Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Ukraine Says Rebels Shoot Down Fighter Jet

08/17/2014

Oleksiy Dmitrashkovsky said that the plane was shot down over the Luhansk region after launching an attack on rebels. The pilot ejected and was taken to a secure place, he said. Further details about the incident or the condition of the pilot were not immediately available.

Challenges for the Indian Defence Sector

08/17/2014

India’s Defence Sector includes the three Armed Forces (the Army, the Navy and the Air Force), and other Departments, primarily Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Defence Ordnance Factories. India has the third largest Army, the fourth largest Air force and the seventh largest Navy in the world but half of its defence equipment is considered to be largely obsolete.

Western Military Support Surges for Iraqi Kurds Fighting IS

08/17/2014

Some 20 European Union (EU) ministers are meeting in Brussels on Friday to discuss arms supplies to Iraq’s Kurds, an initiative well under way with France and the United States already sending weapons and Britain and Germany ready to do the same.Meanwhile, a UN Security Council meeting on Friday is expected to threaten sanctions against any country financing or backing the Islamic State (IS/ISIS). US jets have been involved in airstrikes against IS positions in Erbil since last Saturday.

How to Beat Down a Bully

08/17/2014

The international community is at long last beginning to take a strong stand against Moscow's aggression in eastern Ukraine. There is solid evidence indicating not only that Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by Russian-aided rebels in eastern Ukraine, but that the Kremlin has bolstered the rebels with heavy artillery despite toughened Western sanctions.

Canada to send cargo planes, 30 military personnel to shuttle weapons to Kurdish forces in Iraq

08/17/2014

Canada is committing two cargo planes to move military supplies into northern Iraq as part of the international effort to bolster Kurdish forces in the embattled region. Prime Minister Stephen Harper says a CC-177 Globemaster and a CC-130J Hercules transport will begin shuttling arms provided by allies to the Iraqi city of Irbil over the next few days.

First African military aircraft takes to the skies, making aviation history

08/17/2014

Billed as Africa’s first home-grown military aircraft, the Advanced High-Performance Reconnaissance Light Aircraft (AHRLAC) made its first test flight in South Africa this week, marking a milestone in the continent’s aviation history. On Wednesday, August, 13, as the AHRLAC descended from the Pretoria skies and taxied to a halt outside a hangar at the Wonderboom airport north of the South African capital, engineers and officials beamed and high-fived each other.

NATO air force training slated for Czech Republic

08/17/2014

A large NATO aviation training with the participation of pilots and soldiers from 11 allied countries will take place in the Czech Republic in early September, Magdaléna Dvoráková, from the general staff press department, told CTK. Along with Czech Gripen fighters and Soviet-made Mi helicopters, there will be the F-16s combat aircraft and Apache helicopters, Dvoráková said.

A few small production pushes for LCA

08/17/2014

A newly created division for the light combat aircraft (LCA) and a bid to make 80 per cent of its components locally are among recent moves taken to spur production of the made-in-India fighter plane once it crosses the last milestone for airworthiness, according to its developer and production agencies.

Planes bomb Islamic State fighters near Mosul dam

08/17/2014

Air strikes by American fighter aircraft and drones have targeted Islamic State (IS) fighters near north Iraq’s vital Mosul dam. The Islamic State group seized the dam on the Tigris River on August 7th as part of their offensive which has seized large parts of Iraq. The residents near the dam say the airstrikes killed a number of militants, but that could not be confirmed.

In Iraq we're going to need the A-10

08/16/2014

What was the most effective aircraft in our arsenal in taking out the enemy's ordinance while also providing the best close support for our ground forces in the previous conflicts in this war zone? Could it be the A-10 Warthog? The Air Force plans to retire the A-10 in favor of the more versatile F-35 Joint Strike Fighter ("Maryland Air Guard losing attack aircraft, regaining cargo planes," March 11).

Complex humanitarian mission in Iraq was no child's play

08/16/2014

Last weekend, Squadron Leader Cameron Clark was playing with his daughter when the decision was made to prepare a humanitarian mission to help stranded Yazidi refugees in Iraq. It is a testament to the lightning speed with which the Australian Defence Force can deploy that by Wednesday evening, the 37-year-old pilot was taking off in a C-130 transport plane from Al Minhad Air Base carrying 10 tonnes of food, water and supplies.

Obama: No Iraq rescue; further airdrops unlikely

08/16/2014

President Barack Obama on Thursday promised to expand U.S. humanitarian relief to Iraqis threatened by the advancing army of the Islamic State militants. He took credit for alleviating the genocide threat to thousands trapped on a mountaintop but said the situation "remains dire" throughout the country. Obama also said U.S. airstrikes would continue to protect Americans and U.S. facilities in Iraq, and he said Washington has increased its delivery of military assistance to Iraqi and Kurdish forc

AWACS upgrade achieves initial operational capability

08/16/2014

The commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Hostage, declared initial operational capability for the 552nd Air Control Wing's E-3G Sentry, an Airborne Warning and Control System Block 40/45 aircraft, July 28, here. "This modification represents the most significant upgrade in the 35-plus year history of the E-3 AWACS and greatly enhances our crew members' ability to execute the command and control mission while providing a building block for future upgrades.

Governor of Iraq’s Anbar province says U.S. to help against ISIS

08/15/2014

The governor of the Iraqi Sunni heartland province of Anbar said he has secured a promise from the U.S. for support in the ongoing conflict with Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants, Reuters reported. Ahmed Khalaf al-Dulaimi told Reuters his request, made in meetings with U.S. diplomats and a senior military officer, included air support against the militants who have a tight grip on large parts of his desert province and northwestern Iraq.

U.S. Military Shifts to Helping Kurds Fight Back

08/15/2014

The U.S. military is turning its focus toward helping Kurdish forces launch a counteroffensive against Sunni militants now that the refugee crisis in the northern Iraqi mountains has abated, American officials said Thursday. American military planners are building a coalition of countries that have agreed to take part in the effort to fly in ammunition, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades the Kurdish fighters need to uproot extremist forces that call themselves the Islamic State.

Russia Developing New Interceptor, and Progressing Bomber

08/15/2014

Russia will fly the prototype next-generation strategic bomber in 2019 and develop a new interceptor by 2020 to replace the MiG-31 fleet. Addressing the media on Russian Air Force Day (August 12) the service’s commander Gen. Victor Bondarev also said a new a combat aircraft with forward-swept wings is in development and could emerge soon as a prototype.

Australia Embraces Marine Presence in Darwin

08/15/2014

Australia—U.S. warplanes are thundering across the tropical sky here every day this week as they participate in one of Asia's biggest air combat exercises. Their presence also points to the growing importance U.S. and Australian defense officials place on this remote port city, and its rugged Outback surroundings, as Washington looks for more places where it can expand its military footprint in Asia without triggering too much of a backlash.

Arms co-prodcution, designing with foreign allies could take off during Narendra Modi's Japan trip

08/15/2014

India wants to set an example in defence joint production and co-development with foreign states by collaborating with old ally Russia and growing partner Japan to manufacture advanced fighter jets and state-of-the-art amphibious aircraft.

Obama Cites Progress With Targeted U.S. Operations in Iraq

08/15/2014

President Barack Obama on Thursday said that U.S. efforts in Iraq have allowed most members of a religious minority to escape a barren mountain range, though U.S. airstrikes will continue to combat the Sunni extremist group that calls itself Islamic State. "The situation on the mountain has greatly improved, and Americans should be very proud of our efforts," Mr. Obama said.

Washington Approves $320 Million Missile Sale to Turkey

08/15/2014

The United States has approved the possible sale of Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to Turkey following a request from the Turkish government, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a statement. “The Turkish Air Force [TAF] intends to obtain these missiles to modernize its inventory, which will support its own air defense needs and improve its interoperability with the US and other NATO allies,” said the news release, published on the DSCA website.

Saudi Arabia set for $2bn AWACS modernisation

08/15/2014

The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia for an AWACS modernisation programme and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $2 billion.

Convoy Said to Pause at Russian Base as Questions Persist

08/14/2014

Confusion swirled around the fate of an enormous Russian aid convoy as it apparently halted on Wednesday at a military base in the southern Russian city of Voronezh, temporarily suspending its march toward southeastern Ukraine. Moscow and Kiev seemed headed toward at least a standoff over the convoy, with Russia saying it still expected the hundreds of trucks to be allowed across the border and Ukraine vowing that they would be barred.

Iraq mission creep: What are the risks?

08/14/2014

Things are moving very fast in Iraq. Three months ago the country barely got a mention in Cabinet meetings in Whitehall. British forces left in 2011, after 8 troubled years there, and even the Americans had only a very limited presence. Iraq was essentially being left to itself. Today, following the lightning land-grab by the jihadists of Islamic State (IS) who now control roughly a third of Iraq and much of north-east Syria.

Japan's defense plans raise hackles in China

08/14/2014

Japan's new defense white paper has done little to mend fences with Beijing, with the Chinese government complaining that its Asian neighbor is using the "China threat" to justify a bigger defense budget. Japan will spend about $49 billion on defense in the fiscal year to March 2015 -- up about 3 percent from the previous year - in the face of what it says is a worsening security environment in the region. It cites tensions on the Korean peninsula and territorial disputes in the sea lanes runnin

British military sending Tornado fighter jets for Iraq air campaign

08/14/2014

The Royal Air Force will deploy Tornado GR4 fighter jets in support of the growing military air campaign over northern Iraq, British officials said Tuesday. The officials stressed the aircraft would be part of humanitarian operations there, but the deployment nonetheless sparked speculation that Britain might soon join the United States in launching airstrikes.