Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Teething Troubles Beset New UK Military Air Safety Regime

07/14/2014

The UK’s new military air safety regime has contributed to the delayed entry into British service of some new platforms, such as the Airbus A330MRTT Voyager tanker, the Thales Watchkeeper UAS and the L-3 Integrated Systems Airseeker (the UK version of the USAF’s RC-135 Rivet Joint SIGINT aircraft). As a result, some UK aerospace industry managers have expressed dissatisfaction with the Military Aviation Authority (MAA), in off-the-record comments to this editor and others.

Air Force office puts all military aircraft names through the wringer

07/14/2014

There’s the beloved Warthog. The stealthy Raptor. And now: the Pegasus. These names for the A-10, F-22 and new KC-46 tanker — just like all other U.S. military aircraft names — were put through the wringer at an Air Force office established to make sure new planes get names that reflect their missions.

Israel air strike 'hits charitable association for disabled' in Gaza

07/13/2014

An Israeli air strike hit a home for disabled people on Saturday as the Operation Protective Edge in Gaza continued for a fifth day, with the death toll passing 120 Palestinians. Two were killed in the strike that hit a charitable association for the disabled in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, while three others died in a second attack in western Gaza City, local health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.

Russia: Plan B In Ukraine

07/13/2014

In Ukraine the Russian backed Donbas separatists have suffered serious defeats in the last few weeks and are further weakened by internal disputes and less support from Russia. Ukrainian security forces have entered most rebel held areas and basically crippled Russian efforts to annex the Donbas. The two Ukrainian provinces (Donetsk and Luhansk) which comprise the Donbas are now mostly under government control.

Chinese Businessman Is Charged in Plot to Steal U.S. Military Data

07/13/2014

A Chinese businessman in Canada hacked into Boeing’s computers and stole information about United States military aircraft and weapons, the Justice Department said on Friday, describing a corporate espionage case that is unusual for the huge amount of data involved. The businessman, Su Bin, spent years taking data from Boeing, the FBI said in court documents, and working with two unidentified contacts in China sought to sell the information to companies there.

Donetsk militia downs Ukraine’s Mi-24 chopper

07/13/2014

Militia of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) downed a Mil-24 (Mi-24) helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force, the Novorossiya news agency of the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk said on Saturday. On the outskirts of the town of Snezhny in the Donetsk region the militiamen managed to shoot down a Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopter from a shoulder-carried air defence system and to destroy the enemy’s several combat units, it said.

India's Promise of Defense Funding Boost Fizzles

07/13/2014

Despite the new administration’s plans to hike defense spending by 20 percent, funding will rise by only 2.3 percent above proposals announced by the outgoing government due to India’s sluggish economy. In addition, the government is boosting foreign direct investment (FDI) from 26 percent to 49 percent. Yet analysts say that since foreign investors lose out on the control that a 51 percent stake provides, the new FDI limit still won’t be lucrative for the overseas firms.

Typhoon aircraft complete 10,000 flying hours

07/13/2014

The Royal Saudi Air Force’s Typhoon aircraft completed 10,000 flying hours recently, BAE Systems Saudi Arabia PR and communications director Monther M. Tayeb told Arab News. “The Typhoon aircraft’s performance is significant in the history of any fleet. Eurofighter Typhoon is the world’s most advanced swing-role combat aircraft simultaneously providing deployable air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities,” he said.

FARNBOROUGH: Russia's resurgent United Aircraft

07/13/2014

For United Aircraft (UAC), Russia’s state-owned aerospace giant, the last 12 months appear to have been a period of consolidation and reinforcement. Its two flagship civil programmes have made solid if unspectacular progress, largely avoiding the calamities of previous years. And on the military side, deliveries of current models have continued apace to its defence ministry clients in Moscow - as well as healthy number to export customers.

Ready or not, Japan wants to buy the Pentagon’s controversial Osprey aircraft

07/12/2014

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera arrived at the Pentagon on Thursday in a gleaming MV-22 Osprey, the revolutionary, though controversial, tilt-rotor aircraft that can take off like a helicopter but fly like an airplane. The point was plain — and plane. If I’m riding in it, Onodera seemed to say, it’s safe.

Hagel: US aware of Russian, Iranian roles in Iraq

07/12/2014

The U.S. knows Russia and Iran are providing fighter aircraft to help Iraq combat Islamic extremists, but Washington is not coordinating assistance with either Russia or Iran, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday. Hagel was asked at a Pentagon news conference about reports that Iranian and Russian planes are flying combat missions over northern Iraq and why Washington is not seeking to coordinate with them.

Textron and AirLand in Talks to Sell Scorpion Jets

07/12/2014

Textron Inc. and AirLand Enterprises LLC are in advanced talks to sell as many as 100 Scorpion combat jets—developed by the partners on their own dime—in an unusual move for military aircraft. "We are well beyond initial discussions with at least three potential customers," said Bill Anderson, president of the Textron AirLand venture that has developed the Scorpion. The plane has been on the market less than a year and first flew in December.

The dangerous decline in America’s maritime might

07/12/2014

The threats to peace and order on the global seas are growing. China’s authoritarian government launched 17 new warships in 2013 and is in the process of producing 30 more this year. One of the country’s aircraft carriers nearly grazed a U.S. missile cruiser off the Chinese coastline in December, prompting U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Harry Harris to bemoan China’s “increasingly assertive behavior in the region.”

Air Force Modernization: Future Radar Planes Need On-Board Battle Management

07/12/2014

Air power is about more than fighters and bombers. In the case of the U.S. Air Force, it is also about supporting the rest of the joint force with vital enablers such as aerial refueling, long-distance transport, and timely intelligence. This commentary is about the intelligence — or to be more specific, what the military calls “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance” (ISR).

Airbus Gears Up To Deliver RAF’s First A400M

07/12/2014

Airbus Defence and Space Military Aircraft is scheduled to deliver the first of 22 A400M airlifters to the Royal Air Force in September. The delivery of aircraft MSN15 not only will mark the start of operations by a third country, but also represents the introduction of new capabilities as an important step along the type’s development roadmap. To get those capabilities into service has necessitated an intensive flight-trial campaign in the first part of this year.

Japan's fighter jets face down Russian, Chinese rivals

07/12/2014

Japan scrambled its Air Self-Defense Force jets a record number of times between April and June to deter Russian and Chinese aircraft approaching its airspace, amid rising tensions over territorial disputes. The Japanese Air Force has been repeatedly tested since April, with fighter jets being sent to monitor unidentified aircraft approaching Japanese airspace no fewer than 340 times in the space of twelve weeks.

Russia is to bring advanced military aircraft to English airshow

07/12/2014

Russia is to present the most advanced military aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow in England, Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport reported, RIA Novosti reports. "We traditionally participate in this prominent airshow and try to present the latest trends and the most promising export models there.

Indian Navy Light Combat Aircraft to soon begin test flights

07/12/2014

The naval variant of India's indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) is due to soon begin ramp trials. Avinash Chander, scientific adviser to the Defence Minister and Director General Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), told India Strategic magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) that the LCA-Navy had already done more than 25 test flights from a runway.

Sikorsky, Boeing Selected to Develop ‘Digital Backbone’ for Future Vertical Lift Program

07/12/2014

Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. [NYSE: UTX] have been selected to help develop the Joint Common Architecture (JCA) standard for the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Science and Technology program, an element of the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) initiative.

Britain Urges India To Acquire Eurofighter

07/11/2014

British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who concluded his two-day India visit on Wednesday, informed the top Indian leadership that London was ready to supply Eurofighter military aircraft to the South Asian country. He lobbied the Narendra Modi government to purchase the Eurofighter jets from the UK, suggesting that those would be far better compared to combat jets manufactured by France’s Rafale.

Fighter pilots of tomorrow will use iPad-style controls

07/11/2014

This is the hi-tech cockpit of America's new $1 trillion fighter jet – which uses Siri style voice control. Manufacturer Lockheed Martin displayed the cockpit of an F-35 fighter jet in Britain for the first time yesterday at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. The F-35 jet cost a staggering $1 trillion to develop and the RAF has ordered 14 at £180 million each.

Meteor missile validated on board Swedish Gripens

07/11/2014

MBDA’s Meteor missile has successfully completed a firing campaign on board the Saab Gripen fighter, marking the complete validation of the integration of the weapon with the aircraft. The testing of the beyond visual range air-to-air missile was conducted in March in collaboration with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), and was the last major milestone the Meteor had to pass before it could enter operational service on board the Swedish air force's Gripen C/Ds.

France, UK To Sign Memo Kicking Off Combat Drone Study

07/11/2014

Britain and France plan to sign a memorandum of understanding for the study of a combat drone, bringing their air forces closer to an advanced fighter program worth billions, defense ministry spokespersons of the two countries said. On July 15, during the Farnborough International Airshow, Defense Ministers Philip Hammond and Jean-Yves Le Drian are due to sign the agreement to launch a two-year feasibility study for the high tech combat drone, the French spokesperson said.

Pentagon Launches Contest for New Long-Range Bomber

07/11/2014

The Defense Department said on Thursday it had launched a contest to develop a new long-range bomber, which is expected to pit Northrop Grumman Corp. against a team led by Boeing Co. BA 0.00% and Lockheed Martin Corp. for a contract that analysts value up to $80 billion. A decision is expected next spring on who will build between 80 and 100 bombers that the Pentagon wants to peg at less than $550 million apiece and enter service in the middle of the next decade.

F-35 combat jet's UK debut at Fairford Air Tattoo cancelled

07/11/2014

The first UK appearance of the combat jet due to be used on Britain's new aircraft carriers has been cancelled. It was hoped the F-35B Lightning IIs would be at the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, Gloucestershire which, starts on Friday. But last week the entire fleet of F-35's was grounded in the US following an engine fire.