Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Why Israel has no "better friend" than Italy

11/20/2013

When political leaders from Italy and Israel gather for a summit in Turin next month, they will celebrate a flourishing friendship — one in which Italy helps Israel obscure its bloodstained reality. The official talk ahead of the 2 December meeting is of political, economic and cultural agreements. Passing under the radar, however, is the intense military cooperation between the two countries.

Russian Air Force Stunt Team to Debut on Victory Day

11/20/2013

The Russian air force has started training pilots who will form the core of the country’s third aerobatics team, set to fly new Yak-130 combat trainers on Victory Day, an aircraft industry source said Tuesday. “The training of the Yak-130 aerobatics team has begun with the goal of participating in the Victory Day parade over Red Square on May 9, 2014,” the source said.

Dubai Airshow: A brand new trainer with a very long pedigree

11/20/2013

The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex MFI-395 Super Mushshak is being marketed across the region to meet 21st Century training requirements. And, with its innovative glass cockpit, unobscured bubble canopy and lightweight ejection seats, Pakistan's indigenously produced primary trainer aircraft projects a modern and high-tech image.

Dubai Airshow: AMMROC and Eurocopter deliver Panther to the UAE

11/20/2013

AMMROC (Advanced Military Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center) and Eurocopter have completed the overhaul, modification, and delivery of the first Eurocopter AS565 (PANTHER) aircraft to the UAE Joint Aviation Command (JAC).

Lawmakers: Hold off on A-10 cuts

11/19/2013

A bipartisan group of lawmakers last week urged Defense Department leaders to hold off on any plans to cut the A-10 and provide more scrutiny to the Air Force’s budget plans. The letter, signed by 13 senators and 20 representatives, calls on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, to “actively scrutinize” the Air Force’s fiscal 2015 budget proposals.

Fear of creditors keeps Argentine forces away from regional maneuvers

11/19/2013

Argentina's worries over creditors' backlash to its 2001 sovereign default and scant cash resources threaten to isolate the Latin American country's forces in regional military collaboration networks. This month, Argentina stayed away from Cruzex 2013, the largest air maneuvers by regional air forces. Buenos Aires said it canceled its participation to avoid international creditors pouncing on its military assets in ongoing claims from the debt default.

Dubai Air Show 2013: UAE yet to commit to additional F-16s

11/19/2013

Lockheed Martin has yet to receive any official word from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with regard to the proposed sale of an additional 25 F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Falcon combat aircraft announced earlier in the year, a company official told IHS Jane's on 18 November.

Iran unveils aircraft claimed to be biggest drone yet developed, capable of 30-hour flight

11/19/2013

Iran unveiled a new aircraft Monday that it says is the biggest drone yet to be developed in the Islamic Republic, capable of staying aloft for up to 30 hours. Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan said the reconnaissance and combat drone Fotros has a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles). That would cover much of the Middle East, including Israel. The earlier Shahed-129 (Witness-129) drone is reported to have a similar range, but can only stay aloft 24 hours.

Jet Selections in Gulf Drive Trainer Deals

11/19/2013

GCC nations involved in a massive drive to bolster their combat aircraft fleets are likely to acquire new lead-in trainer jet capabilities to match, but only after deciding which fighter types they will operate. If two is a trend, then the process of acquiring fighter jets before deciding on the destination of your trainer order is already in play, with Saudi Arabia and Oman tying the purchase of the latest advanced jet trainer version of the BAE Systems Hawk to the acquisition of combat aircraf

After INS Vikramaditya, Antony wants India, Russia to focus on futuristic stealth fighter

11/19/2013

With turbulence hitting India's biggest defence project in the making, the critical joint development of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) with Russia, defence minister AK Antony on Monday stressed "both sides must give their best" for the "significant programme".

Boeing Selects Bombardier Business Jet for Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Program

11/19/2013

Boeing has selected Bombardier's Challenger 605 business jet as the platform for its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) program, which offers the global market a capable, low-risk maritime surveillance system based on Boeing’s proven P-8A mission system technology.

Russian Arms Exporter to Sell $13Bln Worth of Weaponry This Year

11/19/2013

Russia’s state arms exporter will deliver more than $13 billion worth of military equipment to foreign customers in 2013, a senior defense industry official said Monday. “It’s a new record. We have been increasing sales every year,” Russian Technologies (Rostech) CEO Sergei Chemezov said at the Dubai Air Show 2013.

Japanese Air Force Put on Alert After Russian Bomber Fly-By

11/19/2013

Japan placed its air force on alert after two Russian bombers flew near its airspace, a local news agency reported Monday, citing Japan’s Defense Ministry. The pair of Tupolev Tu-95 strategic bombers was spotted off Tokyo over the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, Kyodo news agency reported.

US Air Force CSAR Mission in Jeopardy

11/18/2013

If sequester remains in effect, the US Air Force’s combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) mission is in danger of disappearing, according to multiple defense sources. Funds for new CSAR helicopters are not included in the service’s fiscal 2015 budget proposal that includes sequestration spending cuts, the defense sources said. Moreover, funds to extend the lives of about 90 battle-worn Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters is not part of the sequester budget.

Raytheon receives 1,000th AMRAAM rocket motor delivery

11/18/2013

Raytheon Company received the 1,000th AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-To-Air Missile (AMRAAM®) rocket motor from Nammo Group, a leading propulsion products company based in Raufoss, Norway. The motor is scheduled to be installed in a production AIM-120C7 missile later this month.

PAF chief attends Dubai Air Show opening

11/18/2013

Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, attended the inaugural ceremony of Dubai Air Show 2013 inaugurated in Dubai on Sunday. A large number of delegations from different countries including Air Chiefs of a number of Air Forces were also present at the occasion, says a press release issued by the PAF. Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Prime Minister of UAE, inaugurated the Air Show.

Navy cruiser in port after drone-training mishap

11/18/2013

A Navy guided missile cruiser hit by a malfunctioning drone during a training exercise returned to San Diego, where investigators will assess the damage and determine what went wrong, a Navy official said Sunday. Two sailors were treated for minor burns after the USS Chancellorsville was struck by the unmanned aircraft during radar testing Saturday afternoon, off Point Mugu in Southern California.

Russian Combat Helicopters Begin Arriving in Iraq

11/18/2013

Last week Iraq took delivery of the first batch of Mil helicopters from the Rostvertol factory. Four Mi-35Ms were delivered to Iraq, their arrival being announced by Iraqi prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki. Iraqi managers, crews and technicians have been training at the Russian army’s Torzhok center, with the first group completing its course in late September.

Nearly 60 years old, the U-2 spy plane continues to fly missions

11/18/2013

f all you know about the U-2 spy plane is that pilot Gary Francis Powers was shot down in one in 1960, then you're in for a surprise when you find out that new versions of the Lockheed Martin U-2 are still in service and are expected to be until 2040.

Aid missions give US military chance to build up positive image, and battle-readiness

11/18/2013

As soon as Navy pilot Matthew Stafford puts his helicopter down in the village of Borongan, he is rushed by dozens of local men who form a line to unload the supplies and water he has flown in from the mothership, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier. Children swarm him as he breaks out a box of sweets.

Killer Robots Take a Hit

11/18/2013

Coming soon near you it's The Terminator. Yes, folks the fully autonomous weapon is firmly on the horizon. Whether on the battlefield or targeted on the streets, these weapons should have no place in warfare or policing. But a future where the decision on whether you live or die could soon be made by a Killer Robot. It sounds like science fiction, but the reality is moving ever closer.

No UAE decision on Typhoon, Rafale: Report

11/18/2013

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has yet to choose a supplier for its next fighter jets, a deal closely contested by Britain and France, a Gulf source familiar with the arms market said on Sunday after a visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron. French firm Dassault's Rafale jets and the BAE Systems -backed Eurofighter Typhoon are in a tight race to win the deal for at least 60 new aircraft to replace the UAE's Mirage fleet.

AirTanker Says In-Service Date Achievable

11/17/2013

The commercial outfit that will provide the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) with air-to-air refueling service for the next 22 years says that it will meet the forecast in-service date. By May 2014, AirTanker will have nine Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTTs) ready on the ramp at RAF Brize Norton. It has already trained 18 aircrews, received six aircraft and begun operational flying.

Record entry as Dubai Air Show opens today

11/17/2013

There will be 150 assorted aircraft on display including 50 business jets at the 13th edition of Dubai Air Show which is the third largest in the world and commences at a new venue at Dubai World Central on Sunday. Event organisers F&E Aerospace disclosed this year’s show will be the biggest in the biennial event’s 26-year history at its new purpose-built permanent site, which is double the size of the previous venue at the traditional Airport Expo near Dubai International Airport.

Russia returns its positions in military-technical cooperation

11/17/2013

The expiring week was, without exaggeration, exceptional in the sense of Moscow's foreign political activity. The results of foreign visits of the first persons of Russia allow to say that at least in the sphere of the military-technical cooperation the country is returning its old positions.