Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

India’s first upgraded MiG-29UPG fighter aircraft has begun scheduled flights

04/01/2015

The first MiG-29UPG underwent modifications conducted by Indian specialists and soared into the sky in February this year, stated CEO of MiG Corporation Sergey Korotkov in an interview with Interfax-AVN. The group of MiG-29’s, which underwent modernization in India, is made up of four fighter aircraft.

China's Military Carries First Offshore Drills in Western Pacific

04/01/2015

Chinese aircraft flew over the Bashi Channel, a waterway contested between the Philippines and Taiwan. Bashi Channel is part of the Luzon Strait that connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea.

Did Ukraine Just Lose 5 Indian Air Force Planes?

03/31/2015

Defense News reports that five Antonov AN-32 military transport aircraft have gone missing in Ukraine. According to an Indian Air Force official, the last five out of 40 AN-32s undergoing upgrades at the Kiev-based Antonov State Company have become “untraceable.” “These five aircraft are almost lost as it is difficult to trace them and diplomatic efforts to find their whereabouts have failed,” the Air Force official stated.

Nigeria acquiring new and second-hand military hardware

03/31/2015

Nigeria’s military is acquiring new and second-hand hardware for all three branches of service as it battles Boko Haram insurgents on land and maritime insecurity and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Over the last couple of years, Nigeria has received armoured vehicles, small arms, combat aircraft and large and small naval vessels, among other items, from mostly Asian and Eastern European suppliers.

Yemenis face sinking conditions as Saudi offensive widens

03/31/2015

A dark night without electricity turned bright as mid-day Monday as jets bombed what apparently was a storage area for Scud missiles in the Faj Attan district of Yemen’s capital. Balls of fire shot into the air and thunderous blasts shook the city as aircraft, presumed to be from Saudi Arabia, hit the missile depot.

Korea Aerospace Picked for Fighter Project

03/31/2015

Korea Aerospace Industries has been chosen the preferred bidder for the KF-X fighter project aimed at filling a vacuum as a result of about 100 old fighter jets being decommissioned later this decade. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration made the decision in a meeting chaired by Defense Minister Han Min-koo on Monday.

US Helo Leaders Take on Dust, New Engines

03/31/2015

Even as sequestration budget cuts loom over US Army aviation, helicopter modernization plans are driving numerous requirements, officials said at an industry conference here. Army officials portrayed Army aviation as active around the globe, with a need to be ready for anything. Behind the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP), the greatest emphasis is on technology to see and fly through dust, fog and other obscurants, known as degraded visual environment-mitigation (DVE-M).

The New U.S. Air Force Bomber Contract Could Go Either Way

03/31/2015

The Air Force ’s Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program should be decided in the next few months. Easily the biggest undecided defense competition in the world, LRS-B should result in 75-100 new bombers worth at least $50 billion in revenue, plus much more in design, support, and long-term upgrade work.

South Korea Picks Contractor to Develop New Jet Fighter

03/31/2015

The South Korean military preliminarily selected Korea Aerospace Industries on Monday as a partner in its $7.7 billion project to develop its own advanced jet fighter with technological help from the American military contractor Lockheed Martin.

Saudi-Led Airstrikes Destroy Scud Missile Facility in Sanaa, Yemen (PHOTOS)

03/31/2015

Since last Thursday, the bombings have been targeting Houthi rebels and troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. According to local residents speaking to Reuters, the airstrikes have largely targeted the area around the presidential palace. Figures released by Yemen’s health ministry — which is currently Houthi controlled — said 35 people had been killed over the weekend, with another 88 injured.

Chinese Army Gets Brand New Early Warning and Control Aircraft

03/31/2015

Capable of tracking nearly 100 vehicles at once, the Chinese military has launched its new airborne early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C), taking to the skies with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF).

Aviation is fast approaching the post-pilot era

03/30/2015

Every day, dozens of unmanned jet aircraft as big as private business jets take off from airports scattered around the globe. They fly for thousands of kilometres, staying aloft for as long as 36 hours, often changing course to cope with unexpected developments, before returning to land. To call them drones grossly understates the sophistication, safety and cost-effectiveness of autonomous and remotely piloted aircraft.

Italian Military, Industry Eye Tilt-rotors

03/30/2015

In the time it took Boeing and the US Marines to develop and put into service the Osprey tilt-rotor helicopter, Italy's AgustaWestland has lingered over development of its own, smaller tilt-rotor, prompting questions about the fate of the program. Initially developed in partnership with Bell, the AW609 has racked up test flights and turned into an all-Italian program after the US firm went its separate way.

Uncertain of Obama, Arab States Gear Up for War

03/30/2015

Few organizations boast a reputation of dysfunction comparable to the Arab League’s. Over seven decades the Arab League has distinguished itself through infighting and fecklessness. But now, with the Obama administration seen as missing in action in the Middle East, the alliance of 22 countries is undergoing a renaissance. Over the weekend, the Arab League met in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and endorsed the creation of an intervention force to fight terrorism in the Middle East.

Japan Weighs Options To Boost ASW Skills

03/30/2015

Japan's growing need to improve its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities to counter quieter Chinese submarines in littoral waters could set off a three-way race between an upgraded indigenous platform against longer-term solutions, analysts said. Last August, the Defense Ministry decided to start replacing its aging fleet of 46 SH-60J and 39 SH-60K Seahawk helicopters, providing an initial ¥7 billion (US $57.6 million) as part of a ¥48.1 billion development project.

Iraqi army weighs cost of U.S.-led strikes in Tikrit as militiamen leave

03/30/2015

In the makeshift Iraqi army command headquarters for the operation to clear Tikrit, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim reads out the coordinates for targets that planes from the U.S.-led coalition are to strike: the local council building, the teacher’s institute, a local mall. As he speaks, other planes find their mark, and the headquarters, a former chemical engineering building at the city’s university, shudders from the reverberations.

Boosting Copter Capabilities

03/30/2015

The US Army's effort to improve the operational capabilities of its rotorcraft fleet through the Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) is heading for preliminary design requests in May as it aims for a 2023 production goal. After the May requests, contracts are expected to be awarded to the two competitors in March 2016, a request for proposals issued for the engineering and manufacturing design phase in early 2017.

Canadian pilots face unprecedented anti-aircraft risk in Syria

03/30/2015

How to avoid missile batteries and navigate defensive radar systems in Syria are among the issues preoccupying military planners as Parliament debates the merits of expanding and extending Canada’s Middle East mission. So far, the debate among MPs has revolved around the need for a broader military mission in Iraq and the legality of extending air strikes to include that country’s troubled neighbour.

US, Ukrainian Inspectors to Fly Over Russia Under Open Skies Treaty

03/30/2015

American and Ukrainian specialists will fly over the territory of Russia and Belarus under the Treaty on Open Skies on March 30 — April 4, Sergei Ryzhkov, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center has announced. "Within the framework of the international Treaty on Open Skies a US mission with the participation of Ukrainian representatives plans to conduct an observation flight over the territory of a group of participating states.

U.S. Navy rescues 2 Saudi pilots who ejected from F-15 aircraft

03/29/2015

The U.S. Navy rescued two Saudi Arabia air force pilots from the Gulf of Aden, a U.S. military official said Friday. The pilots had ejected from their F-15 aircraft after it suffered mechanical failure, Saudi officials told U.S. sources. The two were not seriously injured. The USS Sterett, a guided-missile destroyer, coordinated the search, while the USS New York looked for the men. A rescue helicopter flew from Djibouti to retrieve them on Thursday.

Seaplane Could Advance Chinese SCS Claims

03/29/2015

A new Chinese-built seaplane could help seal Beijing's control over its claims in the South China Sea (SCS), say military specialists on China. The Jiaolong (Water Dragon) AG600, under construction by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA), will be China's largest operational seaplane. CAIGA did not respond to inquiries after the company's announcement on March 17 that it had completed the front fuselage assembly for the prototype.

RAAF completes Iraq mission rotation

03/29/2015

Australia's Iraq air task group has completed its first rotation with six Super Hornets heading home after seven months of operations. Their replacements have already started flying missions against Islamic State terrorists. Air task group commander Air Commodore Glen Braz says the new strike team has completed a comprehensive transition and is now engaged in combat air operations.

Iraqi Forces in No Hurry to Expel ISIS From Tikrit

03/29/2015

Here at the headquarters of Iraqi ground forces, after three days of American airstrikes that at times witnesses here described as “carpet bombing,” Iraq’s military seemed in no great hurry on Saturday to press its advantage. It also seemed to be moving very slowly on promises to withdraw Shiite militias from the battlefield.

On the U.S. Navy’s wish list: More Boeing fighter jets

03/29/2015

As the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program continues to accrue criticism over cost and schedule overruns and missed milestones, the U.S. Navy is looking to an old standby—the Boeing-built F/A-18 Super Hornet—to plug potential holes in its airborne fleet.

Malaysian Company Proposes MiG-29 Upgrade

03/29/2015

Despite no apparent movement on Malaysia's Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) program, this month's Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) show revealed a new player in the mix. Boeing, Dassault, Eurofighter and Saab have been the main contenders for the MRCA program, which will replace Royal Malaysian Air Force MiG-29N fighters, for a number of years now, with little detectable progress.