Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Morocco takes on the Cubic for F-16 Top Gun training

04/12/2014

Cubic Defense Systems has been awarded a contract valued at more than $5 million from the U.S. Air Force to supply its P5 Combat Training System (P5CTS) to the Moroccan Air Force. Morocco will join the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, along with a number of other air forces, in using the P5CTS to support high-fidelity, TOPGUN-style live and post-mission training.

Malaysia Airlines plane search: New possible signal detected

04/11/2014

Fresh hope fueled the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane Thursday after a plane detected a possible underwater signal. The crew of an Australian P-3 Orion dropped dozens of buoys equipped with underwater sensors into the ocean, and they heard something. The signal - the fifth picked up by search teams so far -- may be from one of the so-called black boxes aboard Flight 370, the Australian agency coordinating the search announced.

Installation of backup oxygen system in F-22 combat fleet continues

04/11/2014

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's F-22 Division is on-track to complete installation of the Automatic Back-up Oxygen System, or ABOS, in the Air Force's F-22 Raptor combat fleet by December 2014. In January 2012, following a series of incidents in which a number of F-22 pilots experienced physiological symptoms in flight, the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board made a list of recommendations to improve the aircrew life support system.

F-35 on time to replace previous tactical aircraft

04/11/2014

The F-35 Lightning II will enhance combat capabilities, project U.S. power and deter potential adversaries, Air Force officials told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on tactical air and land forces in a hearing on tactical aircraft programs there, April 8. “The F-35 will form the backbone of U.S. air combat superiority for generations to come,” said Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office executive officer.

New video highlights ‘The Boom' at Selfridge

04/11/2014

The KC-135 Stratotanker is the star of a new video recently released by the 127th Wing Public Affairs office. The 5-minute mini-documentary showcases the refueling capability of the KC-135, which is operated by the 171st Air Refueling Squadron, 127th Air Refueling Group, 127tth Wing at Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

RAF commander says UAE combat exercise is one of the best

04/11/2014

he commander of the UK Royal Air Force’s operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan has praised the UAE for staging one of the world’s best air-combat exercises. Air Commodore Al Gillespie spoke on Thursday, the final day of the advanced tactical leadership course (ATLC), an international major exercise hosted by the UAE Air Force.

NATO to focus on reassuring allies worried about Ukraine

04/11/2014

NATO’s next move in response to the crisis in Ukraine is likely to be more of the same: more NATO fighters patrolling over the Baltics, more rotations of warships into the Black Sea and more surveillance of Russian movements around Ukraine. Since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula last month, NATO has sought to reassure jittery members concerned about Moscow’s suspected expansionist aims by boosting its presence in those countries that border Russia, Ukraine and Moldova, officials said.

Can Russia's military fly without Ukraine's parts?

04/11/2014

Russia's sleek new military machine, currently poised on Ukraine's eastern borders, has a problem: It runs on components produced in Ukraine, which are still being delivered by Ukrainian companies. And now, Ukraine's beleaguered interim government is warning that it might call a halt to all arms supplies to Russia: "Manufacturing products for Russia that will later be aimed against us would be complete insanity," Vitaliy Yarema, Kiev's first deputy prime minister, said.

Air Force plan to get rid of A-10s runs into opposition

04/11/2014

It’s often called the military’s ugliest aircraft, a snub-nosed tank of a plane that’s nicknamed “Warthog” for its appearance and ferocity. The A-10 Thunderbolt II has been the Air Force’s equivalent of an in-the-trenches grunt for almost 40 years: heavily armed and armored, designed to fly low and take out the enemy at close range.

U.S. drone 'clipped into' Canadian-controlled airspace

04/11/2014

An unmanned American navy drone flew into Canadian-controlled airspace on Tuesday morning, which surprised officials who were not expecting to see it. The drone was supposed to land in Maryland but was sent to Maine due to bad weather, Nav Canada director of public affairs Michelle Bishop said.

Nigerian Air Force buying new combat aircraft

04/11/2014

The Nigerian Air Force has revealed that it will be acquiring additional fighter aircraft and combat helicopters, with approval having already been received from the government. Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Adesola Amosu made the revelation during a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday ahead of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Nigerian Air Force. However, he did not disclose the type of aircraft involved in the new acquisition plans, or numbers.

Significant milestone met as progress continues on AWACS upgrade

04/10/2014

An important milestone was recently reached on a significant upgrade improving capabilities for the Airborne Warning and Control System, better known as AWACS. The 40/45 block upgrade is the largest modification on the U.S. AWACS fleet. It provides a complete replacement of mission computer systems - some of which were originally installed in the 1970s - and a new open, network-based architecture, which enables future net-centric operations.

Navy Adds Hellfire Missiles to LCS

04/10/2014

The Navy is integrating a vertically-launched longbow Hellfire missile onto the Littoral Combat Ship as a way to give the platform more fire-power, service officials said Wednesday. Unlike other missiles that would require laser-designation to pinpoint targets, the longbow Hellfire can use what’s called millimeter wave seeker technology that can autonomously track and destroy multiple targets simultaneously.

Top NATO Commander: U.S. Troops May Be Sent To Eastern Europe

04/10/2014

NATO's top military commander in Europe, drafting countermoves to the Russian military threat against Ukraine, said Wednesday they could include deployment of American troops to alliance member states in Eastern Europe now feeling at risk. U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove told The Associated Press he wouldn't "write off involvement by any nation, to include the United States."

V-22 Tiltrotor Could Revolutionize Naval Logistics In The Pacific

04/10/2014

If you spin a globe to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you will discover that almost no land is visible in any direction. That’s because the Pacific covers nearly half of the Earth’s surface. The good news is that all that water protects America from potential enemies in Asia. The not-so-good news is that the Western Pacific has become the industrial heartland of the new global economy, so it is also becoming the main focus of U.S. military strategy.

NATO to significantly bolster Baltic Air Policing Mission

04/10/2014

The NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission is to be boosted substantially next month with the disclosure on 8 April that the normal complement of four fighters will be increased to 12. With the Polish Air Force set to take on the mission with four MiG-29 'Fulcrum' fighters from May through to August, the UK will also send four Eurofighter Typhoons and Denmark four Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcons, the Reuters news agency quoted an alliance official as saying.

Japan scrambled fighter jets against Chinese planes 415 times last year

04/10/2014

Japanese fighter jet scrambles against Chinese planes hit a record high in the year that ended in March, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday, as Sino-Japanese ties were strained by disputes over territory and interpretations of history. Japan scrambled combat planes against Chinese aircraft 415 times during the year, up 36 percent from a year earlier. It was the highest number since the ministry started disclosing country-specific figures in 2001.

Planned L-159 sale to Iraq may fail for several reasons

04/10/2014

The planned sale of the redundant L-159 combat planes to Iraq may fail for three reasons: the Czechs may not be able to quickly deliver the planes, the Czech military may consider the sale unprofitable, and a new Iraqi government may reject the sale, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes yesterday. The aircraft producer, Aero Vodochody, and Iraqi officials agreed on the sale of 12 old L-159s for $200 million on Sunday, the paper writes.

First C-130J Super Hercules ‘Shimshon’ Arrives In Israel

04/10/2014

Israel’s first Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules airlifter arrived at Nevatim Air Base today. Along with senior Israeli officials, Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson attended the ceremony and made remarks. Israel ordered its C-130Js through a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contract with the U.S. Government. This is the first ferry of the C-130Js currently on order for the IAF, which has operated legacy C-130s since 1971.

Turkish Air Force receives first of 10 A400Ms

04/10/2014

The Turkish Air Force finally formally accepted the aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space at the A400M Final Assembly Line in Seville, Spain, on Monday 7th April. A further ceremony will take place in Turkey at a later date.

Turkish F-16 jets follow Russian jet along coast

04/09/2014

Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets followed a Russian reconnaissance plane that was flying parallel to the Turkish coast in international airspace. The General Staff said on its website Tuesday that an IL-20 type reconnaissance jet had flown near Turkey's Black Sea coastline and the Turkish Air Force responded by sending two F-16 fighter jets to intercept it.

TALON REACH: SHAPING A COMBAT CLOUD TO ENABLE AN INSERTION FORCE

04/09/2014

The impact of the speed and range of the Osprey is driving an opportunity to add speed and effectiveness for situational decision makers in the ground combat element flying aboard the Osprey as well.

U.S.-Philippine pact to highlight Obama’s Asia rebalance – minister

04/09/2014

An agreement on U.S.-Philippine defence cooperation, expected to be signed this month during a visit by President Barack Obama, will be a clear sign of a U.S. “rebalance” to Asia despite U.S. preoccupations elsewhere, the Philippines’ top diplomat said. The deal will enable the sharing of Philippine bases, an increase in the rotation through the Philippines of U.S. ships, aircraft and troops, and will reassure U.S. allies of support against a rising China.

The A-6 Intruder Was Originally Designed With Thrust Vectoring

04/09/2014

The A-6 Intruder was developed in the 1950s with the US Navy demanding as capable of an attack machine as possible. That's why it was built to use a rather modern idea: thrust vectoring. It wasn't quite ready for primetime back then, but the idea was there and the need to make the Intruder so advanced and so innovative arguably led to its longevity.

RAAF overlooks Saab Gripen for more expensive, controversial Joint Srike Fighter

04/09/2014

This is the low-cost, high performance fighter jet that Australia overlooked when the RAAF spent more than $6 billion to fill a capability gap between its retiring F-111 and Hornet fleets and the controversial stealth F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.