Military Aviation News Archive

IAF hopes to build its own combat aircraft within 20 years

10/07/2013

The Indian Air Force (IAF) dreams of developing its own combat aircraft in 20 years. At least that is what IAF chief NAK Browne hopes, given the fact that the Air Force has acquired significant expertise in overhaul and upgrade of aircraft.

Indonesia eyes more jet fighters

10/06/2013

Indonesia is aiming to create eight new squadrons of fighter aircraft by 2024 as part of military upgrade programs, the head of the air force said. The Indonesian Defense Force also is set to train more pilots to cope with what could be more than 100 new jet fighters if each squadron has around 16 aircraft, the Jakarta Globe newspaper reported.

2 unmanned cargo helos vie for lift platform contract

10/06/2013

Boeing’s H-6U Little Bird, a staple of the special operations community, is in the running for the Marine Corps’ future unmanned lift platform. The traditionally manned Little Bird helicopter, which is used for a variety of missions, including Special Forces raids, will be evaluated here in February, putting it in a head-to-head competition with Lockheed Martin/Kaman’s K-MAX helicopter.

The Royal Reapers Roll On

10/06/2013

Britain became more enthusiastic about using armed UAVs as its troops in Afghanistan got used to having this kind of air support. Thus in 2012, RAF (Royal Air Force) large UAVs flew 892 missions over Afghanistan and 10 percent of the time these missions resulted in a UAV firing a missile at something it had spotted (or was looking for) on the ground.

DARPA program to launch long-range UAVs from small ships expands to five contractors

10/06/2013

A U.S. military research program that seeks to develop a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can launch and recover from relatively small ships for long-term maritime surveillance has grown to five separate contractors.

Russian Military Inspectors to Fly Over Portugal, Spain

10/06/2013

Russian military inspectors will begin monitoring flights over Portugal and France starting on Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. Experts from Russia will be conducting flights on board of a Tu-154M Lk-1 aircraft between October 7 and 11 taking off from Lisbon Airport in Portugal and Getafe Air Base in Spain.

Shutdown Grounds Portions of Air Force Fleet

10/05/2013

The shutdown has grounded Air Force planes at key locations across the country as furloughs and the absence of a budget begin to take a toll on a service working to sustain its operational tempo in support of combatant commanders worldwide, Air Force officials said.

Greece, Israel to Perform Joint Aeronautical Exercises

10/05/2013

Greek and Israeli Air Forces will carry out joint aeronautical exercises in the Aegean and the Peloponnese in the coming week of October. According to the Hellenic Air Force, Greece and Israel will conduct in common the following activities as part of a Greece – Israel Military Cooperation Program,

New U.S. Drone Base Is America's Latest Move to Contain China

10/05/2013

U.S. officials swear that America's military and diplomatic build-up in Asia is not an attempt to contain a rising China. But they sure are parking lots of advanced firepower on Beijing's doorstep. The U.S. is even welcoming the increased militarization of Japan, the country America barred from having an offensive force in the aftermath of World War II.

French Air Force receives Rafale fighters for flight testing

10/05/2013

The French Air Force reports two new Rafale fighters have been delivered to its flight trial unit by the military's Directorate General of Armaments. The aircraft, the first from production lot 4, were handed to the directorate last month by Dassault Aviation. The Rafales are equipped with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, next-generation sensors, new missile launch detectors and frontal sector optronics for target identification and range-finding.

'America's Battalion:' Pacific-based Marines train at Combat Center

10/05/2013

Marines with Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 pushed their envelope of training when they arrived at the Combat Center Aug. 14, to conduct a variety of training exercises during the Integrated Training Exercise. What was extraordinary about this iteration of the ITX was that the squadron heavily expanded on their initial training utilizing every available asset.

Stealth fighter F-35C joins the Navy’s “Grim Reapers” strike squadron

10/05/2013

It was a moment of high anticipation when, on October 1 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the Navy’s “Grim Reapers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101 rolled out their newest aircraft — an F-35C Lightening II. The F-35C is a break-through achievement of a Navy-industry partnership that was built to redefine U.S. air fighter support power from the sea.

IAF grappling with free fall in fighters, will have to fly upgraded MiG-21s till 2025

10/05/2013

Just ahead of its 81st anniversary on October 8, the IAF has virtually sounded the red-alert over its fast-dwindling number of fighter squadrons. Confronted with the government's slow decision-making, fund crunches and Hindustan Aeronautics' sluggish performance, the force is now being forced to further stagger the already long-delayed retirement of its ageing MiG-21s and MiG-27s.

India needs to develop sensors to keep aircraft combat-ready

10/05/2013

To ensure military aircraft are fit for combat operations any time, India has to develop sensor technology with condition monitoring system as a vital part of their maintenance, a top defence scientist said Friday.

IAF has "much less" combat jets than sanctioned strength: NAK Browne

10/05/2013

The IAF is operating with "much less" aircraft than its authorised strength of 42 combat squadrons and in case of any further delay in the proposed 126 fighter jet deal, the force levels in the service will "go down rapidly", its chief NAK Browne said today.

U.S. Rules Out a New Drone War in Iraq

10/04/2013

For weeks, Iraqi officials have been publicly floating the idea of using American drones to hit the increasingly lethal al-Qaeda-affiliated militants on their soil. But the ordinarily drone-friendly Obama administration is apparently in no mood to open up a new front in global campaign of unmanned attacks. An administration official tells The Cable that American drone strikes in Iraq are now off the table.

The Real Reason Behind China’s Military Expansion

10/04/2013

Many in the West view China's rapid military expansion as a growing threat to global and regional security. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth, or so writes Ai Zhong-Guo. Beijing has little time for global or regional domination, which it reminds everyone in its 2013 Defence White Paper.

Dutch Treat For the F-35

10/04/2013

The Netherlands recently agreed to buy 37 of the new American F-35 fighter-bombers, and possibly more if money became available. Originally the Dutch were going to buy 85 but the escalating cost of the F-35 forced them to reconsider. Some Dutch leaders wanted to stick with the F-16 and upgrade it or consider another new fighter (Gripen, Eurofighter, or F-18E). Some of the other original F-35 customers (like Canada and Denmark) have begun looking at alternatives again.

The Next Generation of Drone Warfare Is Here

10/04/2013

Last week, two F-16s took off, broke the sound barrier, executed several complex maneuvers including barrel rolls and "Split S" rolls, and landed -- all without a pilot. Ostensibly, these aging jets have been retrofitted by Boeing to be used as unmanned planes for target practice and training, but the implications for the future of drone warfare is clear.

Miramar air show falls victim to Washington gridlock

10/04/2013

The partial shutdown of the federal government notched its largest and loudest impact in this military-centric region Thursday: cancellation of this weekend's air show at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.

Bell Helicopter tests V-22 Osprey in new role

10/04/2013

The military is closely eyeing the V-22 Osprey for a new role as a refueling tanker after a recent successful Texas demonstration trial, Bell Helicopter officials said. In August, experts from Bell Helicopter’s Xworks facility teamed up with military pilots for an aerial trial to demonstrate that the V-22 is capable of refueling strike aircraft and possibly other military platforms, said Ken Karika, a Bell Helicopter business development specialist and former V-22 pilot.

Indian negotiator for giant Rafale fighter deal dies

10/04/2013

A top Indian defence official negotiating a $12 billion deal to buy France's Rafale fighter jets has died of a heart attack, further complicating talks over the delayed contract, officials said Thursday.

Exclusive: Air Force Grounds Fighter Jets as Shutdown Takes Hold

10/04/2013

Entire fighter squadrons are grounded. The Defense Department's Middle East specialists are barred from the Pentagon. Thousands of the Intelligence Community's top geeks are at home playing Minecraft. The shutdown of the United States government is starting to have very real impacts on the American defense and intelligence infrastructure.

Russia to See 20-Ton Combat Drone ‘by 2018’ – Industry Source

10/04/2013

The prototype of Russia’s first 20-ton combat drone will be unveiled in 2018, a defense industry source said Thursday. The 20-ton unmanned combat aerial vehicle is being developed by the Sukhoi company, and will be based on the fifth-generation T-50 fighter, United Aircraft Corporation president Mikhail Pogosyan said during the MAKS 2013 airshow near Moscow in August.

Chinese junk? Latest fighter plane from People's Army ticketed for export

10/03/2013

A new fighter plane built by China is drawing more snickers than raves from aviation experts, and the People's Army is now saying the jet was really ticketed for export all along.