Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

It's Time for the Saudis to Stand Up

08/29/2014

Now is the time for Saudi Arabia to man up. There is broad agreement that the black-clad savages of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham pose a profound threat first to neighboring Arab regimes and only then to Europe and the United States. Yet amid the debate over how a reluctant U.S. or timid Europe should respond, there is no discussion of what Saudi Arabia should do. This is a remarkable omission that ought to shame the Saudis.

Czechs closer to selling subsonic fighter jets to Iraq

08/29/2014

The Czech Republic moved a step closer to completing a deal to sell 12 subsonic fighter planes to Iraq after the Defence Ministry and plane maker Aero Vodochody agreed on conditions, defence officials said on Thursday. The Czech army has a surplus of the L-159 fighters, made by Aero and used as training or light combat aircraft, and has been looking for a buyer. In July, the Czechs signed a contract to sell 14 L-159 planes to U.S. company Draken International.

How are F-15 and other fighter pilots trained and equipped to survive after ejecting from their aircraft?

08/29/2014

U.S. Air Force Air National Guard Maj. Matthew Mutti said that if the pilot whose F-15C jet crashed in Virginia on Wednesday ejected, that pilot is trained, if not equipped, to survive in the wild. Every Air Force member who flies goes through an extensive 19-day survival, evasion, resistance and escape, or SERE, course taught at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington State.

Military Terminology: Combat air patrol

08/29/2014

In case you haven't noticed, the military enjoys its abbreviations. That's especially true of the flying forces, which seemingly speak in nothing but shorthand. While we will endeavor to explain as many of those phrases as possible in this series, today, we'll focus on one of the most common types – the combat air patrol, or CAP.

Military equipped for Iraq mission

08/29/2014

If combat aircraft are sent, they would probably be six of the RAAF’s 24 Super Hornet fighter-bombers. They would need to be escorted to the Middle East by a flying tanker, possibly one of the RAAF’s KC-30s. If the RAAF tankers are not ready for such a mission, the Hornets could be refuelled by a US tanker based on the island of Diego Garcia or by a contacted civilian tanker.

Boeing to Highlight Combat Helicopters and KC-46 Tanker at MSPO Exhibition in Poland

08/29/2014

Boeing will participate in the annual MSPO International Defence Industry exhibition in Kielce, Poland, which runs Sept. 1-4. The company will highlight several of its defense products and services including the AH-64 Apache and AH-6i combat helicopters, the KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tanker, and unmanned aerial systems such as the ScanEagle, among other programs.

'Russian troops deployed' in Ukraine - Poroshenko

08/28/2014

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has cancelled a visit to Turkey, citing "Russian troop deployments" in the east of the country. Mr Poroshenko said his place was in Kiev in view of a sharp deterioration in the situation in Donetsk region.

U.S. Top Guns in Darwin Dog-Fight Drills as China Tensions Rise

08/28/2014

In Australia’s remote top end U.S. fighter pilots are engaged in combat drills, while Marines sip beers at night in pubs in the tropical city of Darwin. Thousands of kilometers to the north, the U.S. finds itself in increasingly real standoffs with China’s air force. “The planes are noisy but they’re just a part of life,” said Rachael Molloy, 24, who sells crocodile skin whips at the evening beach markets in Darwin, which plays host to the 22-day exercises where jets roar overhead until late at

B-2 Spirits depart Andersen following routine deployment

08/28/2014

Three B-2 Spirits redeployed to the continental U.S. following a deployment here as part of U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region. The bombers, and approximately 200 support Airmen, assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri deployed here, Aug. 6, to improve combat readiness and ensure regional stability.

Australia signs up to join US in air strikes on Iraq

08/28/2014

Australia has signalled its willingness to contribute Super Hornets to US-led air strikes in Iraq, with the defence force “at a high state of readiness”. The defence minister, David Johnston, said Australia was yet to be approached to provide assistance other than humanitarian relief, but would continue to talk to the US about steps to preserve civilian life from the threat posed by the Islamic State (Isis).

Navy to deploy MiG 29Ks in Vishakhapatnam; move aimed to strengthen eastern coast

08/28/2014

India is planning to deploy the MiG-29K naval combat aircraft in Vishakhapatnam to strengthen the security of the country's eastern coast. The MiG 29Ks are being deployed in INS Degha near Vishakhapatnam and would be also stationed on the INS Vikrant or the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier being built at Kochi, Navy spokesperson Captain D K Sharma said.

F-15 jet crashes in Western Virginia

08/28/2014

An F-15C fighter jet from the Massachusetts Air National Guard crashed in Augusta County near Deerfield Wednesday morning around 9 a.m. "Air Force and civilian first responders are responding to the scene," Army Col. Steve Warren said. At a news conference in Westfield, Massachusetts, Col. James Keefe of the 104th Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard said that the missing pilot is an experienced flyer. He said the plane was on its way to New Orleans to have a radar installed.

Global Hawk Aircraft Exceed 100,000 Combat Hours

08/28/2014

Air Force and Navy unmanned aircraft built by the Northrop Grumman San Diego division have surpassed 100,000 hours of service in combat and operational support, the company announced Wednesday. The Global Hawk aircraft are part of Northrop Grumman’s high altitude long endurance, or HALE series. The 100,000 total hours milestone was exceeded in September 2013.

Ukraine Reports Russian Invasion on a New Front

08/28/2014

Determined to preserve the pro-Russian revolt in eastern Ukraine, Russia reinforced what Western and Ukrainian officials described as a stealth invasion on Wednesday, sending armored troops across the border as it expanded the conflict to a new section of Ukrainian territory.

UN Security Council Urges Probe Into Downing of Helicopter in South Sudan

08/28/2014

The UN Security Council unanimously agreed Wednesday to Russia's press statement proposal, urging "a swift, through and transparent investigation" into the downing of a UN helicopter, which killed three Russian crew members and injured one in South Sudan. “The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest term the downing near Bentiu, Unity State, in South Sudan on August 26, 2014 of an UNMISS Mi-8 AMT helicopter performing a cargo flight to the area.

NATO Not Looking for War With Russia - CSIS

08/28/2014

NATO is not looking for ways to set off a war with Russia, despite the alliance’s commitment to build up rapid response forces close to Russia’s border, a representative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told RIA Novosti. “We are not looking for war with Russia. We aim to prevent any kind of unusual, unconventional approaches that might come after NATO territory or NATO stability,” International Security Director at CSIS Katherine Hicks said during a Wednesday press briefing.

Islamic extremists seize Syrian military base then behead captured Assad soldiers

08/27/2014

Islamic extremists captured a major government military airport in Raqqa, eastern Syria, on Sunday, completing their takeover of the entire province and dealing a humiliating blow to President Bashar Assad. The victory is further evidence that the Islamic State is determined to widen its grip on the region.

Three killed as UN helicopter goes down in South Sudan

08/27/2014

Three crew members of a United Nations peacekeeping helicopter in South Sudan were killed on Tuesday when their aircraft crashed on a routine cargo flight, and a fourth crew member was being treated for injuries, the UN said. Russia’s Interfax news agency said “preliminary information” indicated that the helicopter, operated by a Russian firm, had been shot down as it flew over an area that has been a flashpoint during a civil conflict that is now more than eight months old.

Fighter Jet Crashes in Northern Greece; Pilot Safe

08/27/2014

An A7 Corsair fighter jet crashed near the city of Komotini in Northern Greece on Tuesday morning August 26. The Greek pilot who was flying the old A7 Corsair managed to use the ejection seat mechanism and survive the crash. The incident occurred at around 10 am local time according to a witness. The fighter jet was participating in a training exercise at the Evros region and had taken off together with another A7 aircraft from the 116 Combat Wing.

ANG B-2 pilot surpasses 1,000 hours

08/27/2014

The landing gear touched down and the aircraft skimmed down the runway just as it had many times before. This time, though, a routine flying mission became a major achievement for the 131st Bomb Wing as well as a career milestone for Lt. Col. Ryan "Poacher" Bailey, a Missouri Air National Guardsman who surpassed 1,000 flying-hours in the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber here Aug. 23.

Exercise Pitch Black Concludes in Darwin

08/27/2014

For three weeks in August, the skies over Northern Australia – known here as the Top End – reverberated to the roar of military jet engines as the biennial Exercise Pitch Black was staged out of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Bases Darwin and Tindal; the two main military airports in Australia’s Northern Territory.

U.S. relies on Persian Gulf bases for airstrikes in Iraq

08/27/2014

The U.S. military is relying on bases in the Persian Gulf and elsewhere in the Middle East to carry out airstrikes in Iraq, but is masking the locations and other details about the units and aircraft involved to avoid embarrassing partners in the region. The Persian Gulf monarchies have long hosted U.S. forces to bolster their own security. But most have shied away from acknowledging the American presence and are even more reluctant now with U.S. warplanes bombing Iraq.

Chinese Intercepts of U.S. Aircraft: Rogue Pilots or Realpolitik?

08/27/2014

Who controls China’s increasingly powerful military? The question is a recurring one for foreign governments and China watchers, and the Pentagon is raising it again – suggesting that recent highly charged midair encounters between Chinese and U.S. military aircraft may have been initiated by a rogue Chinese pilot or squadron.

The UAE Has Been Secretly Sending Warplanes To Bomb Islamists In Libya

08/27/2014

The United Arab Emirates has secretly sent warplanes on bombing raids against Islamist militias in Libya over the past week, using bases in Egypt, US officials said. The two attacks carried out over seven days mark a dramatic expansion of the conflict as the United States and its European allies denounced "outside interference" in Libya. The strikes signaled a step toward direct action by regional Arab states that previously have fought proxy wars in Libya, Syria and Iraq.

Chinese Surveillance Aircraft Enter Taiwan's Airspace

08/27/2014

The Taiwanese Air Force scrambled combat aircraft to pursue Chinese surveillance aircraft that made four separate intrusions into Taiwan’s airspace within less than 12 hours, a senior Taiwanese military official confirmed on August 26, one day after the standoff. According to information provided by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, the first intrusion occurred at 8:33 a.m., when a single Y-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft that had taken off from Chenghai, Guangdong Province.