Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

De Gracia: Why America needs more Boeing EA-18G Growlers

04/23/2014

The United States and her Western allies are facing some of the most difficult challenges to national security in modern history. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and rising Chinese tensions in Asia painfully expose how airpower is critical to holding freedom’s line around the world, yet deteriorating fiscal stability means every tax dollar spent must be prioritized on platforms that work and win on the battlefield.

Ukraine to restart anti-terrorist operation as military plane 'hit by gunfire'

04/23/2014

Ukraine's president orders anti-terrorist operation in the east to restart after politician "tortured to death" as defence ministry says Ukrainian military aircraft hit by gunfire while on reconnaissance flight over Slavyansk

Joint Strike Fighters: Government to spend $12 billion on 58 more next-generation F-35s

04/23/2014

Australia will buy 58 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) at a cost of more than $12 billion after the Federal Government gave the go ahead for the purchase yesterday. The extra aircraft will bring Australia's total Joint Strike Fighter force to 72 aircraft, with the first of them to enter service in 2020. The $12.4 billion price tag makes the Joint Strike Fighters Australia's most expensive Defence asset.

Dassault achieves world's first formation flight of combat drone and manned aircraft

04/23/2014

Dassault Aviation announced that last month it came a step closer to making science fiction reality when it conducted a formation flight of the nEUROn unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with a Rafale fighter and a Falcon 7X business jet. The flight off the coast of the south of France took place on March 20, and for almost two hours the nEUROn kept station with the other planes as they flew over the several hundred kilometers out over the Mediterranean.

pike in Russian military aircraft near Japan ‘abnormal’

04/22/2014

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Sunday there have been an “abnormal” number of flights by Russian military aircraft close to Japanese islands in recent days. The country’s air defense force scrambled fighter jets for seven days in a row through Saturday after spotting Russian military planes flying along the Japanese archipelago, according to the Defense Ministry.

Guard Apaches Less Ready, Must Move To Active Army

04/22/2014

National Guard attack helicopter units just can’t be as battle-ready as full-time regular Army ones, Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine Fox has been telling the Hill. That’s why the Guard should give all its AH-64 Apache gunships to the active-duty force to replace older aircraft lost to budget cuts.

Russia Orders New MiG-29 Jet Fighters To Increase Strike Capability

04/22/2014

The Russian Ministry of Defense has placed an order for its first 16 Mikoyan MiG-29 SMT jet fighters in the “new light tactical version,” Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG said in a statement The fighters were modernized and fitted with improved ability to eliminate air, ground and sea targets with air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, the statement said.

U.S. Plans to Sell Mexico 18 Black Hawks to Tackle Drug Trade

04/22/2014

The U.S. approved plans to sell Mexico as many as 18 Black Hawk helicopters in a $680 million deal aimed at bolstering efforts to combat drug trafficking. The State Department approved the potential sale of 18 UH-60M Black Hawks made by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in an announcement that comes ahead of a planned visit to Mexico this week by U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.

Polish DM: NATO Must Focus on Historic Mission

04/22/2014

The NATO alliance should focus on its historic mission of deterring Russian aggression in Europe as members wrap up their mission in Afghanistan, Poland’s defense minister said. NATO members need to properly fund their militaries at “the level of defense spending that would guarantee that capabilities would grow and not deteriorate,” Tomasz Siemoniak said during a visit here last week.

German government supports NATO rearmament

04/22/2014

The German government is taking part in the NATO mobilization in Eastern Europe with at least one warship and six combat planes. According to the Ministry of Defence, the vessel “Elba” will head a flotilla of five mine detectors due to depart soon from the port of Kiel in the Baltic Sea.

Future Threats Will Require Much More Than the A-10

04/22/2014

Those fighting to save the A-10 jet fighter are missing the point. The U.S. Air Force is the best in the world at close air support in a permissive environment like Afghanistan, even without the A-10. In the future, elite U.S. forces can do without it as the military continues to chase terrorists across the Middle East and Africa, and the A-10 has even less purpose in any future high-end combat in more contested areas, like China, with rapidly improving air defenses.

Russia, Belarus to Conduct Joint Aircraft and Air Defense Exercises

04/22/2014

More than 150 representatives of the Russian Air Force and their colleagues from Belarus will meet this week to discuss joint exercises and test the integration of the countries’ air forces and air defense systems, a spokesman for the Russian military said Monday. The meeting will take place at the Ashuluk Firing Range in Russia’s southern Astrakhan region from Monday to Friday, with Russian Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev overseeing the operations.

Australia sees "regroup" on Malaysian plane search in a few days

04/21/2014

Australia will decide in a few days whether to alter or scale back the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, but will consult all countries involved on any changes, Australia's ambassador to the United States said on Sunday. Kim Beazley told CNN the search countries would "regroup and reconsider" if nothing is found in a section of the Indian Ocean floor now being scanned by a U.S. Navy underwater drone.

Japan defense chief puzzled by Russian military aircraft

04/21/2014

Japan's defense minister said Sunday there have been an “abnormal” number of flights by Russian military aircraft close to Japanese islands in recent days. The country's air defense force scrambled fighter jets for seven days in a row through Saturday after spotting Russian military planes flying along the Japanese archipelago, according to the defense ministry.

Russia sells billions of USD of weapons to Saudi Arabia

04/21/2014

Saudi Arabia will soon sign several contracts to purchase military hardware from Russia. It goes about a major deal to buy various modifications of combat helicopters, T-90C tanks, armored vehicles and anti-aircraft missile systems. The deal approximately totals $2 billion. Saudi Arabia will purchase Mi-171, Mi-35 choppers and T-90C tanks until the end of this year Pravda.Ru reports.

Yankee air museum to honor Vietnam veterans

04/21/2014

The Yankee Air Museum at 47884 D Street in Belleville Mich., intends to honor America’s fallen service members with a tribute and ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of the Vietnam War exhibit. This event will take place on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26 at 9 a.m.

Air Force meets with companies about J-STARS upgrade

04/21/2014

The Air Force met with representatives from 35 companies last week to discuss its plans for replacement of the J-STARS fleet at Robins Air Force Base. According to a release, the meeting was held with about 100 representatives of aircraft and communication companies around the country who were gathered for industry week at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.

Russian, Indian scientists begin work on miniature BrahMos missiles

04/21/2014

Scientists from Russia and India have begun to work on a more compact version of the BrahMos supersonic missiles, the BrahMos-M, which will be used by the Indian fifth-generation fighter.

Growing Chinese military budget cements power perceptions in Pacific

04/21/2014

China’s recent announcement that it would increase defense spending by 12.2 percent in 2014 is making some American allies nervous in a region where perception matters and the possible flashpoints are numerous.

New Procurement Management To Broaden Turk PM's Power

04/21/2014

The signature policy of Turkey’s outgoing procurement chief of “aggressively going national as much as possible” may gain pace under his successor, but Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s authority on major decisions likely will also rise, officials, analysts and industry sources agree.

Ukraine crisis shows need for larger Canadian military

04/21/2014

Though it feels absurd to say this — like a bad joke at a lame 80's themed party — the Canadian government has announced that this country is sending reinforcements to our NATO allies in Europe. Six CF-18 fighter jets and necessary support personnel will soon deploy to an Eastern European location (expected, but not confirmed, to be Poland), to join other NATO forces in a “patrol” mission.

Indo-French Air exercise 'Garuda-5' to begin from June 3

04/20/2014

India and France would start a ten-day joint Air exercise 'Garuda-5', aimed at training the pilots and crew of Indian and French fighters in air superiority operations in Rajasthan's Jodhpur airbase from June 3, IAF sources said. Both the Indian Air Force and French Air Force would be engaged in various missions ranging from close combat engagement of large forces, slow mover protection.

Japan’s stealth fighter demonstrator on schedule for first flight this Year

04/20/2014

Japan’s defense ministry’s Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) is planning to unveil the country’s advanced technology demonstrator-experimental (ATD-X) plane within months; the lightweight stealth aircraft is scheduled to make its maiden flight later this year, Japan’s defense minister Itsunori Onodera has confirmed. ATD-X is positioned to become Japan’s next generation stealth fighter, replacing 94 locally produced F-2 that entered service in the year 2000.

U.S. Combat Aviation Stuck in the Industrial Age

04/20/2014

U.S. combat air forces are ill equipped to fight a technologically empowered enemy, and it could be years or decades before the Pentagon deploys more advanced weapons. Such is the grim picture painted in a new study by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The authors, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula and CSBA analyst Mark Gunzinger, make the case that aviation forces are not up to the challenges of 21st century warfare and the Pentagon has only itself to blame.

The military balance

04/19/2014

According to satellite pictures and military intelligence, some 50,000 Russian troops are massed along the border with Ukraine. The forces represent a substantial fraction of Russia’s 270,000-strong army, and they cannot indefinitely maintain the high state of readiness they have been in since early March, not least because it is now the time of year when conscripts at the end of their term have to be sent home, and new ones trained.