Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The 5 Most Powerful Chinese Weapons of War in the Sky

09/06/2014

The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is no longer a peasant air force of ancient fighters incapable of projecting power beyond its borders. During the Cold War, there was no need for such an expensive force—or to fight a major war outside of China’s borders. Now, as China’s economy has expanded at a staggering rate, China’s interests have grown beyond its borders, indeed even beyond its traditional area of interest in East Asia to a truly global scope.

What is hypoxia - and why does it affect pilots?

09/06/2014

When a small plane began to drift off course early Friday, the North American Aerospace Defence Command anticipated a scenario it had seen before. “F-15 fighter jets are currently escorting an unresponsive small aircraft over the Atlantic, possible hypoxia,” NORAD tweeted Friday afternoon. “Hypoxia” - the medical term for oxygen deprivation - has been the culprit in several air crashes of the past.

Britain will have a second aircraft carrier

09/06/2014

David Cameron has reversed plans to mothball one of two new £3?billion aircraft carriers. The Prime Minister said that the 65,000-ton HMS Prince of Wales will be brought into service instead of being kept as a reserve vessel. Defence cuts had meant that only one of the ships, HMS Queen Elizabeth, would enter active service.

Prepared to tackle threats from al-Qaeda: IAF chief Arup Raha

09/06/2014

There is a threat from terror groups such as al Qaeda but the country is ready to tackle it, IAF chief Arup Raha said on Friday in the light of reports that the international terrorist outfit has established a new branch to wage jihad in India. "There is a threat from such agencies but the nation is prepared for it," Raha said when asked about the al-Qaeda threat regarding the group starting operations in India.

Russian Naval Aviation Forces to Receive 10 MiG-29K Fighter Jets by End of 2014

09/06/2014

The Russian Navy is to receive 10 new deck-based MiG-29K (Fulcrum-D) jet fighters by the end of 2014, Navy Commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov said Friday. “The Naval Aviation Forces will receive 10 MiG-29K aircraft by the end of 2014,” Chikov said in the Black Sea Port city of Gelendzhik.

Russia’s strategic nuclear forces to conduct major military exercises with more than 4,000 soldiers

09/05/2014

The forces responsible for Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal will conduct major exercises this month involving more than 4,000 soldiers, the defence ministry said on Wednesday, in the latest sign of rising tension with NATO over the Ukraine crisis.

Engine cracks pose fresh delay risk for F-35B

09/05/2014

The US Marine Corps faces a new delay for Lockheed Martin F-35B entry into service if operating limitations caused by a recent engine problem cannot be limited by the end of September. “I need the rest of the test airplanes back to full envelope by the end of this month, otherwise we will start seeing delays in future milestones that we haven’t pushed up against yet,” says Lt Gen Christopher Bogdan, chief of the Pentagon’s F-35 joint program office (JPO).

Stavridis: Russian Mistrals Could Work Well As NATO Rapid Reaction Force Asset

09/05/2014

The suspended delivery of two French-built amphibious warships to the Russian Navy could give NATO an opportunity to buy a ready-made platform for its planned rapid reaction force, retired Adm. James G. Stavridis — former NATO Supreme Allied Commander — told USNI News on Thursday.

A Shanghaied Exercise

09/05/2014

Dubbed “Peace Mission 2014,” the “antiterrorism” military exercise hosted by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) took place last month in northern China amid growing tensions within the regional alliance. Five nations — China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — sent a total of 7,000 soldiers to the six-day maneuvers that ended Aug. 29, including 5,000 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops and 1,000 Russian soldiers.

NATO summit: What's on the agenda

09/05/2014

NATO leaders began their summit by discussing what feels like yesterday's war. With eastern Ukraine burning and Islamic extremists rampaging across Syria and northern Iraq, western military allies turned their attention Thursday to the final withdrawal of combat forces from Afghanistan, slated for the end of the year.

Obama and Cameron pledge to combat ISIS

09/05/2014

US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron reaffirmed their commitment to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Thursday, as a major NATO conference got underway near the Welsh city of Newport. In a joint op-ed published in London newspaper The Times, the two leaders said the NATO alliance remained relevant in the face of crises in Ukraine and the Middle East.

NATO exercises begin in Czech Republic

09/05/2014

Ample Strike 2014, a large aviation exercise of forward air controllers, pilots and other soldiers from 12 NATO member countries, started today, spokeswoman Magdalena Dvoráková, from the Czech General Staff, told the Czech News Agency. Four Slovak L-39 Albatros planes, two Slovak Mi-17 helicopters and one Lithuanian L-39 aircraft landed at the airfields in Prague-Kbely and Cáslav, central Bohemia.

Boeing Laser Demonstrator Destroys Targets through Wind and Fog

09/05/2014

Boeing and the U.S. Army have proven the capabilities of the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) in maritime conditions, successfully targeting a variety of aerial targets at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. “Under windy, rainy and foggy weather conditions in Florida, these engagements were the most challenging to date with a 10-kilowatt laser on HEL MD,” said Dave DeYoung, Boeing Directed Energy Systems director.

Poroshenko Vows to Do Everything Possible for Ceasefire in Ukraine

09/05/2014

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he would do everything possible to establish a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine. “We will do everything possible in order to establish a ceasefire. Soldiers lose their lives, innocent civilians die. I, as President, will do everything possible,” Poroshenko said during press conference at the NATO summit in Wales.

Plenty of planning goes into Selfridge's Open House and Air Show

09/04/2014

Any military operation takes time to plan but an open house and air show can take years. Just ask Maj. Todd Wasilewski. He’s the air operations director for the Open House and Air Show at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Sept. 6 and 7. Wasilewski works in the standardization and evaluation office, where his primary duty is that of a KC-135 Stratotanker instructor pilot. He’s been at Selfridge for 13 years, five of them flying the C-130.

What does Army need to confront jihadist threat?

09/04/2014

“Russia proposed to give MiG-29s to Lebanon two to three years ago,” Jaber said. “I said we don’t need it, because it will be over Syria or Israel or the sea within seconds and will either be shot down or be useless. So I proposed that they change it to helicopters.”

Hundreds more U.S. troops headed to Iraq

09/04/2014

About 350 new U.S. troops will begin arriving in Iraq on Wednesday, bringing the total American military footprint there above 1,000 personnel for the first time in nearly three years. President Obama approved the additional troops — mostly soldiers and Marines — late Tuesday night. They will arrive via U.S. military aircraft and be assigned primarily to diplomatic security duties around the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, military officials said.

RSAF inaugurates M-346 aircraft into 150 squadron

09/04/2014

The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) new Advanced Jet Trainer, the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 aircraft, was inaugurated into 150 Squadron at Cazaux Air Base in France on Wednesday afternoon. Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen officiated the ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Ng emphasised the significant role of the M-346 aircraft in training the RSAF's next generation of fighter aircrew efficiently and effectively. - See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/rsaf-inaugurates-

Engine failure led to fatal Army helicopter crash in Afghanistan, investigation finds

09/04/2014

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 James E. Groves III’s helicopter had completed a dive during a test-fire exercise north of Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan when trouble erupted. The main rotor of his Kiowa Warrior OH-58D wasn’t spinning quickly enough to keep him airborne, and a warning alarm went off as he attempted to climb from a height of about 200 feet.

ANALYSIS: How Draken International became the world's biggest private air force

09/04/2014

Any air arm able to field 30 operational MiG-21s, 11 Douglas A-4K Skyhawks and which ordered up to 28 light combat jets would be placed well up the rankings in Flight International’s annual World Air Forces directory. It may come as a surprise, therefore, to learn that the aircraft listed above belong to a commercial company. Welcome to Draken International, the world’s largest private air force.

The low-cost fighters to serve tomorrow’s air forces

09/04/2014

At this summer's Farnborough Air Show in England, the talk was dominated by the mishaps of one plane: the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter. Due to be adopted by major air forces in the decades to come, it was supposed to be the star of the show. But in the end, the $100m-a-unit jet failed to turn up to its coming-out party after an engine fire in one of the production models grounded the fleet.

Deputy Chief of Indian Air Force Flies Light Combat Aircraft Tejas

09/04/2014

Deputy Air Chief Air Marshal S B P Sinha on Wednesday became the first officer of his rank to fly indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas and praised its performance, saying it handled "well" on the ground as well as in the air. Mr Sinha flew the aircraft (trainer version) in Bengaluru where he was on a two-day visit to Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) during which he took a review of various aspects of the Tejas programme.

US Navy: USS Destroyer Ross Enters Black Sea

09/04/2014

United States Navy destroyer USS Ross has entered Black Sea, according to the statement in US Navy 6th Fleet official command account on Twitter. “USS Ross enters Black Sea, promoting peace and stability while working with NATO allies and partners,” the statement says.

India Interested in Russia’s Missile Systems – Russian Air Force

09/04/2014

India’s Air Force commanders have expressed interest in the Russian surface-to-air missile systems in the course of the joint Russian-Indian Air Force exercise “Aviandra-2014”, Maj. Gen. Sergey Babakov told journalists Wednesday. “They have expressed great interest in our systems, they probably need to modernize their weapons arsenal,” Maj. Gen. Babakov, head of the Russian Air Force's anti-aircraft missile troops, said.

Boeing C-17 Support Effort for Strategic Airlift Capability Exceeds 1,000 Missions

09/03/2014

Boeing has supported more than 1,000 missions for the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) program’s fleet of three C-17 airlifters, achieving a mission capable rate of nearly 94 percent during the five years it has provided maintenance, engineering and spares through a comprehensive performance-based logistics program.