Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Coming Revolution of Drone Warfare

03/19/2015

Imagine an aircraft carrier—in the sky, not on sea. From its bay, it deploys swarms of armed drones that can fly, spy and kill, all guided by the touch of a computer keyboard thousands of miles away. This isn’t a scene from a science-fiction movie. It’s part of a recent proposal from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Pentagon skunk works that brought us the Internet, videoconferencing and GPS. Now Darpa is soliciting ideas from companies on how to bring this technology to life.

Catch Rafale fighter jets in action at Lima ’15

03/19/2015

Aviation industry professionals and fans will not want to miss this year's Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2015 or Lima '15 in short. Two combat-proven Rafale aircrafts, a single-seater and a two-seater belonging to the French Air Force, are ready to dazzle visitors at the fair. Specially flown in to showcase the capabilities of a true multirole fighter aircraft.

F-35 Stealth Fighter: Reports identify safety, reliability, combat risks

03/19/2015

Reports from the US Department of Defence Inspector General and Director of Operational Test and Evaluation into the controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter question the project’s ability to produce an aircraft which is safe to fly — let alone overcome more than 50 issues identified by audit.

Belarus to get four Yak-130 aircraft in April

03/19/2015

Belarus will get four combat and training aircraft Yak-130 in April, BelTA learned from Oleg Demchenko, President of Irkut Corporation. “We are going to deliver four Yak-130 aircraft to Belarus in April,” said Oleg Demchenko during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2015 in Malaysia.

Upgraded P-3 Orion Delivered Ahead Of Schedule

03/19/2015

Lockheed Martin delivered today a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) P-3 Orion aircraft 37 days ahead of schedule. This is the 12th of 14 aircraft in the program to receive Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modifications and phased depot maintenance. The MLU replaces the outer wings, center wing, horizontal stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer leading edges. All necessary fatigue life-limiting structures are replaced, leading to significantly reduced maintenance and sustainment costs.

Russia to Deploy 10 Strategic Bombers to Crimea for Snap Drills

03/19/2015

The Russian military will deploy ten Tu-22M3 Backfire C supersonic strategic bombers to Crimea as part of the current large-scale snap inspection of combat readiness, a source in the Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti on Wednesday. "In the framework of the snap inspection of the combat readiness of the Northern Fleet and some units of the Western Military District, 10 TU-22M3 strategic bombers will be deployed to the Crimean Peninsula," the source said.

Indian Air Force to Use Russian-Indian Missile by 2016

03/19/2015

The Indian Air Force plans to start mounting BrahMos cruise missiles on its aircraft in 2016, BrahMos Aerospace CEO Sudhir Mishra told RIA Novosti Wednesday. The short-range supersonic missile was jointly developed by Russia and India and has been in use by the Indian Navy since 2005.

LIMA: Malaysian firm proposes MiG-29 upgrade

03/18/2015

A unit of Malaysian maintenance, repair and overhaul firm Airod has proposed an upgrade programme for Malaysia’s fleet of 10 RAC MiG-29 aircraft. The upgrade, which an industry source says is being considered by the air force, would see the type upgraded to what it refers to as the “MiG-29NM” standard.

U.K. Deploys Puma Mk. 2s To Afghanistan

03/18/2015

The U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) has begun flight operations on the first deployment of its upgraded Airbus Helicopters Puma Mk. 2 utility helicopter. Three Pumas are being sent to support the U.K.’s contribution to NATO’s Resolute Support Mission. The new NATO mission has been set up to help Afghan ministries and institutions, as well as support command levels of Afghan security forces, and the helicopters will be used to carry personnel around the Kabul region to avoid useing ground transport.

Russia to send new missiles to Baltic exclave on maneuvers

03/18/2015

Russia plans to station state-of-the art missiles in its westernmost Baltic exclave and deploy nuclear-capable bombers to Crimea as part of massive war games to showcase its resurgent military power amid bitter tensions with the West over Ukraine. The Russian military exercises this week range from the Arctic to the Pacific Ocean and involve tens of thousands of troops, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

Predator UAV lost over Syria

03/18/2015

An MQ-1 Predator was lost Tuesday while flying over northwest Syria, according to a defense official. Syria's official news agency claimed the drone hwas shot down, but the defense official was unable to say exactly how the unmanned aircraft crashed. The Air Force is in the process of phasing out Predators in favor of the newer MQ-9 Reaper.

No final decision yet on Dassault aircraft deal: Govt

03/18/2015

Negotiation is taking place for procurement of medium multi-role combat aircraft from Dassault Aviation France but “no final decision” has been taken, the government informed the Rajya Sabha today. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar also said review of existing fleet and induction of new aircraft is a continuous process and such a review is carried out keeping in view the operational requirements of the Air Force.

ANALYSIS: Where next for BAE's military aircraft unit?

03/18/2015

As the UK’s largest remaining defence contractor, BAE Systems is in a state of flux, with its domestic market continuing to experience reduced spending, but the need to provide a sovereign capability remaining at a consistent high.

Induction of Tejas Fighter Plane in IAF

03/18/2015

Subsequent to the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) of Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has handed over the First Series Production (SP1) of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to the Indian Air Force (IAF) on 17.1.2015. The requirement of fighter aircraft is periodically reviewed and it is ensured that the operational requirements of the IAF are met.

Russian Warships Hold Air Defense Drills in Barents Sea – Defense Ministry

03/18/2015

About 10 Russian warships led by the Admiral Ushakov torpedo boat have conducted air defense exercises in the Barents Sea as part of the Northern Fleet snap drills, the Defense Ministry announced in a statement. "In the course of the snap Northern Fleet combat readiness drills, a group of diverse strike forces led by the Admiral Ushakov destroyer held joint military exercises with two antisubmarine ship search and strike groups in the Barents Sea," the statement said.

10 Su-34, Su-27 Fighters Relocated to Kaliningrad Region for Drills

03/18/2015

About 10 Russian Sukhoi Su-34 (Fullback) strike fighters and Russian modernized Sukhoi Su-27 (Flanker) multirole fighters have been relocated to the country's Kaliningrad Region to conduct bombing drills, the Defense Ministry said. "After the relocation the crews of the multipurpose Su-34 aircraft are to conduct bombing of ground targets at an unknown firing field in the Kaliningrad Region," the ministry said in a statement.

Nepal Receives Two Mi-17 Helicopters, More Deliveries Discussed

03/18/2015

Russia delivered two Mil Mi-17 "Hip" helicopters to Nepal, and the two countries are negotiating the supply of more, the head of Russia's state-run arms exporter Rosoboronexport's regional department told RIA Novosti. "Our relations with Nepal are developing rapidly. Two Russian-supplied Mi-17s fly in the country. We are negotiating the additional delivery of helicopters for the Interior Ministry and the armed forces [of the country]," Vladimir Ereschenko said.

Boeing To Showcase Key Defense Systems, Capabilities At LIMA 2015

03/17/2015

The Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet are among the platforms Boeing will showcase at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in Malaysia, March 17-21, 2015. Other key Boeing capabilities featured include the AH-6i Light Attack/ Reconnaissance helicopter and the ScanEagle from Boeing subsidiary, Insitu Pacific.

Philippines receiving airlifter

03/17/2015

The first of three C-295 transports ordered from Airbus Military for the Philippine Air Force is scheduled for delivery later this month. "It will serve as additional transport support for the Armed Forces' requirements (and complement) the three existing C-130s" now in use, the Philippine Star newspaper quoted Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Enrico Canaya. "They will be especially helpful in HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster response) operations."

President Erdogan: Turkey to eliminate defense supply dependence

03/17/2015

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey would eliminate its dependency on external suppliers for its defense industry. In a speech at the inauguration ceremony of the Radar and Electronic Warfare Technology Center, launched by Turkey's leading state-owned defense system producer, ASELSAN, in Ankara, Erdogan said: "We plan to eliminate external dependency on defense equipment supply with ongoing projects and investments by 2023.

Sizing up the bomber competition: Who's the frontrunner for the $55B Pentagon program?

03/17/2015

For a $55 billion program that is supposedly shrouded in mystery, we sure do hear a lot about the significance of the Long-Range Strike Bomber competition to the companies vying for the win. So who is the frontrunner? That definitely depends upon who you ask. Loren Thompson, chief operating officer at the Lexington Institute, an Arlington-based think tank that focuses on defense, has made it clear that his money is on The Boeing Co., teamed with Lockheed Martin Corp..

Sentry Aloha Pits Fighter Against Fighter

03/17/2015

Residents in Hawaii noticed an increase in fighter aircraft activity as well diversity of airframes in and around the airspaces of the state in the last couple of weeks as the Hawaii Air National Guard hosted its second large-scale "Sentry Aloha" fighter exercise of 2015.

Pakistan to Buy Russian Mi-35 Helicopter Gunships - President to Sputnik

03/17/2015

vetlana Alexandrova — Pakistan would like to expand military technical cooperation with Russia by purchasing Russian Mi-35 helicopter gunships, Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain told Sputnik. "Pakistan would like to procure a variety of Russian military hardware," Hussain said.

Russia Begins Air Force Tactical Drills in Siberia

03/17/2015

ussian fighter jets and ground support aircraft will practice penetration of "enemy's" air defenses during a month-long exercise in Siberia, the Eastern Military District said Friday. "During the drills Su-30SM fighter jets and Su-25 attack aircraft will practice interoperability in penetration of air defenses and joint attacks on communications networks behind enemy lines," the district's press service said in a statement.

Russian Inspectors to Fly Over Germany, Netherlands Under Open Skies Treaty

03/17/2015

Russian inspectors will conduct an observation flight over Germany, as well as the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, on March 16-21 under the Treaty on Open Skies, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergei Ryzhkov announced.