Military Aviation News Archive

US Plans $800 Million Arms Deal with Iraq to Smash Al-Qaida

05/16/2014

The United States is to sell $800 million worth of combat aircraft, armoured vehicles and surveillance equipment to Iraq to enhance security in the country amid an al-Qaida insurgency and rising sectarian tensions.

Defence spending

05/16/2014

In his letter "Can we afford not to buy Joint Strike Fighters", Andrew Nikolic continues to support acquisition of an additional 58 F-35s as a matter of priority. But is it absolutely necessary to commit to this expenditure straight away? Indeed the US and NATO allies are delaying or even reducing F-35 buys and are 72 aircrafts absolutely necessary?

Kazakhstan Ratifies Joint Air Defense Shield Deal with Russia

05/16/2014

Kazakhstan’s upper house of parliament ratified Thursday an agreement with Russia on establishing a joint regional air defense shield, a Novosti-Kazakhstan correspondent has reported. The shield will become part of the unified air defense system of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose alliance of former Soviet states, comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

UN-marked helicopter used in military operations

05/15/2014

A LifeNews TV video of a white-painted Mil Mi-24 strike helicopter with UN logo has emerged. When inquired about the United Nations’ stance on the use of peacekeeper-marked military hardware in non-peacekeeper operations, the office for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson said such use would violate UN rules.

Iran’s Drone War in Syria

05/15/2014

Iran has been providing Syria’s regime with drones—some of them inspired by American technology—and they’re already playing a significant role in keeping Bashar Assad in power. On Sunday, Tehran announced it had replicated a top-of-the-line U.S. drone it claimed it captured in 2011, raising the possibility it will send still more sophisticated aerial robots into the skies over Damascus.

Obama approves sale of $1 billion in military equipment to Iraq

05/15/2014

WASHINGTON — The United States has approved nearly $1 billion in military equipment to Iraq. The administration of President Barack Obama has notified Congress of a military aid package meant to enhance Iraqi security amid the Sunni revolt.

Hagel reassures Persian Gulf allies

05/15/2014

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reassured Persian Gulf allies Wednesday of U.S. commitments to defend them amid tensions in the U.S.-Saudi relationship, including differences over how to help moderate rebel forces remove President Bashar Assad from power in Syria.

Senators gear up to preserve A-10 in FY15 defense budget

05/15/2014

Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Eric Brandenburg says he probably never would have returned from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan if not for the A-10 Warthog. The Silver Star recipient and former joint terminal attack controller stood beside powerful Senate lawmakers Wednesday and urged the Air Force to back off a proposed retirement of the aircraft, saying it is uniquely capable of providing close air support, saving the lives of American troops on the battlefield.

Five American Weapons of War China Should Fear

05/15/2014

Last week, I discussed on these pages the five Chinese weapons Washington fears most. Some of the weapons, such as the Type 071 amphibious ship and Chinese cyber weapons were unfamiliar to many readers. This week we’re turning the list around and discussing the five American weapons that China likely fears most.

Will Obama Relent on Syrian Anti-Aircraft Weapons?

05/15/2014

Ahmed al-Jarba, the president of the Syrian National Coalition, and Brig. Gen. Abdul-Ilah al-Bashir, the top man of the opposition Supreme Military Council, are currently engaged in the most important foreign delegation of their lives.

Belgian F-16 MLU approved by US government

05/15/2014

Belgium's request pertaining to the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of its Lockheed Martin F-16AM/BM Fighting Falcon combat aircraft has been approved by the US government, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) disclosed on 12 May. The MLU, which is valued at USD113 million, will see the Belgian Air Force's 44 single-seat F-16AM and 10 twin-seat F-16BM aircraft equipped with upgraded navigation and communication systems.

Syria peace envoy quits amid new chemical arms fears

05/14/2014

The United Nations peace envoy for Syria threw in the towel on Tuesday after failing to start a meaningful dialogue, as France accused Damascus of continuing to use chemical weapons. In a double blow to the already frozen peace process, Lakhdar Brahimi announced his resignation at UN headquarters as French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius spoke in Washington.

Sikorsky Aircraft to Develop Autonomous BLACK HAWK For Cargo Missions

05/14/2014

Sikorsky Aircraft announced today from the AUVSI Unmanned Systems conference that it will develop its first product to feature Matrix™ Technology, by converting a retired UH-60A BLACK HAWK helicopter into an optionally piloted variant capable of a wide spectrum of missions. Sikorsky Aircraft is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

INS Vikramaditya Declared Operational

05/14/2014

On May 7th the Indian Navy declared its new aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya, operational and deployed with the fleet. This was four months after Vikramaditya arrived from Russia, where it was built and refurbished to Indian specifications. That 39 day journey was the first long range (15,000 kilometers) cruise for the Vikramaditya and was not without incident.

The Immortal A-10

05/14/2014

The U.S. Air Force wants to retire all of its A-10 ground support aircraft (to deal with a shrinking budget). The politicians don’t agree and it appears the air force will be forced to keep at least some of the A-10s. Some in Congress also want the air force to put those A-10s that are retired in storage, in the event of an emergency. That’s called Type 1000 storage and would cost over $50,000 a year per A-10 for the first five years and about $12,000 a year after that.

The US jet fighter that can do it all—maybe

05/14/2014

On a mile-long assembly line in Ft. Worth, Texas, Lockheed Martin is putting together a jet fighter that no one can match. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be stealthier, smarter, more capable, and more flexible than any aircraft ever built. It better be. It's costing American taxpayers close to $1 billion. A month.

Romania Welcomed Into The F-16 Family

05/14/2014

Romania was officially welcomed into the Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] F-16 family at a reception preceding the Black Sea Defense Aerospace tradeshow here today. The Romanian Air Force is the 28th customer of the most widely used 4th generation multi-role fighter in the world.

Lockheed Martin Introduces Latest Addition to Small Unmanned Aircraft System Family

05/14/2014

Designed for versatility and affordability, the new Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] Vector Hawk addresses a broad set of unique missions and operating needs within a single system. With a gross takeoff weight of only four pounds and a vertical profile of only four inches, Vector Hawk boasts best-in-class payload capacity, speed and endurance.

Lockheed Martin Integrates Latest Ground Control Station Technology with Fury Unmanned Aerial System

05/14/2014

To increase expeditionary capabilities in its long endurance Group 3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Lockheed Martin recently fielded its newest Expeditionary Ground Control Station, or “xGCS” ®, for use with the Fury UAS. Following its development and manufacturing in Huntsville, Ala., xGCS shipped and was integrated with Fury in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The first xGCS unit was delivered in early 2014 and has completed initial flight testing in preparation for upcoming Fury UAS deployments.

Russia Ready to Continue Helicopter Supplies to India

05/14/2014

The Russian Helicopters company is ready to supply additional helicopters to India, Russia’s largest partner on military and technical cooperation, CEO Alexander Mikheyev told reporters Wednesday. “The Russian Helicopters joint stock company will be ready to continue the program on the supply of Russian helicopters to India under contracts with the state-controlled arms trader Rosoboronexport,” Mikheyev said.

Iran claims copy of captured US drone will soon take test flight

05/13/2014

Iran said on Sunday it had succeeded in copying a US drone it captured in December 2011. State television broadcast images apparently showing the replicated aircraft. Iran captured the US RQ-170 Sentinel while it was in its airspace, apparently on a mission to spy on the country's nuclear sites, US media reported.

Amid tensions in South China Sea, US hosts China army chief

05/13/2014

China's military chief will tour American warships on Tuesday in a four-day US visit that comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and its Southeast Asian neighbors over territorial disputes. An escalating maritime feud between China and Vietnam is expected to come up when General Fang Fenghui, chief of the People's Liberation Army general staff, holds talks this week with his counterpart, General Martin Dempsey, US officials said.

UK troops working with US military at base for Yemen drone operations

05/13/2014

British liaison staff are embedded with US forces in the Horn of Africa, the Ministry of Defence has revealed, as concern grows about redeployment of the UK squadron of 10 armed Reaper drones. Although three British officers are based at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti – the US base from which unmanned strikes are launched against al-Qaida groups in Yemen – the MoD denies they are involved in co-ordinating such attacks.

The Mirage minuet

05/13/2014

The Mirage is no longer a mirage. Last fortnight, in the famous wine country of Bordeaux in the south of France, the first fully assembled Mirage-2000 built for the Indian Air Force (IAF) glided off the assembly line at Dassault-Bregeut's sprawling plant at Marignac.

Pentagon debates appropriate role of unmanned aerial systems

05/13/2014

After more than a decade of war, unmanned aerial systems, or drones, have become the symbols of America’s technological wizardry and the subject of heated debates surrounding privacy and the use of remotely piloted aircraft to kill terrorists. Americans have become accustomed to nightly news reports of unmanned aircraft attacking al-Qaida leaders in Afghanistan while being controlled by U.S. pilots from thousands of miles away.