Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Israeli Woman Joins Kurds in Fight Against Islamic State

11/12/2014

Gill Rosenberg, a Canadian-born 31-year-old woman who had emigrated to Israel, made contact with YPG, the People’s Protection Units in Syrian Kurdistan, via the internet. In 2009 Rosenberg was arrested in a joint Israeli police and FBI operation on suspicion that she had been part of a criminal racket that cheated elderly American citizens out of their money by posing as lottery officials and convincing the unsuspecting seniors to pay for fictitious services, according to the Israeli news.

LCA Tejas completes its maiden flight successfully, ready for production

11/11/2014

The final version of the two-seater trainer jet Tejas (PV-6) made its maiden flight today, in a milestone for India's overall indigenous Light Combat Aircraft programme. The aircraft took to the skies at 13.36 PM and was piloted by Group Captain Vivart Singh along with Group Captain Anoop Kabadwal.

Qatar Seeks Natives As Pilots

11/11/2014

The Persian Gulf kingdom of Qatar recently received the first two of 24 Pilatus PC-21 basic flight training aircraft. In 2012 Qatar joined its neighbors (Saudi Arabia and the UAE) by adopting the PC-21. Qatar is in the midst of expanding its combat air force from nine Mirage 2000 fighters to as many as 72 modern jet fighters.

U.S. troops back in Iraq’s Anbar, scene of heaviest combat of 2003-11 war

11/11/2014

The first U.S. troops to enter an active combat zone since President Barack Obama ordered the American military back to Iraq arrived Monday in Anbar, the Iraqi province where Americans suffered their heaviest losses during the 2003-2011 occupation, the Pentagon announced Monday. The force of 50 troops has been tasked with determining how to send more American advisers and trainers to the restive province to prepare Iraqi forces to combat the Islamic State.

With a Stealth Fighter, China Tries to Gain Attention

11/11/2014

Amid the whine of high-performance jet engines at the start of an air show in Zhuhai, the Chinese government is hoping to generate a different sort of buzz: admiration, and perhaps purchases, of its shadowy J-31 stealth fighter, which is expected to make its first public appearance. For almost 20 years, the event, Airshow China, has been a showcase for the country’s homegrown hardware, and a marketplace for those interested in selling to the world’s most populous country.

China’s 5G fighter to fly Russian jet engines

11/11/2014

An exportable Chinese fifth-generation fighter jet will be equipped with gas-turbine jet engines developed and assembled by Russian companies, confirmed the head of Russian delegation at the Airshow China exhibition. The mid-sized advanced J-31 fighter jet developed by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation got off the ground for the first time on October 31, 2012, and has been in the process of modification ever since.

UK and France Allocate $190 Million to Future Combat Aircraft

11/11/2014

The U.K. Ministry of Defense, in collaboration with the Armaments Procurement Agency of the French Ministry of Defense, has allocated $190 million to the following companies to continue design studies for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS): Dassault Aviation, BAE Systems, Thales, Selex ES and Rolls-Royce Snecma.

Russian Knights Qualify to Perform at Airshow China 2014: Colonel

11/11/2014

The Russian Knights aerobatic team has qualified to perform on Tuesday at Airshow China 2014, Russian Air Force representative, colonel Igor Klimov said. “The Knights carried out a qualifying flight in Zhuhai and examined the region of upcoming flights. The training took 30 minutes; they flew in groups of five, four, and in a pair and also rehearsed individual aerobatics under both normal and adverse weather conditions.

Russian Military Learning to Operate Drones in Armenia

11/11/2014

he Russian military have started drills at the Kamhud alpine training facility in Armenia that should see personnel learning to operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Southern Military District press service reported Monday. "During theory classes commanding officers will study new methods of training the staff in a mountainous area.

Iran Successfully Tests Copy of US Drone Downed in 2011: Commander

11/11/2014

Iran has successfully tested an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the American RQ-170 drone downed on Iranian territory in 2011, the aerospace division head of the country's Revolutionary Guard Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by IRNA news agency Monday.

U.S. strikes convoy of Islamic State leaders in Iraq

11/10/2014

More than three months into the American-led air campaign in Iraq and Syria, commanders are challenged by spotty intelligence, poor weather and an Iraqi Army that is only now starting to go on the offensive against the Islamic State, meaning that warplanes are mostly limited to hitting pop-up targets of opportunity.

UK drone carries out first strike in Iraq

11/10/2014

The UK carried out its first drone attack on Islamic State militants in Iraq over the weekend, the Ministry of Defence has said. An RAF Reaper drone was involved in coalition missions near Baiji, the site of Iraq's largest oil refinery. The MoD said the drone "successfully attacked" militants who were laying improvised explosive devices.

America’s Stealth Drone Posed in Guam

11/10/2014

The U.S. Air Force doesn’t say much about its radar-evading RQ-170 Sentinel spy drone—the batwing robot that news photographers first spotted at an airfield in Afghanistan in 2007. But a close reading of the scant info the flying branch has made public helps us fill in the gaps. We can assert that the Sentinel is a regular visitor to the sprawling Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, from where the flying branch and the Navy keep a close eye on China and North Korea.

Putin claims Ukrainian government stalling MH17 investigation

11/10/2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the investigation of the MH17 crash site is stalling due to constant shelling of the rebel-controlled area in eastern Ukraine by Ukrainian government forces. Mr Putin told Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that rebels were not hindering access to the site of the Malaysia Airlines crash, in which 298 people died in July when the aircraft came down in an area controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

India’s new defence minister has a $40 billion shopping list—plus some increasingly hostile neighbours

11/10/2014

A mustasched metallurgical engineer with a penchant for straight talk and untucked shirts has just been made responsible for about Rs240,000 crore ($40 billion) of defence purchases that India’s armed forces urgently need. As India’s new defence minister, Manohar Parrikar, 58, will have to fast-track some of the biggest defence deals that India, the world’s largest arms importer, has even undertaken.

Indonesia and South Korea agree to continue KFX /IFX fighter development

11/10/2014

Indonesian and South Korean defence ministries have signed an agreement to continue the joint development of the Korean Fighter Experimental, Indonesian Fighter Experimental - Ed (KFX / IFX) aircraft. Equipped with 4.5th generation technology, KFX / IFX would be a multi-role combat aircraft featuring more advanced capabilities than the Lockheed Martin-built F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

Russian Engine to Power Chinese J-31 Fighter Jets: Rosoboronexport

11/10/2014

RD-93 engines made in Russia will power the Chinese J-31 fifth generation fighters, Sergei Kornev said; he has also mentioned that there is a solution to the problem of China making copycat copies of Russian weapons. A Russian-made RD-93 engine will power the Chinese J-31 fifth generation fighter, Rosoboronexport official told RIA Novosti Monday.

Republican Power Gain Could Save The A-10 Warthog's Bacon

11/09/2014

As pundits, analysts and the blogosophere attempt to predict all the ways in which the midterm elections have changed the political landscape in Washington, it doesn't take a political scientist to realize that the A-10 Warthog's future now looks much brighter than it did on November 3rd.

Argentina Buying Gripens? Brits Say 'No Way'

11/09/2014

Argentina’s Defense Minister Agustin Rossi surprised just about everybody when he announced on Oct. 21 that his government intended to buy 24 Saab Gripen E fighters to re-equip his nation’s ancient Air Force. But Rossi’s request appeared to ignore a likely insurmountable hurdle to the sale: Britain, its longtime foe, has a near veto on the export of the combat jet as a result of the substantial number of UK systems in the jet.

In the UAE, the United States has a quiet, potent ally nicknamed ‘Little Sparta’

11/09/2014

Night after night for the past six weeks, U.S. fighter jets have streaked into the muggy sky from this vast desert airfield, their afterburners spewing orange flames as they head north on bombing runs over Iraq and Syria. The American presence at Al-Dhafra, which the Pentagon has not publicly acknowledged, is a vital part of the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State militants: The base’s twin runways have launched more strike aircraft — including the Air Force’s most-sophisticated warplane.

Crisis-hit MiG aircraft ejects 3 fuel tanks on Gwalior farm

11/09/2014

An Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter plane dropped three fuel tanks on outskirts of Gwalior city on Saturday during an in-flight emergency. MiG-21 fleet's upgraded Bison variant was on a training mission at Gwalior airbase when the pilot was forced to jettison the tanks. They were dropped 5 km from the base runway and landed on a field 500m away from a residential locality, said sources.

10Best: Military museums that bring battles to life

11/09/2014

Despite their dramatic topic, military museums used to be dry stuffy collections, mainly appealing to soldiers and scholars. But the galleries have grown up, capturing the interest of young visitors with theme-park thrills and dynamic displays, says Dr. Charles H. Cureton, chief of the museums division at the Center of Military History in Fort McNair in Washington.

Final version of Tejas PV6, 2-seater trainer takes to sky in maiden flight

11/09/2014

The final version of the two-seater (trainer) version of Tejas (PV-6) made its maiden flight today, in a milestone for India's overall indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Programme. The aircraft took to the skies at 13.36 PM and was piloted by Group Captain Vivart Singh along with Group Captain Anoop Kabadwal. This is the 16th Tejas variant to have flown as part of the project that has been in the pipeline for over two decades.

Airstrikes Target Islamic State Leaders, Trucks: Reports

11/09/2014

The US-led airstrikes have targeted a group of Islamic State (IS) leaders, smashing a convoy of 10 trucks, Sky News reported Saturday. According to the broadcaster, the airstrikes targeted the IS leaders when the latter were having a meeting in a house in al-Qaim, which is on the Iraqi-Syrian border. The broadcaster did not, however, specify whether the number one IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was among the targeted leaders or not.

Republican Victory And John McCain Is Good News For The A-10 Thunderbolt, Bad News For The F-35

11/08/2014

One of the consequences of the Republican win in this week's midterm elections is that the A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft, a warplane that had been on the chopping block due to budget cuts but is popular with U.S. troops, will probably survive for a few more years. That's because the plane has powerful friends among the Senate's new Republican majority. But that creates a battle for resources with the Air Force's newest, and most expensive project, the Lockheed Martin F-35.