Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

New federal budget means more work for Sikorsky

01/22/2014

The $1.1 trillion federal budget adopted last week preserves jobs at Sikorsky Aircraft and continues development of a new rescue helicopter for the Air Force. Connecticut received $3.3 billion in defense spending in the 2014 budget deal signed by President Barack Obama, enough to keep the 6,566 Sikorsky workers in Stratford on the job and fund Connecticut's other defense contractors.

Taiwan To Slash Armed Forces By Up To 20%

01/22/2014

Taiwan has said it plans to slash its armed forces by up to 20 percent from 215,000 over the next five years, in the latest sign of warming ties with former rival China. Defence Minister Yen Ming said the military would be cut to 170,000-190,000, but that defense capabilities would not be compromised in the project to build “smaller but leaner and more professional armed forces.”

Japan Is Scrambling Jets Against China More Than Ever

01/22/2014

Japanese fighter jets scrambled against Chinese planes a record number of times in April-December, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, as Sino-Japanese ties are strained by an island spat and disputes stemming from Tokyo's wartime past.

Pantsir-S1 missile system to be tested beyond Polar Circle - developer

01/21/2014

The Tula-based instrument-building design bureau, KBP, plans to test the Pantsir-S1 combined short to medium range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery system beyond the Polar Circle, KBP's first deputy managing director, Nikolai Khokhlov, told reporters on Monday.

Enhanced Missile Warning System to Protect U.S. Army Troops

01/21/2014

The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems a $39 million contract for more than 300 third-generation (Gen3) Common Missile Warning System (CMWS), a key element in helicopter and aircraft countermeasures systems protecting US aviators in combat theatres; The Army has already acquired 2,100 such systems and has operated them in combat, accumulating more than 2,000,000 combat flight hours.

CT defense industry wins big in U.S. budget bill

01/21/2014

The massive omnibus spending bill creates winners and losers – and at first blush it seems that Connecticut is chiefly in the winner’s column. Like other state governments, the Malloy administration is still trying to determine the impact of the $1.1 trillion federal budget approved by Congress last week.

China begins naval drills in South China Sea

01/21/2014

Chinese naval vessels including an island landing ship began drills today in the South China Sea, where China and several other nations are locked in territorial disputes. Two destroyers and China's largest amphibious landing craft started the exercises after sailing from the naval base on the southern island province of Hainan, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The ships also boast three helicopters and a company of marines.

Rafale a worthy choice by the IAF

01/21/2014

Like the most people of Indian origin, I have been an avid reader of news on the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender. It is safe to say that in the last five years many of India’s defence projects have come if not of age, at least into adolescence. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is now flying as a genuine albeit underpowered and slow combat aircraft. The indigenous Kaveri jet engine operates on target except at high altitude, the crystal turbine blades not yet a proven quantity.

Aim of China's Military Reforms

01/21/2014

Modernisation of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has entered the final stage of its current phase. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s Third Plenum, which was held in November 2013 and represents a major advance in China’s reforms, provided a substantive push to the PLA’s modernisation when it approved proposals for major organisational restructuring. The reforms coincide with China’s continuing assertiveness that has unsettled its neighbours.

Russia can't deliver on Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft: IAF

01/21/2014

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has done a stunning about-turn, sharply criticising the showpiece Indo-Russian project to co-develop a futuristic Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA). Even as New Delhi and Moscow finalise a $6 billion deal to co-develop an FGFA with capabilities tailor-made for India, the IAF has alleged the Russians would be unable to meet their promises about its performance.

Russian Military Research Agency to Get $100M in 2014

01/21/2014

Russia’s prospective rival of the US breakthrough military research agency DARPA will receive 3.3 billion rubles ($100 million) of state funding this year, its spokesman said Monday. But this year’s budget for Russia’s Advanced Research Foundation was actually decreased 12.5 percent year-on-year, the spokesman said. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), founded in 1958, has an estimated annual budget of $2.8 billion.

UK orders near for F-35 'stealth’ jet

01/20/2014

Britain's Ministry of Defence is close to placing its first major tranche of orders for the F-35 fighter jet, with an award for about 14 of the “stealth” warplanes due in the next few weeks. The orders for the new plane, being built in an international project led by US defence giant Lockheed Martin, will signal the increasing role of the British military in the controversial F-35 programme.

Syrian military jets kill 34

01/20/2014

Government warplanes on Saturday launched raids on the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and the surrounding countryside, killing 34 people, including five children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Air raids launched by government jets and helicopters left 23 people dead in the city itself, and killed another 11 in the surrounding countryside, the Observatory reported.

Israeli warplanes raid training fields in Gaza

01/20/2014

Israeli warplanes raided two locations in the center and south of Gaza Strip at dawn on Sunday, according to local radio stations. The strikes targeted two sites used for training by Izz-Eddine Al-Qassam Briagdes, military wing of the Islamic movement Hamas.

Vehicle Cancellation Is Sign of Cutbacks in Canada

01/20/2014

The cancellation of the Canadian military’s Close Combat Vehicle (CCV) program is the first major equipment casualty of ongoing budget reductions, with industry officials expecting other procurement projects to be delayed or cut. Gen. Tom Lawson, chief of the Defense Staff, announced the CCV cancellation on Dec. 20 but denied government budget cutbacks were to blame.

Lockheed Martin's controversial US warplane project to boost more than 500 British companies

01/20/2014

It is a defence project that has flown headlong into controversy – as befits the world’s most advanced multi-role fighter jet, packed with technological gizmos and capable of 1,200mph bombing raids. But while the debate rages over the cost and complexities of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 warplane, one issue is easily overlooked: the most expensive Pentagon defence programme in history.

Pentagon Swipes V-22 Ospreys From U.S. Marines, Sells Them to Israel Instead

01/19/2014

In what has easily the biggest development in defense news this week, Congress just received notice that the United States is exporting cutting-edge tiltrotor technology to Israel. More amazingly - the six V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft that Israel will be buying were originally supposed to go to the U.S. Marines, currently fighting a shooting war in Afghanistan.

First five F-22s leave for Tyndall

01/19/2014

Off they go into the wild blue yonder, climbing high into the sun, the first five F-22 Raptors left Holloman for Tyndall Air Force Base Fla., Jan. 6, as part of the transition of the F-22s leaving the base.

A look at the F-35 Lightning at MCAS Yuma

01/19/2014

The newest US Air Force stealth fighter, the F-35 Lightning-2 arrives at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale later this year adding to a growing collection of military aircraft over the skies of Arizona. But the F-35 is no stranger to our state the U.S. Marine Corps pilots have been flying them for about a year now. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Gillette is the "Green Knights" squadron commander, the first operational Marine squadron in the country to get the new F-35's.

PAF to acquire 3 modern flight simulators for P246 M

01/19/2014

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) is acquiring three modern flight simulators for P246.4 million to help pilots operate efficiently the soon-to-be-delivered T-50 fighter jets from South Korea. The Department of National Defense (DND) said it is bidding out the project designed to enhance the operational capability of the PAF.

Work under way on China's second aircraft carrier at Dalian yard

01/19/2014

China is reportedly building a second aircraft carrier, estimated to be completed by 2018, on its way to expanding its fleet to four of the massive ships. Media reports - later deleted from the internet - stated Liaoning party chief Wang Min told a panel of the provincial people's congress that the second carrier was being built in the city of Dalian. The reports also quoted Wang as saying the port city was building two advanced 052D destroyers.

United Technologies Wins $183 Million Saudi Defense Contract

01/18/2014

The Department of Defense awarded seven new defense contracts Friday, worth $591.3 million in total. United Technologies didn't win the biggest contract - but it did win the second biggest. More precisely, it was UTC subsidiary Goodrich Corp which won the day's second biggest contract, a $183 million firm-fixed-price contract action of as-yet indeterminate scope, to perform in-country setup and installation of ground stations for the Royal Saudi Air Force's DB110.

Russian Knights hail high standard of air show

01/18/2014

THE Russian Knights, the aerobatic team of the Russian Air Force, yesterday praised the high standard of BIAS 2014. "The show compares highly positively with other air shows and we are pleased with its high standards," the team said at a Press conference in Sakhir. "We took part with four Sukhois in 2012 and we have increased the number to five this year. We are so pleased with the air show in Bahrain and we are planning to have six planes in our participation in 2016," they said.

Russia Forms Helicopter Squadron for Armenian Base

01/18/2014

The Russian military has formed a helicopter squadron to strengthen its air contingent at the Erebuni air base in Armenia, the press service of Russia’s Southern Military District said Friday. Russia’s 3624th Air Base at the Erebuni airport in Yerevan currently hosts at least 16 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets operating under the framework of air defense agreements concluded between the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Bahrain Airshow: Saudi Hawks demo at show

01/18/2014

The Royal Saudi Air Force's (RSAF) official demonstration team, the Saudi Hawks, is at the show, revisiting the scene of its first appearance outside Saudi Arabia in February 2000. Formed in 1998, the team is equipped with Hawk Mk.65s, which can produce a single colour of smoke. The last six Hawk Mk.65As have an enhanced smoke capability, with provision for a pod identical to those carried by the RAF’s Red Arrows Hawks, and capable of producing three colours.