Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Iran begins mass production of Saeghe fighter

01/10/2015

Iran has begun mass production of the Saeghe (Thunderbolt) indigenously developed combat aircraft, state media announced on 7 January. Quoting an Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) spokesperson, the Fars News Agency reported that the country now has 'several squadrons' of the Northrop F-5E Tiger II-derived aircraft in operational service. Prior to the report, the IRIAF was understood to have only about three Saeghe fighters flying with the 23rd Fighter Squadron.

Boeing Delivered All P-8As to U.S. Navy on Schedule and on Cost in 2014

01/10/2015

Boeing last month delivered the eighth P-8A Poseidon of 2014, completing all planned deliveries to the U.S. Navy for the year on time and on cost. That airplane, the 21st overall for the program, flew from Seattle to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida on Jan. 8. It joined other P-8As being used to train Navy crews.

Tehran Warns NATO Against Flying Planes Over Iranian Airspace: Commander

01/10/2015

NATO airplanes are not allowed to pass over Iranian airspace, commander of the Khatam ol-Anbia Iranian air defense base said. The official made reference to an early September ISAF flight, which was reportedly forced to land.

US military to close 15 bases in Europe

01/09/2015

The Pentagon says the move will save around $500m (£300m) a year, and comes as the US military seeks to shift its attention towards Asia. But the US has named RAF Lakenheath to be the first permanent European base for the F-35 aircraft. The US currently has more than 60,000 troops stationed in Europe, mostly in Germany, Italy and the UK.

USAF employing significantly more munitions against the Islamic State

01/09/2015

The US Air Force (USAF) has employed considerably more munitions in its campaign against the Islamic State over recent weeks, the service disclosed on 6 January. This increased expenditure of weaponry was revealed in an article on deployed USAF armourers that was published on the service's official website.

ISIL on its 'back foot,' says Canadian general

01/09/2015

Islamic insurgents in Iraq are on their “back foot” and haven’t been able to launch successful counter-attacks, according to the commander overseeing this country’s Iraq air campaign. Brig.-Gen. Dan Constable, who commands Joint Task Force Iraq, told journalists Thursday that coalition air strikes have allowed Iraqi forces on the ground to push back the forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Ditching Rafale

01/09/2015

Like an able pilot with his wits about him in an out-of-control warplane, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar may be preparing to ditch Rafale touted as the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) answer, which the Indian Air Force has set its heart on procuring at any cost, and going for the more economical and sensible Su-30 option instead.

Turkey announces major defense projects

01/09/2015

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced five defense projects on Wednesday, following a Defense Industry Executive Committee meeting in Ankara. Davutoglu said that Turkey would order four more fifth generation Stealth F-35s, which will be the new front line fighters of the Turkish Air Force.

Air Force considers larger retention bonuses for drone pilots

01/09/2015

The demand for drones to fly surveillance missions keeps going up, but the number of remotely piloted aircraft pilots is going down, so the Air Force is considering increasing retention bonuses for RPA pilots, said Col. Ray Alves of Air Combat Command. "We're looking at incentives of how we maintain people in the career field and how we incentivize growth in the career field … to give them bonuses similar to what I received as a young major, my pilot retention bonus," said Alves.

Boeing Delivers F-22 Training Center with Advanced Visual System

01/09/2015

Boeing has improved the realism of ground-based F-22 Raptor training by delivering the first simulators for that aircraft with an immersive, 360-degree visual environment. Two simulators were installed, each paired with the Constant Resolution Visual System (CRVS), Boeing’s patented display that provides high-resolution imagery for pilots to train with nearly 20/20 acuity.

4 airmen disciplined after June friendly fire incident in Afghanistan

01/08/2015

Four airmen were disciplined through administrative means for their role in a friendly fire incident last June in Afghanistan. Five American soldiers and one Afghan soldier were killed June 9 in Zabul province when a B-1B Lancer dropped a bomb on them, mistakenly believing they were insurgents. An investigative report by U.S. Central Command investigating officer Air Force Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian.

Drone Rules in Afghanistan Go Unchanged, And Other Reasons the War Isn't Really Over

01/08/2015

Though many Americans may not have realized it, December 28th marked what the U.S. government called the official end of the war in Afghanistan. That war has been the longest in U.S. history – but despite the new announcement that the formal conflict is over, America's war there is far from finished.

American aircraft carriers will peak in 2024

01/08/2015

The United States possesses more, bigger and more heavily-armed warships than any other country. By some measures, the U.S. Navy maintains a 13-navy standard. In other words, it can deploy as much combat power as the next 13 largest fleets combined. And in one very important respect, the American fleet is actually at a temporary low point — and will only grow more powerful in the coming decade.

New Navy PBL contract for F414 engine components for GE Aviation

01/08/2015

The U.S. Navy has contracted GE Aviation for the repair, replacement and support of components in F414 engines used by its fleet of F-18 aircraft. The contract is a three-year performance based logistics award with a value of $460 million and is the latest in a series of PBL awards for the F414 given to the company since 2002.

Make-in-India: Plan to develop 5th-generation fighter aircraft

01/08/2015

India plans to kick-off its own fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) development project this year to build on the expertise gained in the long developmental saga of the indigenous Tejas light combat aircraft. Top defence sources on Wednesday said the preliminary design stage of the futuristic fighter called the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), with collaboration among IAF, DRDO and Aeronautical Development Agency, is now "virtually" over.

Cubic to Support Stealth Systems in F-35 Combat Training

01/07/2015

Cubic Corp. has been awarded a series of contracts from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to produce and add enhancements to the Air Combat Training System (ACTS) of the F-35 fighter jet, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Unlike the wing-mounted pods used on fourth generation fighters, the F-35 version of the P5 Combat Training System (P5CTS) incorporates an internally mounted subsystem that enables the fifth generation jet to maintain its stealth characteristics while training.

Governors to keep fighting plans to strip Guard of aircraft

01/07/2015

The nation's governors plan to continually press Army leadership to let the National Guard keep its assets after a bitter battle last year when the service said it would move helicopters out of the Guard. The Army originally planned to consolidate the Guard's Apache attack helicopters into the active duty, while the Guard would receive several hundred Black Hawks and retain its Lakota multi-use helicopters.

Spending chief welcomes fighter jet milestone

01/07/2015

Bernard Gray, the Chief of Defence Materiel, said the military is on target for operational capability on land and at sea with the aircraft. It comes after the MoD signed the contract for the first 14 jets, some of which will fly from HMS Queen Elizabeth when she is based in Portsmouth. Mr Gray said: ‘Signing the contract paves the way for the first batch of operational combat aircraft.

How to design the fighter cockpit of tomorrow

01/07/2015

If you think your office needs a lick of paint and some new furniture, spare a thought for fighter pilots. Those who fly fighter aircraft like the F-16 or the Tornado are still, in effect, working in a 1970s office - because that's when those aircraft were originally designed.

North Korea's Missiles Able to Reach US Mainland: South Korea

01/07/2015

The South Korean Defense Ministry has said in a white paper that North Korea is in possession of missiles that could reach the US mainland, Xinhua reported Tuesday. "[North Korea has the] capability to threaten the US mainland," an extract from the document read, as quoted by the news agency.

Israeli Lavi trainer squadron nears readiness

01/06/2015

An Israeli air force squadron equipped with Alenia Aermacchi M-346 "Lavi" advanced jet trainers is close to being declared operational, having already received nine aircraft from an eventual 30-strong fleet. Israel's first M-346 landed at Hazerim air base in the south of the country last July, and deliveries are continuing on schedule.

The Fog of War Just Got Thicker: U.S. Warplanes Have Trouble Communicating with Each Other

01/06/2015

Even after over a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, America’s armed services field incompatible aviation technology that hinders battlefield communication between U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps combat aircraft. The Pentagon is making an effort to fix the problem, but whether it will succeed is an open question.

Ancient India knew aerial combat techniques

01/06/2015

The Indian Air Force is struggling to fill its hangers with good quality fighter planes made in India as indigenous efforts for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) conceived more than three decades ago are yet to make it to service standards. This, in a country whose ancient scientists had conceived workable fighter planes thousands of years ago.

US Wants Permanent Troops Deployment at Military Base in Spain: Reports

01/06/2015

The United States has asked Spain to grant permanent status for the deployment of US troops at the joint-use Morón Air Base in Spanish Andalusia, El Pais said Monday, citing a letter from US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. According to the newspaper, Hagel wrote a letter to Spanish authorities proposing to introduce changes to the 1988 Agreement on Defense Cooperation between the US and Spain in order to “turn Morón de la Frontera into a permanent base for responding on crises in Africa.”

No Foreign Aircraft Violated Russian Airspace in 2014: Defense Ministry

01/06/2015

No violations of Russian airspace have been registered in the past year, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Klimov said Saturday. “In 2014… no violations of state borders by foreign aircraft or breach of air rules by domestic users were registered,” Klimov stated.