Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Air Force puts temporary delay on moving C-130J’s from Keesler

05/04/2014

Tuesday night, Biloxi City Councilman Kenny Glavan will present a resolution urging lawmakers to keep ten C-130J airplanes at Keesler Air force Base. Saturday, we learned from Rep. Steven Palazzo that the measure to move the planes to Arkansas has been temporarily delayed.

Passport to war?

05/04/2014

A Canadian “six-pack” has landed in the Ukraine crisis. This is the slang used at Ottawa’s defence headquarters for the half-dozen CF-18 combat aircraft sent in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty. With the jets’ arrival in nearby Romania, it’s important to understand the direction in which Russian aggression is heading, and a technique Moscow uses in its expansionist strategy: the playing of the Russian ethnic “card.”

Britain's 'invisible' stealth fighter that has cost the taxpayer £1.3billion and can't hide from enemy radar

05/04/2014

The so-called stealth jet costing the MoD billions of pounds can, in fact, be seen by the radar of potential enemies, it has been revealed. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been designed at huge expense to fly unnoticed through enemy airspace and attack targets without being detected. Taxpayers have already spent £1.3?billion developing the jet, while the MoD plans to buy 48 of them at a cost of up to £100?million each.

China steps up as exporter of military aircraft

05/04/2014

China has yet to complete tests on its J-31 stealth fighter but already ranks third in the world for export contracts for multi-role fighters for 2010 to 2017, behind the United States and Russia. This shows the country has become a major exporter of military aircraft without relying on fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft.

Abducted OSCE observers freed

05/03/2014

Seven international military observers taken captive in eastern Ukraine a week ago have been released. Five Ukrainian officers captured with the observers, who are linked to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, were also freed.

Cope India: when India’s Russian jets achieved a surprising 9:1 kill ratio against U.S. F-15's

05/03/2014

Held at the Gwalior Indian Air Force range from Feb. 15 to 27, 2004, Cope India 04 exercise gained the headlines not only because it marked the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral relations between India and US, but also because Indian pilots were able to win more than 90 percent of the mock air engagements conducted against U.S. Air Force F-15C jets from 3rd Wing based at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska.

'Maddening' mission: Keeping NATO's interoperability on track

05/03/2014

Just a year after standing up its new Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, NATO learned last fall that the Turkish government was planning to purchase a new missile defense system — from China. That was problematic, because the Chinese manufacturer was under U.S. sanctions for supplying missiles to Iran and Syria. Even worse from NATO’s perspective were the cyber-security concerns raised by the new system.

Australian air force makes home at Luke

05/03/2014

The buildup of F-35 operations at Luke Air Force Base has begun, and the Royal Australian air force will soon be Luke's first international partner to train here on the F-35A Lightning II. The 61st Fighter Squadron and 61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit will house the RAAF personnel. The goal is to build a cohesive, working understanding of the F-35A program with Luke's international partners for increased success in joint operations.

Helicopters shot down in Ukraine, 2 pilots dead

05/03/2014

Two pilots were killed, one briefly abducted, and several wounded -- including an emergency responder - during an attack early Friday in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Four men suspected of using MANPADS in the attack have been detained.

NATO Is Getting Distress Calls From Eastern Europe. How Should It Reply?

05/03/2014

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has ranged as far abroad as Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years. Now the crisis in Ukraine is pulling it back to the mission that led to its creation 65 years ago: defending Europe’s eastern rim against Kremlin expansionism. The U.S., Britain, and some other NATO members began deploying troops and fighter jets to Poland and the Baltics last month.

BAE Systems continues Tornado GR4 support services

05/03/2014

The Royal Air Force’s fighter fleet of Tornado GR4 aircraft will receive support services from BAE Systems until retirement in 2019. Under the Availability Transformation: Tornado Aircraft Contract, or ATTAC, from Britain’s Ministry of Defense BAE Systems will provide on and off maintenance of the fighters and also provide capability enhancements.

New tests ahead for X-47B unmanned combat air vehicle

05/03/2014

Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned combat air system is to undergo ramped-up testing in preparation for new sea trials, the U.S. Navy reports. The X-47B is an unmanned aerial vehicle, which will enter service with the Navy in 2020, is the size of a normal combat jet and is designed for launch and recovery from an aircraft carrier.

Ukrainian Troops Strike Rebel-Held City as Fighting Spreads to Black Sea Port

05/03/2014

Two days after Ukraine’s interim government declared itself all but helpless to control events in the eastern part of the country, Ukrainian military and police forces on Friday resumed their effort to retake this rebel-controlled city, forcing armed separatists from the city’s outskirts with armored vehicles, helicopters and ground troops — and seemingly pushing ever closer to a confrontation with Moscow.

Boeing Delivers 2nd Peace Eagle Aircraft to Turkey

05/03/2014

Boeing this week delivered, on schedule, the second Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Turkish Armed Forces, further improving the country's self-defense capabilities. The AEW&C aircraft arrived at Konya Air Base, the fleet's main operating base.

Ukraine crisis: Sloviansk rebels down army helicopters

05/02/2014

Pro-Russian rebels have shot down two of Ukraine's army helicopters during an "anti-terror" operation in the eastern city of Sloviansk, Kiev has said. It said a pilot and serviceman had been killed, four suspected separatists held and nine rebel checkpoints seized.

NATO allies take over Baltic mission from Air Force

05/02/2014

Three NATO nations assumed control on Thursday of a strengthened Baltic air policing mission from the U.S. Air Force amid the worsening crisis in neighboring Ukraine. Separately, Canada is sending six interceptors to Romania as a sign of allied solidarity with its east European members bordering Ukraine and Russia.

ANGEL THUNDER to bring increased flying in Arizona

05/02/2014

Air operations will increase in Arizona from May 4-17 due to the 7th annual ANGEL THUNDER Personnel Recovery exercise. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base says there will be 23 additional aircraft flying into D-M and aircrews will follow standard D-M flight procedures throughout the exercise.

Airbus: US Army's Extra Lakota Helicopter Buy Boosts Foreign Sale Potential

05/02/2014

The US Army’s decision to purchase 100 additional Airbus UH-72 Lakota helicopters for pilot training increases the potential for international sales of the aircraft, according to company officials.

Hill’s F-16s take first flights alongside F-35s

05/02/2014

F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from Hill Air Force Base’s 419th and 388th Fighter Wings took to the skies the morning of April 24 for their first training missions alongside the F-35A Lightning II, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft. Hill’s F-16s flew air-to-air combat training missions with F-35As assigned to Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing.

Harris Corp. awarded $19M contract by Boeing

05/02/2014

Harris Corp. received a two-year, $19 million contract from Boeing to provide key avionics components for the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet fighter aircraft. The combat-proven Super Hornet provides precision strike capability. The EA-18G Growler, derived from the Super Hornet, is the U.S's newest and most advanced airborne electronic attack platform.

Obama’s inaction invites challenges to the U.S.

05/02/2014

In the Philippines this week, President Obama took a cheap shot at critics of his foreign policy. “Why is it,” the president pondered at a news conference, “that everybody is so eager to use military force after we’ve just gone through a decade of war at enormous costs to our troops and to our budget?”

Sweden opens airspace to NATO AWACS aircraft

05/02/2014

Sweden is to open up its airspace to Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft operated by NATO as the crisis between Russia and Ukraine continues, national media disclosed on 30 April.

New Zealand Ministry of Defence Awards Upgrade Program to Lockheed Martin Canada

05/02/2014

Building on its 30-year legacy as a naval combat systems integrator, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Canada today announced the signing of a contract with the Government of New Zealand for the upgrade of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s two ANZAC Class frigates at a signing ceremony in Wellington on April 29, 2014.

Boeing Flies Production Configuration AH-6i Light Helicopter for the 1st Time

05/02/2014

Boeing's AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopter has flown for the first time in its production configuration, moving the program another step closer to full-scale production while continuing to prove the helicopter's close air support and attack capabilities.

Congress Should Not Cut Critical Defense Capabilities and Readiness

05/01/2014

A month after the fiscal year (FY) 2015 defense budget was submitted to Congress, the Department of Defense (DOD) released the report Estimated Impacts of Sequestration-Level Funding. The report highlights areas where additional cuts will be made in order to comply with sequestration-level funding. While it dutifully tabulates the affects on procurement programs, services, and budget accounts, explanations of the implications of these decisions are lacking.