Military Aviation News Archive
05/26/2014
The Ground Self-Defense Force is hurrying to reorganize its deployment of personnel, to enhance its defense of remote islands against China’s increasing military strength. Though the GSDF is conducting its first large-scale landing drill in the Amami islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, there are many problems facing the reorganization plan that has just begun.
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05/26/2014
The heir apparent to the throne, Prince William is set to become an air ambulance pilot rather than take on full-time royal commitments. After stepping down as an RAF search-and-rescue pilot over a year ago, the prince is said to have a "day job" with the East Anglian air ambulance service near his country home at Anmer Hall in Sandringham.
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05/25/2014
Chinese fighter jets flew within a few dozen meters of Japanese military planes over the East China Sea, Japanese officials said on Sunday, prompting the defense minister to accuse Beijing of going "over the top" in its approach to disputed territory. Chinese SU-27 fighters came as close as 50 meters (170 feet) to a Japanese OP-3C surveillance plane near disputed islets on Saturday and within 30 meters of YS-11EB electronic intelligence aircraft, the ministry said.
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05/25/2014
Futuristic Advanced Drones Continue to Change the Face of War Drones have been around since the early 1980’s . They proved a useful tool in the Israeli-Lebanon war of 1982. Since that time the development of new drones coupled with the advancement of technology has led militaries such as the United States and Israel to construct both surveillance and surgical strike strategies using only drone aircraft.
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05/25/2014
Sen. Joe Manchin is celebrating the signing of a bill to honor the nation's elite fighter pilots. Manchin was in attendance this week as President Barack Obama signed the American Fighter Aces Congressional Gold Medal Act. Manchin and Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe were the lead sponsors of the bill.
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05/25/2014
The defence ministry has sought an almost 25% hike in its budget, pointing to "operational gaps" in manpower, machines and infrastructure, in the action plan prepared for the Narendra Modi government. The defence establishment has also urged the new political dispensation to take a call on a wide range of issues, ranging from recommendations of the Naresh Chandra task force on higher defence reforms to the creation of three new tri-Service commands for space, cyber and special forces.
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05/25/2014
“A contingent of People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), comprises combat pilots, air defence controllers and technical ground crew besides a Pakistan Air force (PAF) contingent are participating in the exercises,” said Air commodore Tariq Mehmood. He said the PLAAF contingent is comprised of J-10 and J-7 combat aircraft where as JF-17 Thunder, Mirage and F7 PG combat aircraft of PAF are participating in the exercise.
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05/25/2014
After years in which aerial gunships were synonymous with the US-built AC-130, not one but two new offerings were on display last week in Jordan, reflecting a growing demand from other nations for aerial strikes by slow moving aircraft. Visitors to the Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (SOFEX) in Jordan got a first look at a pair of CASA C-235 aircraft purchased secondhand from Spain and converted to gunship configuration for the Royal Jordanian Air Force.
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05/24/2014
Boeing has delivered the fourth P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to India on schedule, fulfilling the first half of a contract for eight aircraft. The aircraft departed from Boeing Field in Seattle and arrived May 21 at Naval Air Station Rajali, where it joined three P-8Is currently undergoing operational evaluation.
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05/24/2014
Swiss citizens have rejected their government’s plan to buy 22 Saab Gripen E combat aircraft in a referendum. The verdict was not unexpected, since recent opinion polls had shown a majority against the plan, despite its previous approval by the Swiss parliament. However, the “no” vote majority was only 53.4 percent. Under Switzerland’s unique version of democracy, many significant or controversial matters of public policy are decided in this way.
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05/24/2014
The U.S. House and Senate are both headed toward protecting the A-10 aircraft of the Cold War era, radar-jamming jets made by Boeing Co. and the Navy’s carrier fleet, spurning the Pentagon’s cost-cutting strategies. The Republican-led House passed yesterday a $601 billion defense authorization measure for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, and the Democratic-led Senate Armed Services Committee approved its version hours later.
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05/24/2014
Within days of taking over, India’s new defence minister will get a first hand opportunity to see live action from French fighter jets Rafale, selected by the UPA-II government as the preferred platform for Indian Air Force’s 126 fighter jet deal. More than two years ago, the government selected Rafale and started the price negotiation process. Initially valued at $10.4 billion (Rs 42,000 crore), the fighter deal may rise to as high as $20 billion at the time of the commercial contract.
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05/24/2014
More than 175 reservists from four Air Force Reserve C-130 and ALCE units will soon join coalition forces for Maple Flag Exercise at Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. Due to real world commitments, the normal NATO fighter aircraft will not participate this year reducing the total number of aircraft. However, the exercise continues for transport aircraft training in real world scenarios.
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05/24/2014
Russia is strengthening its military bases abroad as well as helping to boost the armed forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Friday.
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05/23/2014
wo B-1B Lancer aircrews flew a 30-hour, non-stop, long-range precision strike training mission from Ellsworth to strike targets on a range near Guam before landing back on base as part of a Global Power training mission, May 13 and 14. Working in concert with U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Pacific Command and Air Combat Command, the sortie tested the capabilities of Ellsworth's Airmen to successfully load munitions, launch aircraft, effectively employ training munitions and return home.
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05/23/2014
Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH has announced a capability enhancement package for its Typhoon combat plane, flown or ordered by seven countries. The package was announced Wednesday at the 2014 ILA Berlin Air Show by Paul Smith, a Eurofighter capability manager and former British Royal Air Force pilot.
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05/23/2014
Five new Reaper drones announced by David Cameron in December 2010 to support British troops in Afghanistan are still not yet in operation, the Bureau can reveal. The new drones were bought as an urgent purchase and were part of a £135m package intended to effectively double the size of the UK’s fleet of armed drones in Afghanistan, and its surveillance capacity.
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05/23/2014
The Taliban should take advantage of what may be a shrinking window of opportunity to seek a negotiated end to the conflict in Afghanistan, the top U.S. military official said on Thursday.
"I don't give military advice to the Taliban, but if I were giving them advice, I'd say, 'Your negotiating position is not going to improve; it's going to erode'," said Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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05/23/2014
The fleet of A-10 fighters and hundreds of related jobs at Selfridge Air National Guard Base could be spared once more, after the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of a 2015 defense bill preserving them from elimination.
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05/23/2014
The U.S. House passed a $601 billion defense authorization bill that rejects Pentagon plans to retire Cold War-era planes and rebuffs efforts to find savings in military benefits and base closings. By a vote of 325-98, lawmakers took the first step toward setting defense policy and spending for the fiscal year that begins Oct.1.
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05/23/2014
The French Rafale fighter aircraft, shortlisted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) for its $12 billion Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) program, will engage with IAF aircraft in June 3 joint exercises over the Rajasthan desert. The Indo-French air exercise, Garuda-5, will include four Rafale multirole fighter aircraft and one air refueler that will participate with IAF’s multirole Su-30MKI, MiG-27 and MiG-21 aircraft.
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05/23/2014
The Philippines has invited bids in a Ps6 billion ($23 million) programme to acquire two long range patrol aircraft for the country’s air force. The bids are to include the cost of the aircraft, sensors, systems integration, as well as support capabilities, according to a document posted on the Department of National Defense’s website.
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05/23/2014
Talks with foreign partners to purchase Russia’s Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters will begin in earnest in 2016 or 2017, a representative of Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport said Thursday. The Ka-52 was unveiled internationally at the 50th Le Bourget airshow last June.
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05/23/2014
The Russian Air Force will start receiving its first PAK DA next generation long-range bomber in 2023, Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Thursday. Earlier reports said PAK DA bombers could be supplied to the Russian Air Force approximately by 2020.
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05/22/2014
One of the most controversial proposals by the Air Force this year is its plan to divest the A-10 jet aircraft. The “warthog,” as it is known, is a slow moving, low-flying, ear-piercingly loud jet airplane built around a giant “Avenger” Gatling gun, which has provided intimidating fire power for troops in contact on the ground for nearly 40 years.
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