Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

US planes, drones conduct more airstrikes in Iraq

08/10/2014

US forces Saturday launched more airstrikes in northern Iraq to defend attacks on Yazidi civilians, the Pentagon said, on the second day of its military campaign. President Barack Obama had announced this week he had authorized US air strikes in part to help break the siege of Mount Sinjar, where fighters from the so-called Islamic State forces have cornered and reportedly threatened to kill thousands of civilian refugees from the Yazidi religious minority.

Australia prepares humanitarian aid as Iraqis face starvation or death at the hands of militants

08/10/2014

Australia's air force could be helping the humanitarian aid effort in Iraq within days, but military action has been all but ruled out. Prime Minister Tony Abbott today revealed US officials had asked for Australia's help. He said two RAAF C130 Hercules aircraft currently stationed in the United Arab Emirates could be dispatched within days.

Ukraine: Rebels Have Shot Down A Ukrainian Military Plane

08/09/2014

The head of NATO called on Russia to "step back from the brink" of war by pulling its troops back from the Ukrainian border and warned further intervention in Ukraine would bring it greater isolation in the world. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the U.S.-led alliance's secretary general, made his call on Thursday during a visit to Ukraine in a show of solidarity after NATO warned of a possible invasion by Russia which, it said, had massed 20,000 troops near the frontier.

More than 100 aircraft, 8 ships ready for Iraq air campaign

08/09/2014

The U.S. has a massive force of ships and aircraft in the Persian Gulf for the air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq. The first airstrikes against the Islamic State were carried out by two aircraft from the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, which is in the Persian Gulf along with the amphibious assault ship Bataan; the amphibious dock landing ship Gunston Hall; the cruiser Philippine Sea; and the destroyers Arleigh Burke, O’Kane and Roosevelt, according to the Defense Department.

US military aircraft drop food, water to Iraqis for second night

08/09/2014

U.S. military aircraft dropped humanitarian aid to Iraqis under threat from hardline militants in northern Iraq for the second straight night, the Pentagon said on Friday. "This airdrop was conducted from multiple airbases within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and as with last night, included one C-17 and two C-130 cargo aircraft that together dropped a total of 72 bundles of supplies," the Pentagon said in a statement released late on Friday.

ANALYSIS: Irkut builds future on Yak-130 and MC-21

08/09/2014

“I believe,” says Oleg Demchenko, “that my grandchildren will fly in the MC-21." It is a bullish statement from the Irkut president and says much about his faith in the longevity and sales prospects for an airliner that has yet to roll out, let alone perform its maiden flight. Still, with a claimed firm backlog of 175 orders and a further 75 aircraft covered by tentative commitments, alongside a programme that has not experienced any disasters over the last 12 months.

Charleston-based C-17 dropped supplies to Iraq refugees

08/09/2014

A C-17 air transport based in Charleston was among three U.S. aircraft that dropped supplies Thursday to Iraqi refugees trapped on a mountain in northern Iraq, the Pentagon confirmed Friday. The S.C.-based plane dropped fresh drinking water to the refugees, including Christians and ethnic Yazidis, who had fled advancing forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, terror group.

Two US aircraft conduct strike on ISIS artillery in Iraq: Pentagon

08/09/2014

US fighters dropped bombs on Islamic militants in Iraq Friday, the Pentagon said, carrying out President Barack Obama's promise of military force to counter the advancing militants and confront the threat they pose to Iraqi civilians and Americans still stationed there. Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said that two F/A-18 jets dropped 500-pound (227-kilogram) bombs on a piece of artillery and the truck towing it.

As strikes begin in Iraq, many options for Pentagon

08/09/2014

The US campaign against a militant group that has taken control of huge chunks of Iraq has begun. Despite the near-total withdrawal of US ground troops from the country in the past five years, the Pentagon has many options for more airstrikes — and many options on deployment, given the air dominance US forces will have. On Friday morning, Pentagon officials said a pair of F/A-18 Super Hornets had bombed artillery belonging to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISL).

F-16 Fighting Falcon

08/09/2014

The South Dakota Air National Guard is providing two F-16 Fighting Falcon static displays for the Black Hills Community Appreciation Day. The aircraft are assigned to the 175th Fighter Squadron, part of the 114th Fighter Wing at Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Suggests Resuming MiG-31 Interceptor Aircraft Production

08/09/2014

The production of MiG-31 interceptor aircraft should resume, as they could prove effective for another 15 years, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said Friday. “The aircraft had no rivals. That was the opinion of the Military-Industrial Commission, the Defense Ministry, the industry on the whole and even the State Duma, which used to hold special hearings on the subject of the interceptor. The production should be revived, as the jet is being upgraded.

Russian Arctic Helicopter Ready for Deliveries in 2015 - Source

08/09/2014

Deliveries of the Mi-8AMTSh-VA helicopters, a variant of the Mi-8 medium twin-turbine transport helicopter modified for use in the Arctic, may begin as early as next year, Leonid Belykh, managing director of the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAP), said Friday.

President Obama approves air strikes, emergency airlift of supplies to Iraq’s northern states

08/08/2014

President Obama has ordered air strikes to protect US interests in the city of Erbil and and prevent the “genocide” of 40,000 Iraqi refugees isolated on a mountain. He told a gathering in Washington DC this morning that he had authorised the targeting of any Islamic State convoy or troop movements in the direction of the northern Kurd city of Erbil which is the location of a US support and training effort.

With Shrinking Budgets, Pentagon Should Rely More on Guard, Reserve Troops

08/08/2014

The release of the 2014 National Defense Panel report landed with a quiet thud last week as most of Washington headed out for August vacations. Much delayed from its original congressionally mandated release three months after the Quadrennial Defense Review, the NDP review seemingly ignored today’s intractable budgetary realties by arguing for an even bigger defense budget. At the same time, it offered few tradeoffs and even fewer creative ideas for building a more efficient military.

Egypt seizes large cache of anti-aircraft weapons from Sudan, Libya

08/08/2014

The Egyptian military has captured a large cache of anti-aircraft weapons delivered by convoys from Sudan and Libya. On Aug. 5, five policemen and four suspected insurgents were killed in a battle on the Matrouh highway, the usual convoy route along the Mediterranean coast. The sources said the insurgents attacked two security checkpoints on Matrouh.

Obama Said to Back Airdrops for Iraqis

08/08/2014

United States military aircraft on Thursday dropped food and water to thousands of Iraqis beseiged by Islamic militants on a mountain top in norther Iraq, according to a senior Pentagon official. The military made the announcement after the planes had delivered the supplies and left the area. President Obama was scheduled to discuss the mission in a televised address Thursday night.

Russian nuclear-capable bombers 'tested' US air defences 16 times in last 10 days

08/08/2014

Russian strategic nuclear bombers and other military aircraft entered US air defense identification zones (ADIZs) at least 16 times over the past ten days, American defense officials confirmed on Thursday. “Over the past week, NORAD has visually identified Russian aircraft operating in and around the US air defense identification zones,” said Maj. Beth Smith, spokeswoman for US Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Federal government scraps plans to buy four new spy planes

08/08/2014

The federal government is scrapping plans to purchase as many as four new manned spy planes for domestic and international surveillance missions. The Department of National Defence notified military contractors on Tuesday that Ottawa is no longer considering purchasing the new planes, citing “security and technical feasibility” reasons.

France renews Sahel commitment

08/08/2014

Nearly two years after an international intervention against jihadists in Mali, France officially launched a successor operation on August 1st, dubbed Operation Barkhane. The goal is to combat terrorism in the Sahel-Saharan region. A total of 3,000 French soldiers will be deployed in five partner countries, the "G5 of the Sahel": Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.

Air Force names Eielson as preferred location for F-35s

08/08/2014

The U.S. Air Force announced Eielson Air Force Base is its preferred location for two new squadrons of F-35 fighters Aug. 7, less than a year after the base avoided losing an F-16 squadron. “Today, Alaska is a huge winner in this, but so is the nation because there is no question about our military readiness in Alaska,” Sen. Mark Begich said at a press conference held in Anchorage immediately following the announcement.

ISIL advance in Iraq prompts U.S. to suspend deliveries of F-16s, Apaches

08/08/2014

The United States has suspended the delivery of military aircraft to Iraq. Officials said the administration of President Barack Obama has rebuffed Iraqi requests for the combat aircraft after concluding that the Iraqi military was not capable of securing these platforms amid the advance of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The officials said the F-16s no longer had a home with the ISIL siege on the Iraq Air Force base at Balad.

ISAF Suspends Afghan Mission Following Killing of US General - Reports

08/08/2014

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan has suspended its cooperation with the Afghan National Army (ANA) at various military facilities after the killing of a US major general, Der Spiegel reported Thursday. ISAF commander Joseph Dunford suspended the Afghan military support mission by ordering on Tuesday all international instructors and military consultants to remain in their camps until Friday, while the incident is being investigated.

Unrest prevails as NATO moves in

08/07/2014

Recent events have cast the Baltic States in a new light, as a barrier between Russia and the West. NATO, especially U.S. involvement, has shown the world the strategic importance of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, as well as Poland. NATO training exercises are being conducted in response to both the crisis in Ukraine, as well as the increasing Russian presence in the Baltic Sea region.

Kuwait receives first KC-130J tanker

08/07/2014

Lockheed Martin has delivered its first of three KC-130J tanker/transports to the Kuwait air force, providing the service with a new air-to-air refuelling capability. Carrying the registration KAF 326, the short-fuselage aircraft will be followed by another two contained within a production order signed in 2010. These are to be handed over before the end of this year, according to Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database.

Alenia completes first phase of Typhoon and Storm Shadow integration trials

08/07/2014

Alenia Aermacchi has completed the first phase of integration tests of the Storm Shadow missile into the Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft. Working in collaboration with Cassidian and BAE Systems, the company evaluated various aspects of aeromechanical missile integration into the aircraft, at its facility at Decimomannu Air Base in Sardinia, Italy. The tests started in December last year with instrumented production aircraft 2 (IPA2).