Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

India’s Modi Approves Aircraft Carrier Funding

07/11/2014

In its first major military decision since taking office, the new Indian government is backing the completion of India’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier. According to local media outlets, the Narendra Modi government agreed on Wednesday to release funds to complete the construction of the long-delayed Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), the INS Vikrant.

DOD Plans To Deliver F-35’s 5th Gen Capability At 4th Gen Cost By 2019

07/11/2014

Today, the Department of Defense announced an agreement aimed at reducing the price of an F-35 Lightning II 5th generation fighter to the equivalent of today’s 4th generation fighters by the end of the decade. Designated “The Blueprint for Affordability,” the DoD and F-35 industry partners – Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems signed an agreement to implement cost reduction initiatives to lower the production costs of F-35 aircraft.

Russian Air Force Boosts Presence in Arctic

07/11/2014

Russian long-range aviation bases are increasing their presence in the Arctic, the press service of the Eastern Military District reported Thursday. "The crews of Tupolev Tu-95MS strategic bombers at the Arctic long-range aviation base in Amur Region, have tripled their flying rate this year. By performing these tasks, the crews gain valuable experience in offline piloting over featureless terrain for a long period of time," the chief of the press service, Colonel Alexander Gordeyev, said.

Hagel Declares ISIL Clear and ‘Imminent Threat’ To U.S.

07/10/2014

Extremists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, pose a “clear and imminent threat” to the United States, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday, singling out lawmakers who may have been underwhelmed by his classified testimony on Iraq and Afghanistan from Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

Pentagon considers ISIS drone strike

07/10/2014

The Pentagon is considering under what circumstances it will recommend President Barack Obama authorize the use of a missile-equipped drone to kill the leader of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, CNN has learned. Any such mission to kill al-Baghdadi would have to be approved by Obama, according to several defense officials CNN has spoken to at length.

Canada's Military Wants New Drones, Fighter Jets, and the Arctic

07/10/2014

The Canadian military has released details on its new $100 billion wish list for new gear, and it's a revealing look at how the service views the future of war. The laundry list of hardware was released as part of Ottawa’s new procurement strategy, which was hastily installed following the government’s bungling of the F-35 acquisition process.

Bird strike caused fatal UK chopper crash that killed North Idaho airman

07/10/2014

An Air Force report into the crash of a Pave Hawk helicopter in which North Idaho airman Staff Sgt. Afton Ponce was killed concluded Wednesday that bird strikes against the helicopter caused the crash in early January. Ponce was among the four airmen killed when their helicopter crashed on January 7, 2014.