Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Are these China’s latest military aircraft? Online photos claim to reveal new generation of jets

10/26/2014

A new generation of aircraft expected to form the backbone of the Chinese air force have purportedly been captured on film and posted online by military enthusiasts. The photos of the fourth-generation stealth fighter J20, Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AEW&CS) aircraft KJ-500 and Y-20 large military transporter, reportedly conducting tests flights, were published on a popular military forum on Saturday.

India Clears Military Projects Worth $13 Bln to Boost Defense Preparedness

10/26/2014

India cleared on Saturday a bulk of defense projects worth $13 billion in a bid to boost the country's national defense preparedness, the Indian Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) said. According to defense ministry sources, the major decisions taken by the Defense Acquisition Council include the construction of six submarines in India at the cost of about Rs 50,000 crore and the purchase of more than 8,000 Israeli anti-tank guided missiles.

Kurdish Forces Regain Control of Strategic Town in Northern Iraq

10/26/2014

Kurdish armed forces have retaken control of town Zumar in northern Iraq and pushed Islamic State (IS) militants out of several nearby villages, a Kurdish security official said Saturday. A source in the Kurdish intelligence told Reuters that Islamic State fighters had put up a fight as they were evicted by local Kurdish forces, who made considerable gains on Saturday morning.

Russia announces start of work on sixth-generation fighter jet

10/25/2014

Russia has announced the start of work on the creation of a sixth-generation fighter jet. The body is to be made of composite materials and it should attain high speeds and have the latest electronic warfare equipment, avionics, and a propulsion system. However, the kind of combat missions the new vehicle will be expected to fulfill are unclear.

Is Libya a proxy war?

10/25/2014

Recent reports of Egyptian military aircraft bombing Islamist militant positions in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi have highlighted once more how the Mediterranean state has become a contested site of regional proxy wars. The projection of Middle Eastern rivalries onto Libya’s fractured landscape has a long pedigree, dating back to the 2011 revolution and perhaps even further.

Syria’s other war: Rebels plead for U.S. military help as Assad forces close on Aleppo

10/25/2014

Rebels opposed to President Bashar Assad called Friday for help from the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, saying the Syrian military is close to encircling the city of Aleppo and cutting off rebel supply routes to Turkey. In a statement, the Syrian Opposition Coalition, once hailed by the United States as the only legitimate representative of the Syrian people, called for U.S. assistance, warning of dire results if Assad’s forces are able to seize the town of Handarat.

F-22 Raptor combat jet is 'Darth Vader' of the airways, part of show in Jacksonville this weekend

10/25/2014

If Darth Vader had a fighter jet, it would be an F-22 Raptor. Though the Blue Angels are the stars of this weekend’s air show, the ferocious looking Raptors are the baddest birds on the planet. It’s been said that in dogfight training with other U.S. fighters, flying the F-22 is almost unfair.

Anti-IS Coalition Continues to Gain Momentum: Pentagon Press Secretary

10/25/2014

The airstrike coalition aimed at quashing the Islamic State (IS) militant group is gaining momentum, Pentagon Press Secretary and Spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby stated. "We believe the strategy is working. The coalition continues to gain momentum and strength," Kirby was quoted as saying on the Pentagon's Twitter account Friday.

US, Russia Continue to Implement New START Treaty Against All Odds: State Undersecretary

10/25/2014

The United States and Russia continue to implement the New START Treaty against all odds, US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control Rose Gottenmoeller said. "The United States and Russia are continuing to implement the treaty in a businesslike manner, despite all the tensions," Gottenmoeller was quoted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as addressing students Friday.

Africa’s lodestar nation has weathered Ebola, but an extremist takeover has exposed the flaw at its heart

10/24/2014

The Islamists have looted military garrisons across the region, and now have tanks, armoured personnel carriers, anti-tank weapons and artillery. Boko Haram claims to have downed a Nigerian fighter jet (and has filmed the beheading of the pilot), so it may have anti-aircraft guns, too. The archbishop of Maiduguri speaks of its “inexhaustible boxes of ammunition”.

More than 1,700 bombs dropped in US-led air war on ISIS

10/24/2014

US and allied aircraft have flown nearly 6,600 sorties in the air war against the Islamic State group and dropped more than 1,700 bombs, the American military. The flights for "Operation Inherent Resolve" include thousands of mid-air fuelling runs, surveillance sorties and 632 air strikes in Iraq and Syria, according to US Central Command.

Another Super Herc Little Rock Rollin’

10/24/2014

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered another C-130J Super Hercules to the 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, today. Little Rock AFB’s new C-130J was ferried from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics facility here by Maj. Gen. Michael Stough, director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

Sweden’s Navy Believes Mini-Submarine Seen in Stockholm Archipelago Waters

10/24/2014

Swedish Navy stated Friday, that the alleged foreign submarine, which was hunted for in Stockholm archipelago waters, is very likely to be a mini-submarine. Swedish Navy's Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad said at a press conference, that at least one underwater craft was detected by the Armed Forces. "It was a mini-submarine, not a submarine," Grenstad specified.

Kremlin Threatens to Sue France Over Possible Mistral Contract Breach

10/24/2014

Russia will sue France if Paris refuses to honor a contract on construction of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers for the Russian Navy, Kremlin chief of staff Sergei Ivanov said Thursday. "We will file a lawsuit and demand compensation [if the contract is not fulfilled], as it's commonly done in a civilized world," Ivanov told reporters.

Nato jets 'intercept Russian spy plane' over Baltic

10/24/2014

A Russian spy plane has been intercepted by Nato jets over the Baltic Sea, the alliance says, amid heightened tensions in the region. Estonia summoned Russia's ambassador on Wednesday after its military said the Ilyushin-20 plane had entered its airspace for about a minute. But Russia said the plane had been on a training flight and had not violated Estonian airspace.

Libyan Pilots Bombing Benghazi In Egyptian Aircraft? Highly Unlikely, Experts Say

10/23/2014

Claims by a Libyan lawmaker that airstrikes by Egyptian planes against jihadists in the country were actually conducted by Libyan pilots appears highly unlikely, according to two aviation experts. The Egyptian intervention marked the first time in decades that the most populous Arab country took part in a conflict outside its borders. But the idea that it outsourced airstrikes to Libyan air force pilots is preposterous, according to those experts.

As Peshmerga commit to ground forces, more pressure on US to deploy troops

10/23/2014

With Islamic State (ISIS) militants proving more resilient to US-led airstrikes than was originally envisaged, US President Barack Obama’s strategy in Iraq and Syria is coming under ever-greater scrutiny. Over the weekend, Sen. John McCain, a Republican, called for “more boots on the ground”, the further arming of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, creating a no-fly zone and buffer zone in Syria and ratcheting up the number of US-led airstrikes.

Lockheed Martin Teams with Roketsan of Turkey on New Standoff Missile for the F-35

10/23/2014

Roketsan and Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] signed a teaming agreement today for collaboration on the SOM-J, a new generation air-to-surface Standoff Cruise Missile for the F-35 Lightning II. The SOM system is an autonomous, long-range, low-observable, all-weather, precision air-to-surface cruise missile. The SOM-J variant is tailored for internal carriage on the F-35 aircraft.

One Bundle US Airdrop Not Enough Equipment to Give Enemy Advantage: Pentagon Spokesperson

10/23/2014

A single US airdrop of weapons that were intended for Kurdish fighters and most likely fell into the Islamic State (IS) hands will not give any odds to IS fighters, Pentagon Spokesperson Steve Warren said. "One bundle of weapons and medical supplies, airdropped by US forces to Kurdish fighters in Syria, most likely fell into enemy hands," Warren told reporters Wednesday. "One bundle worth of equipment is not enough equipment to give the enemy any type of advantage at all.

Russia’s Defense Ministry Denies Claims That Russian Il-20 Breached Estonian Airspace

10/23/2014

The Russian Ministry of Defense has denied the claim by the Estonian military that a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft breached Estonian airspace, the Ministry's Media Affairs and Information Department said on Wednesday. "The Russian military aircraft did not breach Estonian airspace. On October 21, 2014 a Russian military aircraft that had been conducting a planned training flight from Khrabrovo military base in Kaliningrad flew over neutral waters in the Baltic Sea," said the statement.

Fighter jets depart from CFB Cold Lake, Alberta to Middle East

10/22/2014

Heavy security controlled the scene at 4 Wing, Cold Lake, as six CF-18 Hornet fighter jets took off from northern Alberta Tuesday morning with their sights set on Iraq. Minister of Defence Rob Nicholson was on the ground as the pilots deployed to Iraq and acknowledged the elevated security on home-soil after a soldier in Quebec was killed and another injured Monday in what appears to be a 'lone wolf' terrorist attack.

'Russian submarine' spotted by Swedish military off the coast of Stockholm

10/22/2014

The Swedish military is reported to be hunting the seas around Stockholm for a damaged Russian submarine, as an amateur photographer captured a picture of a submerged object in the water. Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad said the armed forces had made three separate sightings of "foreign undersea activity" in the past few days, which has seen the launch of a large search operation reminiscent of the Cold War.

ISIS' alleged fighter jet fleet dwindling?

10/22/2014

If the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was learning to fly stolen Syrian fighter jets, it may have seen its fleet of three reduced to just one "ineffectual" aircraft. CBS News' George Baghdadi reports Information Minister Omran Zoubi said late Tuesday that Syrian military aircraft had shot down two of three fighter jets allegedly stolen by ISIS as it rampaged across northern Syria seizing army and air bases in the Aleppo region.

Brazilian Planemaker Unveils Its Biggest Military Jet Yet

10/22/2014

Brazilian planemaker Embraer unveiled its new KC-390 military transport Tuesday as the country expands its foray into the global security and defense air transport market. Developing the KC-390, the biggest plane Embraer has produced, cost 4.6 billion reais ($1.9 billion), paid by the Brazilian Air Force in partnership with Argentina, the Czech Republic and Portugal.

Watchkeeper Sends Reaper To The RAF

10/22/2014

Britain finally got its own locally made large UAVs operational in late 2013 and since August some have been seen in Afghanistan. This has been a long time coming because it was back in 2006 that the British began developing the Watchkeeper UAV and by 2010 got one airborne for the first time. The Watchkeeper 180 and the Watchkeeper 450 are both are based on Israeli designs (the Hermes 180 and 450).