Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Pentagon briefing suggests Canada about to buy at least four F-35 jets

11/08/2014

In back-channel dealings, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government has been secretly seeking early delivery of four F-35 deep-strike warplanes as part of a firm commitment to buy more while officially maintaining it is abiding by an open and transparent evaluation of Canada’s combat aircraft needs.

Indonesia receives helicopters from Airbus

11/08/2014

Different model helicopters for combat search-and-rescue and light attack missions have been handed over to Indonesia's military by Airbus Helicopters. The aircraft are the EC725 Caracal and Fennec family of helicopters. The EC725 is a long-range tactical transport with a cruise speed of 177 miles per hour and a range of 533 miles.

‘A devastating loss’: No word on what caused fatal Guard helicopter crash

11/08/2014

Two West Ada County neighborhoods, the Idaho National Guard and officials throughout the state were rocked by the deaths of two Guard pilots whose Apache helicopter crashed south of Gowen Field Thursday night. Stien P. Gearhart, 50, of Meridian and Jon L. Hartway, 43, of Kuna, both chief warrant officers with the Idaho Army National Guard, crashed during a night training mission. But no information was available Friday about the details of that mission or what caused the Apache to go down.

Russia Expands Ukraine Military Presence as Rebels Killed

11/08/2014

Ukraine said Russia is expanding its military presence in rebel-held areas as pro-Russian fighters attacked Ukrainian forces with artillery after as many as 200 separatists were killed. “The war is not over yet,” Igor Plotniskiy, the newly-elected head of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic said in video statement televised and posted on the LPR website. The LPR wants “maximal integration with Russia,” he said.

Japanese Self-Defense Forces, US Begin Major Military Drills in Japan: Defense Ministry

11/08/2014

All three service branches of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) and the United States military forces have begun major joint exercises Keen Sword in Japan, the country's Defense Ministry said Saturday. According to the Ministry, the drills with more than 40,000 participants – 30,700 Japanese and 10,000 US - 25 warships and 260 aircraft, will last until November 19th.

US to Deploy 1,500 Troops to Iraq, Create Training Centers: Pentagon

11/08/2014

The United States is going to deploy 1,500 additional troops to Iraq as part of the country’s mission to combat the Islamic State (IS) militant group, Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby announced in a statement on Friday. “The commander in chief has authorized Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to deploy to Iraq up to 1,500 additional US personnel over the coming months, in a non-combat role, to expand our advise and assist mission and initiate a comprehensive training effort.

Egypt Plans Purchase of Modern Russian-Made Military Equipment: Former Foreign Minister

11/08/2014

Egypt is interested in enhancing its cooperation with Russia and plans to purchase modern Russian-made military equipment, the country's former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nabil Fahmy told Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency Friday. "We deeply respect Russia and value our cooperation. Yes, we have agreed on developing our military cooperation as well and it is already developing.

NATO F-16 Jets Intercept Russian Spy Plane, Latvia Says

11/07/2014

NATO fighter jets intercepted a Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea, the latest in a spate of similar incidents that have grown in frequency during the conflict in Ukraine. F-16s based in the Baltic region intercepted a Russian IL-20 surveillance plane, Latvia’s army said today on its Twitter account. The encounter took place near Latvia’s territorial waters, it said. Ukraine’s military said Russia’s airforce had put some of its units on high alert.

Korea offers to buy defence hardware

11/07/2014

Korea has urged Bangladesh to purchase training and combat aircraft and high-tech defence hardware from the country. Korean First Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Cho Taeyong made the call at the second Bangladesh-South Korea Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Seoul on Wednesday. Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque led the Bangladesh delegation at the FOC.

Ministers may look to shoot down F-35 jet deal

11/07/2014

Israeli ministers are lining up against the purchase of a second squadron of advanced F-35 stealth fighters from the United States, saying the $3 billion needed for the deal could be put to better use. Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told a government meeting Wednesday that the money for the highly-touted deal should instead be spent developing Israel’s drone force and buying more relatively inexpensive rockets that can be launched from the air, sea, or land, Israeli daily Haaretz repo

General to ISIS: We can hear you

11/07/2014

The top U.S. military commander in the fight against ISIS said airstrikes are working to erode the terror group's capabilities and warned militants that the U.S. military is listening to them. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, who heads the U.S. Central Command, made those remarks at an event Thursday with the Atlantic Council, which was moderated by CNN anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper.

Raytheon begins DARPA CAS programme tests, plans live fire

11/07/2014

Raytheon has begun flight tests of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) programme, the company announced on 5 November. Raytheon plans to conduct live-fire test flights "early next year", company spokesman John Patterson told IHS Jane's on 6 November. Raytheon is the systems integrator for PCAS and is working under a USD25.5 million contract for the programme's third phase, according to a company statement.

UK Voyager refuels US Navy fighters for first time

11/07/2014

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) recently refuelled US Navy (USN) combat aircraft for the first time using its Airbus Defence and Space (DS) Voyager KC.3 tanker-transport aircraft, it was announced on 6 November. The tanking, which was carried out under the terms of a special operational clearance, saw the Voyager pass fuel to USN Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler combat aircraft on 18 October in support of operations over Iraq.

Air Force F-16 fighter jet missing off Florida Gulf Coast

11/07/2014

The Coast Guard and Air Force were searching the Gulf of Mexico off Panama City, Fla., on Thursday afternoon for an F-16 Falcon fighter jet that presumably crashed. The jet was assigned to the 53rd Weapons Evaluations Group at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, the Air Force said. The Air Force said it lost contact with the pilot about 9:15 a.m. Only one person was on board, the Coast Guard said.

U.S. opens channels with Iran over ISIS

11/07/2014

President Barack Obama's administration is trying to open channels of communication with Iran regarding the war on ISIS. Amid revelations that Obama sent a letter to Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last month pointing out the countries' shared interest in beating ISIS, a senior U.S. official and a Western diplomat tell CNN that Washington has gone through the Iraqis to communicate with Iran.

US Strikes in Syria Directed Against Khorasan Extremists, Not Al-Nusra: Central Command

11/07/2014

The recent US airstrikes launched in northwestern Syria were not targeted against the al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat Al-Nusra terrorist group, Gen. Lloyd Austin from the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said. "We [CENTCOM] did conduct a number of strikes and the strikes were focused on the Khorasan [extremist] group," Gen. Austin said Thursday at an Atlantic Council event.

US Pilot: Thanks To Espionage, Chinese Stealth Fighters Could Match The F-35

11/06/2014

China is set to debut its new Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter at the Zhuihai international airshow next week. Although the fighter's exact specifications are unknown, it could be a match for the F-22 and the F-35, Dave Majumdar writes for USNI News citing several US military officials and pilots. This sense of the capabilities of the J-31 are largely based on the successes China has had in industrial espionage against US targets.

Addressing the Gaps in Syria Policy in the Fight Against ISIS

11/06/2014

With the expansion of air strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, into Syria in September, President Barack Obama exposed himself to a new round of criticism from armchair commanders at home and abroad. It is time for the Obama administration to clarify the Syria component of its strategy to combat ISIS.

Marines Hone Tactical Navigation Skills

11/06/2014

Gliding over mountain tops and maneuvering through deep valleys, Marines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 252 honed their tactical navigation skills and Assault Landing Zone techniques at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., Oct. 23. Tactical navigation training simulates a combat environment where ground threats cause pilots to maneuver aircraft through disparate terrain to conceal their location and evade threats.

Advisers will be on hand to combat IS in Iraq

11/06/2014

The UK is to step up its operation in Iraq three years after the last combat troops left the country, the Defence Secretary has announced. Michael Fallon said the move was necessary to challenge the growing threat posed by Islamic State terrorists. He stressed that the move would not involve putting troops on the ground. Instead, military personnel will take part in a "limited" training mission for local security forces.

Battlespace Simulations, Inc. Providing Modern Air Combat Environment to U.S. Armed Forces

11/06/2014

TatukGIS customer Battlespace Simulations (BSI) is increasingly successful licensing its flagship Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE) to the U.S. Armed Forces for simulated combat training and mission rehearsal. MACE provides computer generated forces (CGF), sometimes referred to as semi-automated forces (SAF), and threat generation for distributed simulation environments, Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) training capability, Electronic Warfare (EW) simulation capability.

The U.S. Air Force Is Trying to Trick Us Into Getting Rid of the A-10

11/06/2014

Literally for decades—since well before the 1991 Iraq war—the U.S. Air Force has been trying to get rid of the A-10 Warthog close air support aircraft. The A-10’s spectacular performance in four wars in Iraq—twice—plus Kosovo and Afghanistan has frustrated these efforts. In those conflicts, the A-10 outperformed all other U.S. aircraft in killing tanks and other vehicles and supporting infantry engaged in combat-at both very short—“danger close”—and longer ranges.

Dassault, BAE Wins French-UK Study Contract For Next Generation Combat Aircraft

11/06/2014

Cooperation between France and the UK is seen as the optimum way to progress a UCAS (Unmanned Combat Air System) solution, whilst supporting both governments’ intentions for closer defence ties. The joint study contract of €150m/£120m is to be supplemented with additional French and UK national funding to the combined value of €100m/£80m in the same period.

Norwegian Security Service Predicts Terrorist Attack in Norway Within 12 Months

11/06/2014

There has been a "negative development" in the security situation in Norway, and terrorists could attempt to carry out an attack in the country within the next 12 months, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) said Wednesday. "Within the next 12 months it is likely that there could be threats or attempts to carry out terrorist attacks in Norway.

Putin: Russia's Arms Exports Portfolio Exceeded $7.7Bln in 2014

11/06/2014

Russia has secured $7.7 billion in arms contracts with foreign customers since the beginning of 2014, the country's President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday. "As a result, the foreign orders portfolio shows a steady trend at around $50 billion," Putin said at a meeting on Russia's military-technical cooperation.