Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

AMERICA'S MILITARY: The crushing deployment tempo

12/15/2014

The Navy chief trudged home to his wife with bad news — and he knew it would not go over well. After four deployments in five years, he was making one more. The chief had been on four deployments with his last two commands, which included the heavily deployed aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. Now he was assigned for a year to a cruiser out of San Diego, a short tour that his detailer and the boat's top enlisted leader had assured him would not include another deployment.

The key to winning a dogfight? Focus

12/15/2014

On May 10, 1972, Bill Driscoll was flying his 170th combat mission over North Vietnam, a radar intercept officer in the back seat of an U.S. F-4 Phantom jet fighter. He and his crew were providing cover near the Gulf of Tonkin for 18 essentially defenceless aircraft and things were going smoothly – too smoothly, as it turned out.

US-NATO Delivering Arms to Ukraine. The Planning of Aggression against Russia

12/15/2014

Despite claiming otherwise. Big Lies substituting for hard truths. Longstanding US-controlled NATO policy. Ignored by media pundits reporting nothing. Kiev wants Donbas democracy crushed. Hardline rule replacing it. Naked aggression waged to force-feed policy. Illegitimate oligarch president Petro Poroshenko’s so-called “day(s) of silence” are meaningless. Subterfuge. Quiet before the storm.

Russia 'could accidentally down a plane over Britain': Defence Secretary warns Putin he is playing 'dangerous' game allowing bombers to fly over UK waters

12/15/2014

Russia's aggressive incursions into UK airspace could lead to a passenger jet being brought down by accident, the Defence Secretary warned yesterday. Michael Fallon warned that Vladimir Putin was playing a ‘provocative and dangerous’ game by ordering Russian Bear bombers to fly over British waters. Mr Fallon said Mr Putin’s new aggression could even spark a war with Nato forces. In a blunt message, he said Britain should ‘prepare for the worst’ as the Russian President flexes his muscles.

Boeing and Airbus: Together at Last?

12/15/2014

Once, it was a giant of the global defense industry. But today, Boeing could soon be shut out of the market for fighter jets. Around the world, nations are taking bids on new fighters as they upgrade their air forces. But time and again, Boeing is losing these contests. In South Korea last year, Boeing's F-15 lost a potential $7.7 billion contract to Lockheed Martin and its super-stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Islamic State militants shoot down Iraqi military copter

12/14/2014

Islamic State militants shot down an Iraqi military helicopter, officials said Saturday, killing the two pilots and raising fresh concerns about the extremists’ ability to attack aircraft amid ongoing U.S.-led coalition air strikes. The attack happened late Friday in the Shiite holy city of Samarra, about 60 miles north of Baghdad. A senior Defense Ministry official said the Sunni militants used a shoulder-fired rocket launcher to shoot down the EC635 helicopter on the outskirts of the city.

New fighter jets ‘the real thing’ for PAF pilots

12/14/2014

Nothing beats hands-on training. Military pilots will no longer have to resort to theoretical exercises but will be honing their aviation skills in actual fighter jets, which their South Korean maker is expected to start delivering next year. Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots will not have to make do with “table-top exercises” anymore, said President Benigno Aquino III as he touted the advantages for the Philippines of acquiring 12 South Korean-made fighter jets during his just-concluded visit.

French Air Chief Confident on Rafale Exports

12/14/2014

France has a good chance of winning export sales for the Dassault Rafale fighter, which is needed to balance the defense budget books, French air chief Gen. Denis Mercier said on Dec. 11. “I am fairly confident there will be a good story,” he told the defense journalists association, when asked about the export prospects for the twin-engine fighter. “This is a high-quality plane.”

Confirmed: Military plane was from Russia

12/14/2014

The passenger plane nearly crashed into a foreign military aircraft after military air traffic control reported an "invisible" plane was circulating in the area. "It's about a Russian military jet. We have identified it via Swedish combat pilots. There are no doubts about what kind of government aircraft it was," Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told the TT news agency. He added; "This is serious. It's inappropriate. It's downright dangerous."

Despite President Vladimir Putin’s visit, two military aircraft pacts still at halt

12/14/2014

President Vladimir Putin may have come and gone but stalemate largely persists over two key long-pending India-Russian defence projects, the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) and military multirole transport aircraft (MTA). The intergovernmental agreements for co-development and co-production of FGFA and MTA were inked way back in 2007. But the two projects are yet to fly out of the doldrums, with India's concerns over technical, cost and delivery issues still to be addressed.

At a Glance: Rafale fighter aircraft which could be India’s frontline MMRCA

12/13/2014

India is emerging as one of the most rapidly developing economies of the world. India needs to strengthen its air defence since it’s an utmost requirement in today’s competitive world. India has got hostile neighbours and has gone to war with them in the past.

Co-production, joint ventures the way forward, says Russia

12/13/2014

Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's thrust for "Make in India", Russia on Friday said joint ventures and co-production was the way forward in all sectors, including defence, to achieve the target of $30 billion bilateral trade by 2025. Russia also said it was ready to engage with India for the modernisation of all defence equipment, including ships, submarines and aircraft.

Photo Release - Northrop Grumman Celebrates First APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar Engineering, Manufacturing and Development Delivery

12/13/2014

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), today marked the delivery of its first engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) to Lockheed Martin. Northrop Grumman's APG-83 SABR was competitively selected by Lockheed Martin for the F-16 Radar Modernization program to support U.S. and Taiwan Air Force F-16 upgrade programs.

New Cold War: Su-35 Fighter Jets Could be Supplied to China from Russia Next Year, Official Says

12/13/2014

A top official with Russian contractor Sukhoi said Russia will supply “standard” versions of the Su-35 combat aircraft to China, a report said. Speaking with IHS Jane’s 360, Sukhoi first deputy director general Boris Bregma said that a “contract will be signed at the end of 2014 or at the beginning of 2015.”

Lasers! What Are They Good For?

12/13/2014

So the Naval Diplomat went on National Public Radio out in Los Angeles yesterday — via phone, alas, not onsite — to discuss the “laser gun” mounted aboard USNS Ponce, a U.S. Navy amphibious transport-cum-afloat forward staging base (AFSB). Occasioning NPR’s interest: this week the navy leadership has certified the old amphib’s 30 kW laser weapon system (LaWS) for combat use. Even while it undergoes testing, LaWS will provide some defense against lower-end threats.

Turkey boosts cooperation with Italy, Europe over defense

12/13/2014

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that Turkey and Italy possess good opportunities to cooperate in the defense industry. Davutoglu and his Italian counterpart, Matteo Renzi, were speaking on Friday at the Turkey-Italia Business Forum in Istanbul, hosted by the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Turkey. Davutoglu said earlier that the two countries had cooperated on projects such as the ATAK series of helicopters – the first locally made Turkish attack helicopter.

Conservatives looking into extending ISIS mission in Iraq

12/13/2014

Defence Minister Rob Nicholson says the Conservative government will ”have a look at” extending the six-month air combat mission against ISIS forces in Iraq. Nicholson made the comments in an interview with Global News as he was in the midst of a day-and-a-half visit to various locations in Kuwait, including Camp Patrice Vincent, the staging base for Canadian CF-18s, Aurora surveillance aircraft and a Polaris refuelling plane.

Oslo Suspends Military Cooperation With Moscow Until 2016: Defense Ministry

12/13/2014

Norway has decided to suspend military cooperation with Russia till the end of next year, the country’s Ministry of Defense said Friday. “The Government has considered the issue again and decided to continue the suspension of all bilateral military activities until the end of 2015,” the ministry said in a statement published on its official website.

Chinese Engineer Charged for Smuggling F-35 Engine Designs

12/12/2014

The US government has brought charges against a Chinese citizen who is alleged to have tried to smuggle critical information related to the F-35 fighter jet out of the United States and into China. Reuters reports the individual in question is an engineer named Yu Long, who worked on the design of the F-35's engine. The documents Long is charged with trying to smuggle pertained to the testing and equations used to engineer titanium that is used in the F-35 engine.

Canadian planes bomb Islamic State checkpoint in Iraq

12/12/2014

Canadian warplanes bombed an Islamic State militants’ checkpoint in northern Iraq this week, the federal government says. James Bezan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Defence, told the House of Commons on Thursday that CF-18s struck their target Wednesday. “Our CF-18s dropped one 500-pound bomb on an ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] vehicle checkpoint about 250 kilometres to the southwest of Mosul,” Mr. Bezan said.

Navy Laser Weapon Now Operational

12/12/2014

The US military has taken another giant step into the world of Star Wars with the activation of a new laser weapon that it now considers operational and ready for action. The remarkable new laser weapon system, or LaWS, was demonstrated aboard the USS Ponce, operating in the Persian Gulf in tests conducted earlier this year. On December 10, the Navy released graphic videos showing the laser’s use against drones, setting them on fire and causing them to fall from the sky.

The Navy Is Developing A Next-Generation Drone That Can Land On Aircraft Carriers

12/12/2014

The Navy is trying to build a next-generation super-drone that it can launch from an aircraft carrier and refuel in mid-air. n the first quarter of 2015, the US Navy will pick a winner from among the four defense contractors asked to design a version of the aircraft.

A-10s in Boise saved if 'Cromnibus' bill passes; Idaho gets other money, too

12/12/2014

The A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft, central to the Idaho Air Guard’s mission at Gowen Field?in Boise, would be protected for a year in the omnibus spending bill that was headed to final passage in the House Thursday. The appropriations bill denies the Obama administration’s request to retire the A-10s, also known as Warthogs, and provides $337.1 million to keep them flying in 2015.

The Pentagon's Flying Decoy Super Weapon Is About To Get Much Deadlier

12/12/2014

One of America's most potent air combat creations doesn't hang as a poster on adolescent boys' walls or gets featured in a Bruckheimer blockbuster. The humble yet game-changing Miniature Air Launched Decoy has had a quiet history and it is already operational in two iterations. Now, this radar stumping super-missile is becoming a 'networked' kamikaze smart drone.

Sukhoi-30 plane crash inquiry to be completed in a fortnight: IAF Chief Arup Raha

12/12/2014

IAF Chief Arup Raha today said the Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the October crash of a Sukhoi-30 combat aircraft, that led to the grounding of the entire fleet for a month, will be completed in a fortnight, days after the Russian envoy indicated human error behind the incident. Refusing to comment on Russian Ambassador Alexander Kadakin's recent statement indicating human error behind the crash, the Air Force chief said he does not want to pre-empt anything.