Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Europe Struggles To Unify Its Response to Russia

07/27/2014

Europe will harden its line against Moscow after the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, but sniping between Britain and France shows that the road to political consensus will be long and hard, analysts said. The 28 European Union foreign ministers agreed July 22 to stiffen sanctions unless Russian President Vladimir Putin moves toward settling the Ukraine crisis.

US Asia Pivot strategy criticized by Chinese thinktank

07/27/2014

The thinktank the China Strategic Culture Promotion Association (CSCPA) issued its "CSCPA Report on US Military Power 2013 and CSCPA Report on Japanese Military Power 2013" in Beijing on July 23, blaming the US for deploying more military strength in Asia-Pacific, reports Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po. The report said US military strength in the region increased by 6% in 2013 compared with 2012, reaching 154,100 personnel.

Now You See It, Now You Don't: Rewriting The Ukraine Crisis

07/27/2014

Knowing how and when to make a screen grab has suddenly become one of the basic skills of journalism. On the afternoon of July 23, a Russian soldier named Vadim Grigoriyev posted on the Russian social-networking site VKontakte that he'd "been shelling Ukraine all night." He added a couple of photos of artillery pieces and spent shells.

MiG-21s Revived In Africa

07/27/2014

Mozambique recently revived its air force by shipping its eight MiG-21 fighters to Romania to be refurbished and upgraded. Some of these aircraft (six single seat fighters and two dual seat trainers) had not flown since the 1990s. Lack of maintenance, especially periodic refurbishment, is what left these aircraft grounded, baking in the tropical heat and rain for two decades.

Singapore’s F-15SG fighter jets participate in Exercise Red Flag – Nellis

07/27/2014

The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) F-15SG multirole fighter aircraft are participating in the Red Flag - Nellis multi-national training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, US, for the first time. In addition to eight F-15SG fighters, RSAF has also deployed eight F-16C/D fighter aircraft, three CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and 290 personnel from its Peace Carvin II, Peace Carvin V, and Peace Prairie detachments for the air-to-air combat training exercise.

Technical fix could’ve avoided MH17 tragedy

07/27/2014

The awful crash of Malaysian Flight 17 in the Ukraine combat zone seems likely to have been caused by a long-range surface-to-air missile. At this writing, who launched the missile remains undetermined. Regardless of who’s guilty - why is a modern software-driven weapon capable of striking a civilian jet in the first place? All commercial airliners send out transponder signals that identify them as civilian.

U.S. Embassy in Libya closes, staff evacuates amid militia fighting

07/27/2014

After days of heavy combat among militias that highlights the chaos in Libya, the U.S. Embassy has been shut down and its staff taken to safety in neighboring Tunisia, the State Department said Saturday. It occurred under the protection of U.S. F-16 fighters and other aircraft, and there were no incidents.

ISRAEL & MIDDLE EAST

07/26/2014

A series of explosions at a school run by the United Nations sheltering hundreds of Palestinians who had fled their homes for safety from Israeli military assaults killed at least 10 people on Thursday afternoon and wounded many more. The cause was not immediately clear.

Dutch-Led Mission Preparing to Access Malaysia Airlines Crash Site

07/26/2014

More than a week after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed over eastern Ukraine, the Dutch-led accident investigation team was preparing Friday to access the crash site for the first time to try to unravel what brought down the Boeing 777. In the coming days, investigators will undertake a focused but limited search of the crash site and debris from the jetliner, the Dutch Safety Board said Friday.

Apache Guardians perform first deck landing qualifications

07/26/2014

AH-64E Apache Guardians from 1st Armed Reconnaissance Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division, conducted deck landing qualifications aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5) off the coast of Hawaii, July 19, as part of the Navy’s Rim of the Pacific Exercise 2014.

Red Flag: Closest thing to real life combat

07/26/2014

Fairchild Air Force Base participated in a Red Flag exercise above the Nevada Test and Training Range, July 2014. This exercise is one out of a series of training programs that occur multiple times throughout the year, affording Airmen an opportunity to participate in exercises that showcase the most realistic combat training without real enemy fire. Red Flag occurs at Nellis Air Force Base, outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Eielson AFB, outside of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Oman begins receiving second batch of F-16 fighters

07/26/2014

The first of 12 new Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft for the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) departed the company's production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, on 22 July. The departure, which was disclosed on the Lockheed Martin Code One blog, saw the first four Block 50 F-16s begin the 13,500 km ferry flight to the sultanate.

NATO considers another base location closer to eastern Europe

07/26/2014

A military base in Poland could soon be repurposed to support NATO in its mission to reassure eastern European allies of its oversight amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict. NATO’s top commander in Europe, Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, told a briefing in Naples this week that he plans to recommend “having capability in the forward area — preposition supplies, preposition capabilities, and a basing area ready to rapidly accept follow on forces.”

Carrier-based drone offers way forward for US navy – subject to squabbling

07/26/2014

Barely a year after the world's most sophisticated drone proved it could take off and land on the deck of an aircraft carrier, the project is at a crossroads, with huge implications for the future not only of drone warfare but US seapower writ large. The US navy will soon release a request for proposals from a handful of defense companies for the development of the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike vehicle, or UCLASS.

North Korean Air Force Develops Dementia

07/26/2014

North Korea recently lifted a flight ban on most of its older warplanes. This ban was imposed in May after a MiG-17 crashed into the sea off the west coast. There was a mechanical failure and given the age of most North Korean aircraft and shortages of spare parts and fuel for flying time over the last decade it was felt prudent to ground most of the air force until the oldest aircraft could be checked for any common problems.

IAF to get more aircraft

07/26/2014

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is in the process of inducting more Su-30 MKI aircraft and Light Combat Aircraft, parliament was informed Friday. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha that Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft and Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft would also be procured.

Russia delivers combat aircraft to Iraq; experts wonder whether it will help or hurt

07/26/2014

The Iraqi government Friday confirmed that Russia has begun delivery of attack helicopters and warplanes as part of an arms deal intended to bolster the foundering military effort to retake the nearly half of Iraq lost this year to Islamist militants.

U.S. Forces display military might at Farnborough

07/25/2014

Organizations, businesses and military forces from across the globe gathered in Farnborough, England, to celebrate 100 years of aviation at the Farnborough International Air Show, or FIA, July 14 -20. FIA is a biennial international trade show for the aerospace industry to demonstrate the latest in both civilian and military aircraft capabilities.

Here Are All Of The Aircraft Shot Down By Putin-Backed Rebels In Eastern Ukraine

07/25/2014

Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine, supplied with an increasing amount of advanced weaponry by Russia, have downed more than ten aircraft over the past three months. Since May 2, pro-Russian separatists have been confirmed to have shot down 11 aircraft over eastern Ukraine. Since shooting down flight MH17 on July 17, the rebels have downed an additional two Ukrainian Sukhoi 25 fighter jets.

Australia To Build F-35 Air Combat Facilities For $1.5 Billion

07/25/2014

Australia is to take delivery of its first F-35 fighter jet on Thursday from Lockheed Martin. It plans to buy another 72. Australia is building a $1.47 billion New Air Combat Capability Facility and has been referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defense Darren Chester announced on Australian Defense Forces Website.

Ukraine’s prime minister resigns as coalition falls apart

07/25/2014

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced his resignation Thursday, creating new uncertainty in his nation at a crucial moment in its military offensive against pro-Russian rebels in the east. The move was sure to distract Ukrainian politicians even as leaders from around the world push for unfettered access to the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down deep inside rebel-held territory.

Swedes Snub Danish Search for F-35 Alternative

07/25/2014

The Swedish defence export agency FXM announced that the Saab Gripen will not be entered for Denmark’s new fighter competition. Denmark has issued an 800-page “Request for Binding Information” (RBI) on alternatives to the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter; it is one of two international F-35 partners that has not yet committed to the program. The Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon are the other contenders in Denmark.

Why Rafale is a Big Mistake

07/25/2014

Why would India buy the Rafale combat aircraft rejected by every other interested country—Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Singapore, and even the cash-rich but not particularly discriminating Saudi Arabia and Morocco? The French foreign minister Laurent Fabius’s one-point agenda when he visited New Delhi was to seal the deal for Rafale, a warplane apparently fitting IAF’s idea of a Medium Multi-role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) in the service’s unique typology.

“Magic Helmet” for F-35 ready for delivery

07/25/2014

This week, Lockheed Martin officially took delivery of a key part of the F-35 fighter’s combat functionality—the pilot’s helmet. The most expensive and complicated piece of headgear ever constructed, the F-35 Gen III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) is one of the multipurpose fighter’s most critical systems, and it's essential to delivering a fully combat-ready version of the fighter to the Marine Corps, the Navy, and the Air Force.

First Two Australian F-35s Roll Out Of Factory

07/25/2014

A ceremony was held today at Lockheed Martin, commemorating the official roll out of the first two F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). “Today, we celebrate a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, a partnership built on strength, friendship, and technological innovation,” said Frank Kendall, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics.