Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Korea offers to buy defence hardware

11/07/2014

Korea has urged Bangladesh to purchase training and combat aircraft and high-tech defence hardware from the country. Korean First Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Cho Taeyong made the call at the second Bangladesh-South Korea Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Seoul on Wednesday. Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque led the Bangladesh delegation at the FOC.

Ministers may look to shoot down F-35 jet deal

11/07/2014

Israeli ministers are lining up against the purchase of a second squadron of advanced F-35 stealth fighters from the United States, saying the $3 billion needed for the deal could be put to better use. Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told a government meeting Wednesday that the money for the highly-touted deal should instead be spent developing Israel’s drone force and buying more relatively inexpensive rockets that can be launched from the air, sea, or land, Israeli daily Haaretz repo

General to ISIS: We can hear you

11/07/2014

The top U.S. military commander in the fight against ISIS said airstrikes are working to erode the terror group's capabilities and warned militants that the U.S. military is listening to them. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, who heads the U.S. Central Command, made those remarks at an event Thursday with the Atlantic Council, which was moderated by CNN anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper.

Raytheon begins DARPA CAS programme tests, plans live fire

11/07/2014

Raytheon has begun flight tests of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) programme, the company announced on 5 November. Raytheon plans to conduct live-fire test flights "early next year", company spokesman John Patterson told IHS Jane's on 6 November. Raytheon is the systems integrator for PCAS and is working under a USD25.5 million contract for the programme's third phase, according to a company statement.

UK Voyager refuels US Navy fighters for first time

11/07/2014

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) recently refuelled US Navy (USN) combat aircraft for the first time using its Airbus Defence and Space (DS) Voyager KC.3 tanker-transport aircraft, it was announced on 6 November. The tanking, which was carried out under the terms of a special operational clearance, saw the Voyager pass fuel to USN Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler combat aircraft on 18 October in support of operations over Iraq.

Air Force F-16 fighter jet missing off Florida Gulf Coast

11/07/2014

The Coast Guard and Air Force were searching the Gulf of Mexico off Panama City, Fla., on Thursday afternoon for an F-16 Falcon fighter jet that presumably crashed. The jet was assigned to the 53rd Weapons Evaluations Group at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, the Air Force said. The Air Force said it lost contact with the pilot about 9:15 a.m. Only one person was on board, the Coast Guard said.

U.S. opens channels with Iran over ISIS

11/07/2014

President Barack Obama's administration is trying to open channels of communication with Iran regarding the war on ISIS. Amid revelations that Obama sent a letter to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month pointing out the countries' shared interest in beating ISIS, a senior U.S. official and a Western diplomat tell CNN that Washington has gone through the Iraqis to communicate with Iran.

US Strikes in Syria Directed Against Khorasan Extremists, Not Al-Nusra: Central Command

11/07/2014

The recent US airstrikes launched in northwestern Syria were not targeted against the al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorist group, Gen. Lloyd Austin from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said. "We [CENTCOM] did conduct a number of strikes and the strikes were focused on the Khorasan [extremist] group," Gen. Austin said Thursday at an Atlantic Council event.

US Pilot: Thanks To Espionage, Chinese Stealth Fighters Could Match The F-35

11/06/2014

China is set to debut its new Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter at the Zhuihai international airshow next week. Although the fighter's exact specifications are unknown, it could be a match for the F-22 and the F-35, Dave Majumdar writes for USNI News citing several US military officials and pilots. This sense of the capabilities of the J-31 are largely based on the successes China has had in industrial espionage against US targets.

Addressing the Gaps in Syria Policy in the Fight Against ISIS

11/06/2014

With the expansion of air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, into Syria in September, President Barack Obama exposed himself to a new round of criticism from armchair commanders at home and abroad. It is time for the Obama administration to clarify the Syria component of its strategy to combat ISIS.

Marines Hone Tactical Navigation Skills

11/06/2014

Gliding over mountain tops and maneuvering through deep valleys, Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 honed their tactical navigation skills and Assault Landing Zone techniques at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., Oct. 23. Tactical navigation training simulates a combat environment where ground threats cause pilots to maneuver aircraft through disparate terrain to conceal their location and evade threats.

Advisers will be on hand to combat IS in Iraq

11/06/2014

The UK is to step up its operation in Iraq three years after the last combat troops left the country, the Defence Secretary has announced. Michael Fallon said the move was necessary to challenge the growing threat posed by Islamic State terrorists. He stressed that the move would not involve putting troops on the ground. Instead, military personnel will take part in a "limited" training mission for local security forces.

Battlespace Simulations, Inc. Providing Modern Air Combat Environment to U.S. Armed Forces

11/06/2014

TatukGIS customer Battlespace Simulations (BSI) is increasingly successful licensing its flagship Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE) to the U.S. Armed Forces for simulated combat training and mission rehearsal. MACE provides computer generated forces (CGF), sometimes referred to as semi-automated forces (SAF), and threat generation for distributed simulation environments, Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training capability, Electronic Warfare (EW) simulation capability.

The U.S. Air Force Is Trying to Trick Us Into Getting Rid of the A-10

11/06/2014

Literally for decades—since well before the 1991 Iraq war—the U.S. Air Force has been trying to get rid of the A-10 Warthog close air support aircraft. The A-10’s spectacular performance in four wars in Iraq—twice—plus Kosovo and Afghanistan has frustrated these efforts. In those conflicts, the A-10 outperformed all other U.S. aircraft in killing tanks and other vehicles and supporting infantry engaged in combat-at both very short—“danger close”—and longer ranges.

Dassault, BAE Wins French-UK Study Contract For Next Generation Combat Aircraft

11/06/2014

Cooperation between France and the UK is seen as the optimum way to progress a UCAS (Unmanned Combat Air System) solution, whilst supporting both governments’ intentions for closer defence ties. The joint study contract of €150m/£120m is to be supplemented with additional French and UK national funding to the combined value of €100m/£80m in the same period.

Norwegian Security Service Predicts Terrorist Attack in Norway Within 12 Months

11/06/2014

There has been a "negative development" in the security situation in Norway, and terrorists could attempt to carry out an attack in the country within the next 12 months, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said Wednesday. "Within the next 12 months it is likely that there could be threats or attempts to carry out terrorist attacks in Norway.

Putin: Russia's Arms Exports Portfolio Exceeded $7.7Bln in 2014

11/06/2014

Russia has secured $7.7 billion in arms contracts with foreign customers since the beginning of 2014, the country's President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday. "As a result, the foreign orders portfolio shows a steady trend at around $50 billion," Putin said at a meeting on Russia's military-technical cooperation.

Poland To Buy Armed Drones Amid Ukraine Crisis

11/05/2014

NATO member Poland said Tuesday it will acquire combat drones as part of a multi-billion-euro revamp of its armed forces amid heightened tensions with Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis. “We will use these drones to defend our territory,” Deputy Defence Minister Czeslaw Mroczek told AFP.

The MoD's fighter jet gamble

11/05/2014

The Ministry of Defence is gambling an awful lot on the stealth characteristics of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (“Britain orders more F-35s as part of biggest-ever defence project”). It is clear from the initial order of just four operational airframes that the RAF and Fleet Air Arm will struggle to afford to field these exorbitantly priced aircraft in anything other than token numbers.

Discovery Air deploys A-4N jets to Germany ahead of training contract

11/05/2014

Discovery Air Defence Services Inc. has begun the deployment of Douglas A-4 Skyhawk aircraft to Germany ahead of a five-year training contract that is set to begin in early 2015, the company announced on 29 October. The subsidiary of Canadian specialist aviation company Discovery Air has started the transfer of seven upgraded A-4N aircraft to Wittmund in northern Germany.

These Are The Chinese Military Advancements That Are Shifting The Balance Of Power In Asia

11/05/2014

As China continues its rise to superpower stature, Beijing is trying to rapidly increase its firepower. China’s attempts to seriously upgrade its military — with next-generation fighter jets, ballistic missiles, and advanced naval vessels — is partly aimed at keeping pace with the US. The two are in a veritable arms race in east Asia. The US engaged in a “pivot to Asia,” focusing military and diplomatic attention on an increasingly important part of the world.

Russian techies in town to clear Sukhoi spook

11/05/2014

A team of experts from Russia has arrived in Pune to investigate the recent accident involving the Sukhoi 30 MKI aircraft at Theur village on October 14. Regular sorties of the fighter plane have been suspended due to the ongoing inquiry. The Russians will carry out a technical evaluation of Sukhoi-30 fighter planes, the entire fleet of which has been grounded for over two weeks following the crash of this frontline combat aircraft of Russian make at Theur, about 30 km from Pune.

Australian Super Hornets have bombed 14 Isis targets in Iraq

11/05/2014

Bombs dropped from Australian Super Hornet combat aircraft in Iraq have hit 14 targets, 11 of which were destroyed, defence officials have said. The Australian Defence Force provided the figures on Wednesday for operations conducted since the government gave the go-ahead for RAAF strikes against Islamic State (Isis) militants in early October.

Foreign F-35 Partners Allowed More Freedom to Customize Fighter Software

11/05/2014

Foreign air forces ordering the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) will be able to customize the mission data packages loaded onto their aircraft in a compromise that defense officials say both preserves U.S. security and allows allies a greater degree of customization of their fighters. Loading specific mission data packages onto the stealth fighter had been a bone of contention amongst the partner nations helping to develop the F-35.

Western Security Services May Be Turning IS Militants on Russia: Ex-Intelligence Officer

11/04/2014

The growing influence of Islamic State militants poses a threat to Russia's security, and there is a possibility that these extremists are supported by Western security services, retired Lt. Gen. Nikolai Pushkarev, formerly of the Russian Armed Forces’ Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) told RIA Novosti.