Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing Returns Air Force E-4B Aircraft to Service Ahead of Schedule

05/21/2015

Boeing recently completed maintenance on a U.S. Air Force E-4B advanced airborne command post earlier than planned, enabling the Air Force to quickly return the vital aircraft to operational service. It was the first E-4B serviced at Boeing’s San Antonio site. Boeing also performs maintenance on Air Force C-17 Globemaster III airlifters, KC-135 aerial refueling tankers and on commercial aircraft at that site.

Boeing-upgraded French AWACS Take Flight

05/21/2015

Initial operating capability (IOC) of the modernized French Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) fleet has been achieved with Boeing’s delivery of the second of four upgraded aircraft and completion of the operational tests and evaluations. The upgrade is part of a Foreign Military Sale between the French Defense Procurement and Technology Agency (Direction générale de l'armement – DGA) and the U.S. government.

US Approves Almost $2Bln Advanced Helicopter Sale to Saudi Arabia

05/21/2015

The US State Department has approved a $1.9 billion proposed sale of 10 advanced multi-mission helicopters, equipment and weaponry to Saudi Arabia, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. Produced by US defense contractors Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky, the MH-60R is the US Navy’s premier anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter.

Air Force OKs higher cap on visiting aircraft's use of base

05/20/2015

The Air Force says it's going to implement a plan increasing a cap on the number of flights by aircraft visiting Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. The plan increases the annual total of flights by visiting aircraft to 2,326 — up from the current cap of 1,408 based on flights in 2009. However, the Air Force also says that the actual number of flights could be smaller than allowed under the newly raised cap.

Latvia again spots Russian military plane near its borders

05/20/2015

"Today, patrol aircraft over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea near the outer sea border of Latvia identified an Il-72 plane of the Russian Air Force," the report reads. According to the Ministry of Defense of Latvia, in 2014, Russian military aircraft and ships approached the borders of the Republic more than 250 times.

Airbus A400M: Warning issued after technical bug detected in military aircraft engine

05/20/2015

The company said in a statement that it had sent out an alert to its clients urging them to carry out "specific checks of the Electronic Control Units (ECU) on each of the aircraft's engines". The ECU controls how the aircraft's engine operates. The potential flaw was uncovered during internal checks separate from an official investigation into the crash of an A400M cargo plane near Seville in which four people were killed 10 days ago.

Israel Participates in Joint Air Exercise in Greece Against Iran’s S-300 Missiles

05/20/2015

The impending nuclear deal coupled with Russia’s supplying Iran with the S-300 anti-air missile system has made a military solution to a potential crisis in Iran more difficult for Israel to implement. In order to prepare for such an eventuality, the IAF recently ran a joint training exercise with the Greek military.

Textron Is Best Option for Sikorsky Sale Over Spinoff

05/20/2015

For United Technologies Corp., merging its Sikorsky helicopter unit with Textron Inc. could be a good alternative to a traditional spinoff. The $106 billion maker of aircraft engines and elevators announced in March that it would divest Sikorsky, either by selling it or spinning it off. A final decision by United Technologies will come in about a month.

IAF's SU-30 combat jet crashes in Assam, pilots safe

05/20/2015

A frontline Sukhoi SU-30 MKI combat jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Assam's Nagaon district on Tuesday, but both pilots ejected safely, officials said. Sources from the IAF said a technical snag was responsible for the crash that took place at 12.30 p.m. "Preliminary investigation shows a technical snag caused the crash," an official said. Officials said no decision has been taken yet for grounding the Sukhoi-30 fleet.

Air Force's New Unmanned Strategy Has F-35 Pilots Flying Drones

05/20/2015

An F-35 Joint Strike Fighter pilot will one day control a small fleet of nearby drones from the cockpit while in flight - according to a new Air Force report on autonomous systems, Air Force Chief Scientist Mica Endsley said. The Air Force is poised to unveil a new strategy for unmanned aircraft systems next month. The report will discuss more teaming with manned aircraft such as the F-35, greater levels of automation and a wider scope of missions for UAS - such as transporting cargo.

Washington, Jerusalem discussing massive compensation for Iranian nuclear deal

05/20/2015

The United States and Israel have begun preliminary, unofficial contacts regarding special American military aid for Israel due to developments in the Middle East. Although neither side has said so explicitly, the Obama administration plans to provide Israel substantial defense compensation if an agreement is signed between Tehran and the world powers to limit Iran’s nuclear program.

Russia's Armed Forces Set to Create Unified Flight Safety System

05/20/2015

A demo version of the system is expected to be unveiled at a joint training meeting involving high ranking officials from the flight safety services. The meeting will take place on May 19-21. "After testing and debugging, the unified flight safety system will be introduced on all air force units of Russia's Armed Forces. Other entities of the state aviation will be incorporated into the system," said Major-General Alexander Berzan, the chief of Aviation Safety in the Russian Armed Forces.

Despite Crash Osprey Deployment Plan for Japan Stays – Pentagon

05/20/2015

One US Marine was killed and 21 were injured when an MV-22 Osprey crash-landed at Bellows Air Force Station on Oahu on Sunday during a training session. The incident came just days after the Pentagon announced it would deploy a squadron of CV-22 Ospreys to Yokota base starting in 2017.

J-16 multirole aircraft turns defense into offense for PLA

05/19/2015

China's domestic J-16 multirole fighter/bomber is the key in the People's Liberation Army Air Force's transformation from a from a defense-oriented unit into an offensive power, says the Beijing-based Sina Military Network. Typically speaking, fighters are fighters and bombers and bombers, but improving technology, automation of avionics, more precise weapons and lighter weights have led to the development of multi-role aircraft.

Questions raised surrounding Osprey aircraft following deadly crash and troubling history

05/19/2015

Always Investigating has been digging deeper to find out more about the MV-22 Osprey. The Osprey that crashed at Bellows was based in San Diego, but the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base also received Ospreys back in 2012. The base was scheduled to get 24 of them. This Osprey is billed as having the speed of a turbo-prop airplane and the ability to move and tilt like a helicopter. It’s currently being used in overseas military missions as well.

Planemaker Dassault to double Rafale output in two-to-three years if India buys

05/19/2015

Dassault Aviation will double production of its Rafale combat jet within two to three years of the completion of a planned sale to India, its chief executive said on Monday. The maker of combat and business jets is also in talks on potential fighter sales with several other countries including Malaysia, after recently winning its first export contracts for the Rafale with Egypt and Qatar, CEO Eric Trappier added.

Air Force Trims Drone Ops to Get Workforce ‘Healthy’

05/19/2015

After spending much of the past decade racing to build up a cadre of drone pilots and aircraft, the Air Force is temporarily reducing the number of unmanned aircraft missions it flies. It’s not because demand is slacking off — UAVs remain in high demand in Iraq, where they search for Islamic State hideouts — but because the intense pace has pushed airmen to the breaking point.

U.S. Hosts Arms Bazaar at White House Arab Summit

05/19/2015

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry meet with GCC delegation at Camp David. When the United States sells billions of dollars in sophisticated arms to Arab nations, they are conditioned on two key factors: no weapons with a qualitative military edge over Israel will ever be sold to the Arabs, nor will they receive any weapons that are not an integral part of the U.S. arsenal.

Rafale fighter planes to get duty free entry into India

05/19/2015

There will be no tax on jet fighter aircraft Rafale when it flies into India. “Since, it is government-to-government (G2G) deal, it will not attract any duty (basic custom duty, special additional duty SAD or counter veiling duty CVD)” a senior Finance Ministry official told BusinessLine. India and France are expected to sign an Inter Government Agreement soon for this deal, which is estimated to be worth over $6 billion.

Russian Troops Practice Airstrikes in Tajikistan

05/19/2015

Russian troops are taking part in military training on Monday in Tajikistan alongside other members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Russian Defense Ministry said. The CSTO is a military alliance comprising Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. As part of a snap inspection of the alliance’s Collective Rapid Reaction Force, troops are simulating combat with armed groups in mountainous terrain.

Russia to Supply More MIL-171SH Helos to Peru

05/19/2015

Another seven 24 Russian MIL-171SH military transport helicopters will be delivered to Peru later this month, the deputy head of Russia’s main arms exporter said on Monday. Rosoboronexport deputy director Sergei Ladygin made the announcement at the close of an international arms exhibition held in the Latin American country. The $400 million-plus contract for the delivery of 24 MIL-171SH helicopters was inked in December 2013.

US to Produce Bomb Retargeting in Mid-Flight

05/19/2015

Raytheon said in a statement that the US Air Force and defense contractor Raytheon have passed a final review of the Small Diameter Bomb II, an advanced bomb that can change direction and target in midflight.

US Air Force to Equip Fighter Jets with Laser Weapons by 2022

05/19/2015

If you were beginning to lose hope that futuristic laser weapons would ever become a reality – it’s 2015, people! – then you may be in luck. The US Air Force is working on it, and could be attaching laser artillery to fighter jets as early as 2022. Last September, the US Navy spent $40 million installing a 30-kilowatt Laser Weapons System (LaWS) onboard the USS Ponce. The first of its kind, the laser has yet to be used in a true combat situation, but it has been test-fired on practice drones.

Indonesian war planes violate PNG airspace

05/18/2015

A Papua New Guinea report says two Indonesian military jets were scrambled to confront an Australian Defence Force aircraft near the border over West Sepik on Friday. The Post Courier reports the information was in a PNG intelligence report which said in the process, the Indonesian aircraft violated PNG air space although the presence of the Australian aircraft was also a surprise. Neither the Australians nor the Indonesians have confirmed the incident.

China Builds an "Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier" in the South China Sea

05/18/2015

In World War II, U.S. admirals often referred to the string of islands and atolls they were capturing as "unsinkable aircraft carriers" to be used in the war against Japan. In World War III, will islands be used this way again?