Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

A-10 Warthog "Is Ruthlessly Effective, and the Grunts on the Ground Absolutely Love It Because It Keeps Them Safe"

07/03/2015

The Air Force claims shutting down the A-10 program would save $4.2 billion over five years, but a new report from the Government Accountability Office shoots that down, finding USAF analysis incomplete. More worrying (and unsurprising, to anyone who’s been paying attention), the GAO report says dropping the A-10 would “create potential gaps” in close air support.

Can the F-35 Beat the F-16 After all?

07/03/2015

The Pentagon argues that a recently leaked report does not ‘tell the entire story.’ Yesterday, in an attempt to defend the $400 billion F-35 Lighting II procurement program, the Department of Defense responded to the recent revelations that an F-35A was defeated by a two-seat F-16D in simulated aerial combat (see: “F-35 Loses Dogfight to Fighter Jets From the 1980s”).

Predator shootdown raises questions about Syrian air threat

07/03/2015

The U.S.-led coalition in Southwest Asia is confident in its ability to conduct flights over Syria without coordinating with the Assad regime, even after a U.S. Predator remotely piloted aircraft was shot down earlier this year.

Lockheed's F-35 Live-Bomb Drops Hit Targets

07/03/2015

The first live-bomb drops for Lockheed Martin 's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in a nontest environment were successful as the Marine Corps gets ready to declare the jet combat ready. Fourteen pilots dropped 30 weapons last week over a restricted area in southeastern California, and all of the high-explosive weapons went off.

Egypt's warplanes strike back at militants in troubled Sinai

07/03/2015

Egyptian warplanes launched new airstrikes and troops went house-to-house Thursday in the troubled Sinai Peninsula, a day after Islamic State-linked militants set off the area's bloodiest fighting in decades in an unprecedented, coordinated attack.

Russia's Once-Mighty Fighter Jet Firm MiG Struggling as Rivals Make Gains

07/03/2015

Once one of the world's most famous aircraft designers, Russia's MiG aircraft company has fallen on hard times. Though MiG aircraft continue to populate almost 30 world air forces, the firm has not won a major design competition or aircraft tender in its post-Soviet history.

RAF faces struggle to find extra firepower after cuts

07/03/2015

The admission by the UK government that it would not increase the small number of combat aircraft committed to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) in Iraq should it get a mandate to launch strikes in Syria reflects the reality that the Royal Air Force would struggle to muster much extra firepower.

China Nearly Finished With Runway on 'Wall of Sand' Island in S. China Sea

07/03/2015

The images, taken on June 28, show the rapid progress made by the Chinese government in building the 10,000-foot runway on Fiery Cross Reef. Large enough to support almost every type of military aircraft, the airstrip is also accompanied by an apron and taxiway.

Japan's ATD-X fighter has PLA Air Force in mind: Sina Military

07/02/2015

Japan is developing its Mitsubishi ATD-X experimental aircaft with a showdown against the People's Liberation Army Air Force in mind, says the Beijing-based Sina Military Network. The ATD-X, known in Japan as "Shinshin", meaning "spirit of the heart," is a research prototype being used to determine whether domestic advanced technologies for a fifth generation fighter are viable.

Here’s what training is like for the Air Force’s most elite operators

07/02/2015

America has some of the world’s most elite special operators and they get a lot of press. But on most of the missions that Special Forces, SEALs, and other top operators conduct, they bring a very special airman.

MiG 29K simulator commissioned

07/02/2015

A state-of-the-art cockpit simulator of MiG 29K fighter aircraft was commissioned at the Southern Naval Command, the force’s training command, on Wednesday. Chief of the Command Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba set the simulator to work at the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology (NIAT).

Tony Abbott defends purchase of F-35

07/02/2015

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has defended Australia's decision to fork out $12.4 billion to buy the troubled F-35 joint strike fighter, with the first aircraft being introduced to limited roles by the United States Marine Corps next week. Mr Abbott, who on Wednesday announced a $275 million upgrade to Williamtown RAAF Base near Newcastle to accommodate the new fighters, insisted Australia was "absolutely buying the right plane".

No More Easy Victories for the U.S. Military?

07/02/2015

Last week, in a speech delivered to a Rand Corp. audience in Washington D.C., U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work preached his usual sermon about the slipping technological edge of the United States military and the growing danger posed by effective countermeasures to the American Way of War primarily based on precision-strike regimes (see: “The End of the American Way of War?”).

Controversy Flares Over F-35 Air Combat Report

07/02/2015

A Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) was outperformed in the type’s first basic fighter maneuvering exercise by a 20-plus-year-old F-16 fighter, according to a leaked Lockheed Martin report prepared by the pilot who flew the mission.

Hunt You Down: China’s New Submarine Hunter Plane to Enter Service

07/02/2015

The new anti-submarine warfare aircraft Y-8Q’s most distinctive feature is its seven-meter-long Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) boom, which is possibly the largest of its kind among airplanes, making it the most magnificent submarine hunter.

Red zeppelin: Russia set to unveil military airships capable of carrying 200 personnel and traveling up to 105mph without the need for a runway

07/01/2015

Vladimir Putin is set to kit out the Russian military with a top secret spaceship-like aircraft that promises to be 'lighter than air'. Work is already underway on the hi-tech 130-metre-long Atlant, which will be created merging the technology from planes, hovercraft and airships. Capable of taking off and landing without a runway it will be able to carry 200 military personnel or as much as 60 tonnes of cargo at speeds of up to 86mph.

Michael Byers: The F/A-18 Super Hornet — a better fighter jet

07/01/2015

Pity Canada’s fighter jet pilots: their 33-year-old CF-18 Hornets are suffering from metal fatigue, to the point where strong G-forces could rip off their wings. Some of the CF-18s are being refitted in a move that officials claim will extend their lives to 2025. But metal fatigue is difficult to address through refits and for safety reasons, the planes are no longer used for training in aerial combat, or sent to places where they might become involved in a “dogfight.”

Super Tucanos Raise Embraer's African Profile

07/01/2015

Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer Defense and Security continued expanding its African presence with a sale to Mali and the announcement at the recent Paris Air Show of a sale to Ghana.

U.S. Air Force's most sophisticated stealth jet is beaten in dogfight by plane from 1970s... despite being the most expensive weapon in history

07/01/2015

It’s the most expensive weapon in history but America's F-35 stealth jet has been outperformed by a 40-year-old F-16 jet in a dogfight. A mock air battle was held over the Pacific Ocean between the cutting-edge F-35 - meant to be the most sophisticated jet ever - and an F-16, which was designed in the 1970s. But according to the test pilot, the F-35 is still too slow to hit an enemy plane or dodge gunfire. So far it has cost the US military more than $350billion.

Airbus to help develop India's light combat aircraft

07/01/2015

European aerspace major Airbus has offered to help develop the Mark II version of IndiaÂ’s light combat aircraft (LCA MkII) and also set up a manufacturing hub in India.Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh told India Strategic (www.indiastrategic.in) on the sidelines of the just-concluded Paris Air Show that some preliminary discussions had been held with him by Airbus officials here and that a top level delegation of the conglomerate would be in New Delhi for discussions from July 1

Lockheed Martin’s Legion Pod™ Takes to the Skies

07/01/2015

Lockheed Martin’s Legion Pod recently completed its first flight test, successfully tracking multiple airborne targets while flying on an F-16 in Fort Worth, Texas. Legion Pod was integrated onto the F-16 without making any hardware or software changes to the aircraft. Additional flight tests on the F-16 and F-15C will continue throughout the year.

Russia’s Western Military District to Get Over 20 Attack Choppers by 2016

07/01/2015

The Russian Army will be reinforced with new Mi-28Ns, Mi-26Ts and Mi-8MTV5s equipped with cutting-edge electronics. Over 20 attack helicopters will boost the Russian Armed Forces on the country’s western border by the end of 2015, the senior spokesperson of Russia’s Western Military District said Tuesday.

Russian Tu-160 and PAK DA Strategic Bombers to Use Star Power

07/01/2015

Russian long-range aircraft such as Tu-160 strategic bombers will be equipped with a technologically new system that figures out a plane's coordinates based on the position of the stars. The new ANS-2009 astronavigation system can determine an aircraft's position and speed with high precision.

ISIL Executes Top Official in Mosul for Plotting Coup Against Caliphate

07/01/2015

In a bizarre sign of political infighting within the ranks of the Islamic State terrorist group, reports are emerging that a top official has been executed for plotting an insurrection against ISIL leadership.

RNZAF NH90s practise formation in run-up to Talisman Sabre

06/30/2015

The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s 3 Squadron have practised flying and landing the NH90 helicopters in formation at the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area in Central Queensland in the run-up to Exercise Talisman Sabre, Australia’s largest warfighting exercise.