Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

DOD: Russian troops mass near Ukraine border

07/19/2014

The United States is not planning to give weapons or “lethal” assistance to Ukraine following Thursday’s downing of an airliner in its conflict zone, nor does it plan any major U.S. military response to the crisis, the Pentagon said Friday.Press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby repeated U.S. calls for a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine but said the “focus” of American assistance to Kiev will remain on non-lethal supplies and equipment.

After MH17: The technical fix that could protect civilian airliners from missile attacks

07/19/2014

The awful crash of Malaysian Flight 17 in the eastern 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?

No plans for exporting Light Combat Aircraft, missiles for now

07/19/2014

There is no proposal at present to export the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) or BrahMos missile, parliament was told Friday. "There are no proposals at present to export the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas and BrahMos supersonic cruise missile," Jaitley told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Malaysian plane crashes in Ukraine - updates

07/18/2014

The Buk surface-to-air missile system that pro-Russian separatists allegedly used to shoot down the Malaysian plane has been sneaked into Russia overnight, Anton Herashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, says on Facebook. (BBC Monitoring) A total of 121 bodies found at Malaysian plane crash site as of 0700 local (0400 GMT), Ukraine's State Emergencies Service says - (BBC Monitoring via UNIAN news agency.)

Both sides in Ukraine deny shooting down Malaysian plane

07/18/2014

A Malaysia Airlines passenger plane carrying 295 people was shot down over war-torn eastern Ukraine on Thursday, Ukrainian officials said, and both the government and the pro-Russia separatists fighting in the region denied any responsibility for downing the aircraft. As plumes of black smoke rose up near a rebel-held village of Hrabove, an Associated Press journalist counted at least 22 bodies at the wreckage site 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Russian border.

Philippines says military upgrade not aimed at neighbours

07/18/2014

Philippine President Benigno Aquino told his country's neighbours on Thursday that efforts to modernise the military were not aimed at them but rather at strengthening national defence capabilities and tackling disasters. Aquino has allocated 75 billion pesos ($1.72 billion) over five years to upgrade maritime security operations and humanitarian response, buying frigates, fighter-trainers and anti-submarine helicopters.

Farnborough 2014: Typhoon Storm Shadow deal to be signed

07/18/2014

British and Italian Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft are to be able to employ the MBDA Storm Shadow long range cruise missile after a GBP150 million contract to integrate the weapon was announced at the Farnborough International Airshow 2014. Speaking at the show on 16 July, the UK Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Philip Dunne said the contract is between the four Typhoon partner nations and the industrial consortium that builds the aircraft.

Pentagon: F-15 Pullout From Europe May Be On Hold

07/18/2014

The Pentagon may delay the planned withdrawal of U.S. Air Force F-15C fighter jets from Europe, and possibly increase aircraft rotations to the continent, as part of an effort to reassure allies and boost assistance to the region in the wake of Russia's recent aggression in Ukraine, officials told members of Congress Wednesday.

F-15E takes first flight with new radar system

07/18/2014

The first 389th Fighter Squadron F-15E Strike Eagle received a Radar Modernization Program, or RMP, upgrade here in June. The inaugural flight with the new radar system was flown by Capt. Matthew Riley, a 389th Fighter Squadron pilot, and Maj. Jacob Lindaman, a 389th FS weapon systems officer.

Russia Denies Shooting Down Ukrainian Combat Jet

07/18/2014

The Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday vehemently denied accusations of shooting down a Ukrainian combat plane, calling the claim ‘absurd.' “This claim, as well as all previous accusations by Kiev against the Russian Defense Ministry, is absurd,” a high-ranking military official told RIA Novosti.

Don’t look now, but the plan for massive drones on aircraft carriers is coming

07/18/2014

The Navy landed a 44,000-pound drone aircraft on the USS George H.W. Bush for the first time last summer, a technical feat that was hailed by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus at the time as a historic development in a program that would “radically change the way presence and combat power are delivered from aircraft carriers.”

BAE Systems Reveals New Combat Helmet and ‘Lite’ HUDs

07/18/2014

BAE Systems launched a new version of the Striker integrated display helmet for combat aircraft pilots here at the Farnborough Airshow this week. Mark Bowman, the company’s chief test pilot, demonstrated how BAE has leveraged its work on an alternative helmet-mounted display (HMD) for the Lockheed Martin F-35 to produce Striker 2.

Ukraine Says Russian Plane Shot Down Its Fighter Jet

07/18/2014

The Ukrainian government said on Thursday that a Russian military plane had shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet in Ukrainian airspace the previous evening, a serious allegation of direct intervention by Russia’s armed forces. If confirmed, the confrontation would represent the first open and direct involvement by Russia’s military in eastern Ukraine since the separatist rebellion began there in April.

Hammerhead reaches autonomous milestone

07/18/2014

The Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) P.1HH HammerHead demo aircraft has reached a major milestone and successfully validated its autonomous flight modes. The Mubadala-owned Piaggio Hammerhead has validated and fine tuned its advanced control laws, including augmented modes, flight envelope protection and automatic flight, plus the automatic management of the ground run both in takeoff and landing.

Air Force to cut thousands of installation support jobs, create new command for surveillance

07/17/2014

The Air Force is cutting thousands of manning and organization officers, and creating a new numbered Air Force to oversee intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, the service announced today. A total of 3,459 positions will be cut in an effort to save $1.6 billion over the next five years. The move comes about a year after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directed the services to cut headquarters staff by 20 percent.

Royal Air Force Upgrades Tornado in Shadow of F-35

07/17/2014

The British Royal Air Force plans to finish technological upgrades of as many as 59 Tornado aircraft by 2016 as part of a modernization plan to keep the plane relevant as the F-35 and Typhoon come on line, officials said at the Farnborough International Airshow. The upgrades included outfitting the planes with precision weapons, improved information exchange and secure communication technology, said Dave Waddington, Tornado Force Commander, RAF.

“Like watching your kid grow up”: B-2 Spirit 25th Anniversary

07/17/2014

The first B-2 Spirit to "slip the surly bonds of earth" celebrates its 25th anniversary of flight July 17, 2014, providing the Airmen and civilians who work with the airframe a chance to reflect on the strategic impact 20 aircraft can have in the entire Department of Defense arsenal. The image, first envisioned by World War II pilot and poet John Gillespie in his poem High Flight, is illustrative of the first Spirit to ever achieve flight.

Senate derails Army bid to take Guard helicopters

07/17/2014

The Army has lost an initial Senate skirmish over a hotly disputed plan to take Apache attack helicopters away from National Guard units in a budget-cutting move that has infuriated governors and state military leaders. The proposal, which would transfer dozens of the sleek Apache combat aircraft to active-duty units and give larger, multiuse Black Hawk helicopters to the Guard, has gotten high-level support at the Pentagon.

South Korea Begins Naval Drills With the U.S.

07/17/2014

ighter jets roared off an American aircraft carrier into a gray sky on Wednesday as the United States kicked off a joint naval exercise off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula, with the South Korean president, Park Geun-hye, calling for strong punishment if North Korea initiated a military provocation.

Private sector set to enter Indian aerospace market

07/17/2014

The Modi government is all set to kick-start private sector entry into domestic aerospace arena by giving the green signal to the Rs 13,000 crore project to supply 56 transport aircraft to IAF. The project was put on hold by the previous UPA regime last year after the then heavy industries & public enterprises minister Praful Patel and some others strongly opposed the move to virtually keep state-run units or PSUs like Hindustan Aeronuatics (HAL) out of the mega programme.

Scorpion Aimed At Unique Air Combat Niche

07/17/2014

My first reaction to photos of the Textron Airland Scorpion was not positive, I will admit. The tandem cockpit, twin canted vertical stabilizers and slender straight wing made it look too much like a Citation wearing a Super Hornet costume for Halloween.

Canada to supply decommissioned fighter aircraft to Ukraine

07/17/2014

The Ukrainian combat aviation received reinforcements from Canada. The Canadian government proposes to deliver nearly 20 combat aircraft CF-18A to the Ukrainian military. The information appeared on social networks. Russian English-language television channel Russia Today reported the same.

Farnborough: Egypt becomes world's largest C295 operator with new order

07/17/2014

Egypt has become the largest customer for the tactical airlifter, the Airbus C295. It has ordered eight more of the type, taking its total fleet to 20. The new batch of aircraft will be delivered to the Egyptian Air Force by Airbus Defence and Space beginning next year and will follow the 12 aircraft previously ordered, of which six are already in service. The contract also includes a service support package for spares, training, and maintenance of the fleet.

Military gives new F-35 fighter jet limited OK to fly

07/16/2014

The Pentagon is resuming test flights of its new-generation F-35 fighter while investigating the cause of an engine fire last month, but the plane will operate with restrictions and will not fly in the Farnborough International Airshow in England. The Pentagon's press secretary, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, said it was a "difficult decision" to cancel the hoped-for participation at Farnborough, but the Pentagon remains confident that any of the plane's technical issues can be fixed.

U.S. military transfers first air tankers to ease Okinawa’s burden

07/16/2014

Two U.S. military KC-130 air refueling tankers arrived Tuesday at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture in the first transfer under a bilateral agreement to reduce the burden on Okinawa of hosting U.S. bases.