mr. Abadi on Monday to lead a new government.

Australia pledges support to US in Iraq

08/12/2014

Australia has pledged support to the United States to prevent further atrocities being carried out in Iraq. The offer came as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Sydney ahead of the annual AUSMIN talks between the US and Australian defence and foreign affairs ministers in Sydney. Australia is planning the deployment of military aircraft to drop aid packages in northern Iraq following a request from the US.

Pentagon: Effectiveness of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq remain limited

08/12/2014

The Pentagon’s top war planner said the military campaign’s impact remains limited after four days of airstrikes in northern Iraq, and the Islamic militants continue to be a powerful force capable of terrorizing Iraqi civilians and seizing territory. “I in no way want to suggest that we have effectively contained, or that we are somehow breaking the momentum of [the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant],” said Army Lt. Gen. William Mayville, the director of operations, or “J-3” for the Joint Sta

Exercise Anatolian Eagle 2014-2: Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, Spain and the UK train for real combat ops

08/12/2014

Attracting an increasing number of foreign air arms, Anatolian Eagle has become a high-tech exercise that gives participating units the opportunity to assess their capabilities and readiness for war, to improve multinational cooperation, and to test new weapons systems: some extremely important tasks, especially for nations such as Turkey which face increasing instability, pressure and threats along their borders.

Obama Applauds Naming of New Prime Minister Designate in Iraq

08/12/2014

The president today lauded Iraqi President Fouad Massoum for naming Haider al-Ibadi as Iraq’s new prime minister-designate, calling it an “important step” on the path towards a more inclusive government that would “unite Iraq’s different communities.” Mobilizing international support to combat terrorism in the region would be “easier” once a new government was put into place, said Obama.

Poroshenko announces international humanitarian mission in eastern Ukraine

08/12/2014

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced Monday that an international humanitarian mission would be sent to the war-torn east of his country, in a fragile move toward peace on a day in which fighting continued unabated. The announcement came shortly after the Kremlin said it was sending a “humanitarian convoy” of its own to Ukraine with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Here's how military aircraft are supporting Iraq operations. And what's up with those 500-pound bombs?

08/12/2014

From air strikes to humanitarian airdrops, the Pentagon kicked off operations in Iraq to combat terrorist attacks. Here are some specifics on the aircraft they're using — and perspective on the much-hyped 500-pound bombs. Two F/A-18 aircraft from The Boeing Co. — twin-engine multirole fighters known as Super Hornets and often used for air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface weapons — dropped laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Erbil.

Russia to Start Developing Replacement for MiG-31 in 2017

08/12/2014

Russia will start developing a replacement for its MiG-31 "Foxhound" interceptors in 2017, Col. Gen. Viktor Bondarev, commander of the Russian Air Force, said. “From 2017 we will start working on a new long-range interceptor to replace MiG-31,” he said. According to the official, the new aircraft is to enter service in 2025.

U.S. warns Russia not to intervene in Ukraine under 'peacekeeping' pretext

08/11/2014

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Saturday that "Russia should not intervene in Ukraine under the guise of humanitarian convoys or any other pretext of 'peacekeeping,'" according to a senior State Department official. Kerry urged "all parties to work through international organizations" to provide humanitarian assistance in eastern Ukraine, the official said.

What if there’s a real war in Ukraine

08/11/2014

Russia and the West are at war – over fruits, veggies, meat and bank loans. The cause is Ukraine, a vast emptiness formerly unknown to the western world, but now deemed a vital national security interest worthy of risking a very scary war. Economic embargoes such as those launched by the US against Russia may seem relatively harmless. They are not. Trade sanctions are a form of strategic warfare that is sometimes followed by bullets and shells.

U.S. Conducts Four More Airstrikes in Iraq to Defend Yazidis

08/11/2014

The U.S. military launched four airstrikes Saturday in northern Iraq designed to defend members of the Yazidi religious minority who were coming under attack from Islamic extremists, U.S. officials said. American aircraft also conducted a third airdrop of food and water for thousands of Yazidis stranded on Mount Sinjar, officials said. One C-17 and two C-130 aircraft dropped 3,800 gallons of drinking water and 16,128 meals, and were supported by U.S. fighter aircraft.

Australian military ‘back-up’ in Iraq not ruled out, defence minister confirms

08/11/2014

Australia will not rule out providing military “back-up assistance” to the US in Iraq, the defence minister, David Johnston, has confirmed. The Australian government’s initial focus is on humanitarian airlifts to provide food and water drops to people stranded on Mount Sinjar, but Johnston left the door open to a future role, saying right-minded countries could not “just sit back and watch atrocities unfold on their nightly television without taking some action”.

Hostage: Virtual training needed to address limits of Red Flag

08/11/2014

As fifth-generation fighters outgrow the Air Force’s premiere combat training exercise, the service should look to virtual training for pilots to test the limits of the F-22 and F-35, the outgoing head of Air Combat Command said. Red Flag exercises, held four times a year at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, train more than 27,000 people who fly or support air operations of 1,200 aircraft and 20,000 sorties each year, according to the base.

China’s military provocation in the Pacific an accident waiting to happen

08/11/2014

Admiral Harry Harris, the Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, has a reputation as a plain-spoken American military leader. In a long discussion with The Weekend Australian in his Hawaiian office this week, Harris amply fulfilled this high accolade. To render some of the take-outs in their starkest form: Harris thinks China is engaging in destabilising and provocative conduct at sea. He is worried that this could lead to an incident which escalates dangerously.

U.S. launches second wave of airstrikes in Iraq

08/11/2014

U.S. warplanes made a second wave of airstrikes Friday in northern Iraq against the militants who have besieged a religious group and threatened the city of Irbil, a Pentagon official said. Rear Adm. John Kirby, spokesman for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, said the second wave of strikes used a drone to attack a mortar position while four FA-18 fighter-attack planes hit a seven-vehicle convoy outside Irbil.

Kurdish Forces Take Back Two Towns Occupied by Militants in Iraq – Reports

08/11/2014

Kurdish forces have regained control of two towns in northern Iraq seized by Islamic State militants, Agence France-Presse reported on Sunday. "The Peshmerga (Kurdish fighters) have liberated Makhmur and Gwer," Peshmerga spokesman Halgord Hekmat told AFP. Hekmat said "US aerial support helped” to liberate the towns. Representatives of the regional authorities also confirmed that the Kurdish troops had recaptured the towns following fierce battles.

US Conducts New Airstrikes on Iraqi Extremists – Reports

08/11/2014

The United States conducted four additional airstrikes on positions of Islamic State (IS) militants, who took control of several provinces in Iraq, Associated Press reported Sunday, citing the US military. According to the agency, the operation involved manned and unmanned aircrafts of US Air Force. One truck and several armored vehicles, which reportedly were used by the militants to fight civilians, were destroyed as a result of the airstrikes.

One Nellis aggressor squadron being deactivated

08/10/2014

The next time fighter jets take off from Nellis Air Force Base for a Red Flag air combat exercise, there will be fewer would-be “bad guys” to battle. Up-and-coming pilots who will be flying their first 10 simulated combat missions will face an adversary force that has fewer sparring partners, a sign of the times as the military reduces its planes and personnel and U.S. combat operations wind down in Afghanistan.