Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

'So others may live': HSC-25 routinely saves lives

04/19/2015

On a wall inside the HSC-25 command building at Andersen Air Force Base, a plaque hangs emblazoned with the phrase "So others may live." It's flanked on the sides and below by more than 1,000 smaller plaques, each commemorating a successful rescue, medevac or firefighting mission. Flight training officer Lt. Monica Mondloch said new plaques appear on the wall every few months, memorializing the mission's date, crew members and location.

Europe faces a 'real threat' from Russia, warns US army commander

04/19/2015

The commander of the US army in Europe has warned that Nato must remain united in the face of a "real threat" from Russia. "It's not an assumption. There is a Russian threat," Lt-Gen Frederick "Ben" Hodges said. "You've got the Russian ambassador threatening that Denmark will be a nuclear target if it participates in any missile defence programme. And when you look at the unsafe way Russian aircraft are flying without transponders in proximity to civilian aircraft, that's not professional conduc

‘36’ - Let the force be with India

04/19/2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to buy 36 Rafale multi-role fighter jets off-the-shelf from France in a government-government deal was a surprise, but it was timely and bold, putting at rest rumors and debates that tend to show the country and its decision-making process in poor light. We are bombarded with information and some disinformation. Invariably, facts get dulled when emotions rise.

The U.S. Realignment of the Persian Gulf Regional Security Complex

04/18/2015

The Persian Gulf sits at the nexus of multiple regional security complexes overlaid one upon another, creating a delicately balanced yet dangerously volatile mosaic of cultural politics and armed forces. As a result, the calculated political positioning of states within the region have ramifications that produce a ripple effect across the entire globe.

Female officer on way to becoming fighter pilot

04/18/2015

An Air Force officer is on her way to realizing her dream of being a fighter pilot, as she is undergoing flight training at an air force base in the eastern county of Taitung. After three months of training at the base, 1st Lt. Kao Tzu-yu completed a mission of flying an F-5E fighter solo that included mid-air drills such as rolls, on Wednesday.

Vietnam's military aircraft crash into sea after collision, 2 pilots missing

04/18/2015

Two military aircraft allegedly collided with each other during a training session off the coast of the central province of Binh Thuan on Thursday, with the fate of the two pilots still unknown. The Russian-made fighter jet Su-22M4 were believed to crash into the East Sea about 10 to 15 nautical miles north of Phu Quy Island.

Luke AFB conducts first F-35 training deployment

04/18/2015

he 56th Fighter Wing performed the first F-35 training deployment from Luke Air Force Base April 4 through 18, sending 10 aircraft to Nellis AFB, NV, for two weeks to see how well the team could conduct operations elsewhere. The 10 aircraft comprise half of Luke's current fleet of F-35 Lightning IIs.

Selex to supply Skyward-G IRST system for Swedish Gripen E fighters

04/18/2015

Selex has been awarded a contract to supply its Skyward-G infrared search-and-track (IRST) systems to Saab.Under the contract, Selex will deliver 60 Skyward-G systems for installation on-board the Swedish Air Force's Gripen E multi-role combat aircraft fleet. Manufactured at Selex's facility in Nerviano, Italy, the Skyward-G is a long-range electro-optical sensor designed to register heat emissions from other aircraft, helicopters, as well as threats from the ground and sea surface.

China warns Japanese air, sea surveillance patrols increasing safety hazards

04/18/2015

Beijing issued a statement saying Japanese spy vehicles posed a threat to Chinese ships and planes. The comments come just days after Tokyo said it has been increasingly forced to scramble fighter jets in response to Russian and Chinese incursions. In a statement sent to Reuters, China's Defense Ministry said that Beijing “has a grip on the tracking and surveillance by Japanese ships and aircraft.”

Beijing Shocks US With Unbelievable Progress of Airstrip in South China Sea

04/18/2015

New satellite imagery shows the extent of China’s construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea. Fiery Cross Reef could soon serve as a military-grade runway in the middle of the ocean. And despite its own military presence in the region, US officials are in panic.

DARPA carries out full PCAS prototype demo using MV-22

04/17/2015

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) tested a prototype of the Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) system for the first time during the US Marine Corps’ Talon Reach exercise. A full-system PCAS was tested during the exercise in March in an effort to demonstrate the system’s ability to share real-time situational awareness data between air and ground.

GOP lawmaker works to save A-10 in defense bill

04/17/2015

Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) says lawmakers are working on a measure in the annual defense policy bill to keep the A-10 attack jet flying. “It’s best to be in the chairman’s mark because then it’s paid for. That’s what we’re working on,” the retired Air Force colonel and former A-10 fighter pilot said Thursday during an interview with The Hill.

This photo of X-47B combat drone taking fuel from tanker proves we are one step closer to unmanned aerial refueling

04/17/2015

On Apr. 16, “Salty Dog 502?, one of the two Unmanned Carrier Air Vehicle demonstrator (UCAS-D) aircraft of the X-47B program performed autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) test, plugging the in-flight refueling (IFR) probe into the hose of a Omega Air tanker off the coast of Maryland.

Saab, Embraer formalize deal for Brazil's fighter program

04/17/2015

Saab of Sweden and Embraer of Brazil have formalized their partnership to supply Gripen NG fighters for Brazil's F-X2 air force project. The agreement signed earlier this week follows a previous Memorandum of Understanding on management of the F-X2 project for the Brazilian Air Force and the transfer of Gripen technology.

NEURON European Stealth combat drone has started operational tests in Italy

04/17/2015

The first example of the nEUROn UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle), the full-scale technology demonstrator developed by France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, has started a new testing phase in Sardinia.

SECNAV: F-35C should be Navy's last manned strike jet

04/17/2015

The operational use of the carrier-based joint strike fighter could mark the beginning of the end of the Navy's manned bombing sorties, if the Navy secretary gets his way. The F-35C "should be, and almost certainly will be, the last manned strike fighter aircraft the Department of the Navy will ever buy or fly," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a speech Wednesday at the annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition outside Washington, D.C. Fighter jocks would still be needed for dogfighting.

Fighter jet makers eye Indian riches after scaled-back French deal

04/17/2015

Foreign fighter jet makers see a multi-billion dollar opportunity in India's decision to scale back purchases of high-end aircraft from France, which may free up cash in the world's largest arms importer to buy a new fleet of mid-range planes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced last week that India would buy 36 French Rafale jets for an estimated $4.3 billion (2.88 billion pounds), in effect ending talks on a larger deal for 126 planes that would have sucked up some $20 billion.

Venezuela Has Its Eye on Russia as Arms Supplier

04/17/2015

“Right now we have no arms delivery contracts with Russia, but we are considering such a possibility and deciding exactly which types of Russian-made military hardware we really need,” Brigadier-General Rafael Jose Nunez said. He also mentioned the “high probability” of the Latin American country signing contracts with Russia on repairing and upgrading weapons previously purchased from Moscow.

Iran Expects Deliveries of Russian S-300 Missiles by Year End

04/17/2015

Tehran is expecting to finalize an agreement on deliveries of Russian S-300 air defense systems within a month to ensure the implementation of the 2010 contract by the end of 2015, Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said Thursday.

Libya Dawn apparently refurbishing MiG-25s

04/16/2015

The Libya Dawn militia group appears to be making a number of MiG-25 aircraft operational, with satellite imagery showing two of the aircraft moved to an air base in Misrata. Google Earth satellite imagery from 31 January showed one MiG-25 parked at the base but imagery taken on 28 February showed three. Earlier this month a photo surfaced showing people apparently working on a two-seat MiG-25PU.

F-35 simulator touches down in Israel

04/16/2015

The first simulator for the Israeli Air Force's most advanced jets – the F-35 – arrived in the Jewish State recently and was unveiled on Wednesday at an airbase in the Negev as part of the preparations for the advanced warplane's expected delivery in 20 months. The simulator will integrate with the rest of the air force's preparations ahead of the establishment of the first squadron for the stealth fighter, codenamed Adir in Hebrew.

Swiss Air Force to scrap ten faulty fighter planes

04/16/2015

Cracks were also discovered in another six F-5 planes,which will be repaired between now and the first quarter of 2016, the department said. A fissure in the supporting structure of one of the air force’s F-5E Tiger planes was first noticed in 2014. A larger crack was noted in the airframe of a second plane in January 2015 leading to a detailed examination of all the 36 F-5 Tiger aircraft that were flying regularly.

TAI hands over last upgraded F-16 aircraft to Turkish Air Force

04/16/2015

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has handed over the final upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to the Turkish Air Force during a ceremony at its facility in Ankara. In April 2005, the Turkish and US Governments signed an initial letter of offer and acceptance (LOA) for upgrade of 163 Turkish F-16 fighter aircraft under the $1.1bn Peace Onyx III (PO-III) programme, as reported by IHS Jane's.

Islamic State takes 3 Iraqi villages

04/16/2015

Two weeks after a critical victory at Tikrit, where a combination of U.S. airstrikes, government troops and Shiite Muslim militias overwhelmed an Islamic State force that had held the city for nearly a year, the Iraqi government faced a new challenge Wednesday, a sign of how much remains to be done to defeat the militants.

‘Sloppy’ Russian Fighter Pilot Nearly Collides With U.S. Spy Plane

04/16/2015

On April 7, a Russian fighter jet nearly collided with a U.S. Air Force spy plane over the Baltic Sea. The actions of the Russian aviator—which the Pentagon later called “sloppy”—underscore increasing tensions in Europe between the two countries. When the incident occurred, the RC-135U Combat Sent was flying over the Baltic near—and possibly snooping on—the Russian-controlled enclave of Kaliningrad.