Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Defense bill a boon for JBLM, Pacific Northwest

01/06/2014

The $526.8 billion defense budget President Barack Obama signed Christmas week steers hundreds of millions of dollars to Puget Sound military installations and billions more for Boeing-made aircraft being developed here. It also buys some peace of mind for Northwest defense contractors. The spending plan coupled with a two-year bipartisan budget deal adopted last month gives them the stability they’ve been missing in an era marked by repeated fiscal crises.

India's in an Uproar Over This $1 Billion Contract With Lockheed Martin

01/06/2014

When India confirmed this week that it plans to order six more C-130J Hercules transport aircraft for its air force, Lockheed Martin investors in America were thrilled. Over in India, however, the reaction can be summed up in one word: shock.

Long journey to the sky

01/06/2014

It has been 30 years in the making, has cost Rs.172.69 billion, and will easily take another year if not more to clear the last lap. Tejas, the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd-manufactured Light Combat Aircraft that received its second “initial operational clearance” — it got the first IOC in January 2011 — and was inducted into the Indian Air Force last month, is meant to replace the ageing fleet of MiG21s and MiG27s.

Russian Pilots to Train in Enhanced Il-38N Aircraft in 2014

01/06/2014

Pilots from Russia’s Northern Fleet will undergo retraining in 2014 to master the modernized Ilyushin Il-38N anti-submarine aircraft, a military official told journalists Sunday. The first crew has already completed the theoretical part of the program and has begun the practical flight training, said Captain First Rank Vadim Serga, a representative of the Northern Fleet.

Libyan prime minister takes a close look at TAI's ATAK

01/06/2014

The Turkish undersecretary for defense industries, Murad Bayar accompanied the delegation. During the visit, Zidan watched the flight demonstrations of T129 ATAK Advanced Attack and Tactical Reconnaissance Helicopter, which were designed and manufactured by TAI, from the flight tower at TAI’s facilities.

Syrian warplanes bomb hills inside Lebanon, 10 Syrians wounded

01/05/2014

Syrian warplanes bombed on Wednesday a barren range of Lebanese hills used by Syrian rebels and refugees to cross between the two countries, wounding at least 10 Syrians who were rushed to hospital in a nearby Lebanese town, Beirut’s state-run National News Agency said.

China's newest fighter jet J-16 revealed online

01/05/2014

China's most advanced fighter jet J-16 has been revealed online in flight mode, the latest in a series of news items on developments in the Chinese military since last November. An image of the J-16, a 3.5-generation multi-role twin-seat fighter jet, was posted on the China-based Dingsheng military website Friday along with other types of Chinese fighter jets, such as the J-11 and J-15.

Vikramaditya joins Indian fleet in Indian Ocean to start full 'integration' process

01/05/2014

New floating airfield INS Vikramaditya entered the Indian Ocean Region earlier this week where it was joined by INS Viraat, the Navy's second aircraft carrier. The Viraat's meeting with the Vikramaditya was momentous occasion for the Navy as it was only the first time since 1992 when two carriers operated together.

Drones Are the Future of War, So Why Is the Pentagon Spending Over $1 Trillion on the F-35 Fighter J

01/05/2014

To the left is an F-35. It is - at least in theory - the pinnacle of American military aviation. The F-35 has been in development since the 1990s, when by rare coincidence the three branches of the American military that fly all approached Congress with multibillion-dollar requests for aircraft updates. It is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter program, which resulted in Lockheed Martin gaining a virtual monopoly on next-generation military aircraft production.

Pentagon waived sanctions rules on Chinese parts for F-35 fighter

01/05/2014

The Pentagon waived bans on the use of Chinese-built components on US weapons systems in an effort to keep the colossal F-35 joint strike fighter program on track in 2012 and 2013. Pentagon documents show its top arms buyer, Frank Kendall, granted waivers to two main F-35 suppliers, Northrop Grumman and Honeywell International, for the use of Chinese magnets in the fighter plane’s radar system, landing gear and other hardware.

How the Su-30 MKI is changing the IAF’s combat strategy

01/05/2014

With the induction of large numbers of class leading Sukhoi-30 MKI fighters, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has not only made a huge technological transition from a MiG-21 dominated fleet, its war fighting doctrine has also changed, focusing on long-range and strategic missions.

Afghanistan Gets Spooky Ghostriders as the AC-130H Retires

01/04/2014

For more than 40 years, American ground forces have relied on the AC-130 gunship for protection and close air support. However, the venerable AC-130H Specter variant, which has been deployed in every major combat operation since Vietnam, is beginning to show its age.

DoD Official Concerned US Losing Technological Edge

01/04/2014

The Pentagon and defense industry have been behind some of the most important technological achievements in history, said defense acquisition chief Frank Kendall, but continued advances are threatened by reduced research spending. The military played a role in the creation of radar, stealth and even the Internet. These achievements — and many others — have given the US military an unmatched edge since the end of World War II.

The Philippines Creates Its Own Combat UAVs

01/04/2014

In the Philippines the military has long been used to getting by on very tight budgets. That means developing tactics, techniques and improvised weapons and equipment to get the job done. The latest example is two micro-UAVs called Raptor (costing $3,400 each) and Knight Falcon (goes for about $6,700 each). Both of these are similar to the American Raven, which has been used in the Philippines in small quantities.

Generational Changes Important to Air Dominance

01/04/2014

The last time American soldiers or Marines came under aerial attack was during the Korean War. The fact that it has been more than 60 years since an enemy launched a successful aerial attack against Americans did not happen by accident. U.S. airpower strategy is based on having air dominance in any conflict. Air dominance means marrying the best pilots in the world with the best aircraft, and tying them together with the best tactics.

Airbus Defence and Space Revamp Aims To Tackle Decline

01/04/2014

Airbus Defence and Space may be a new brand, but the former defense and space businesses of EADS face a familiar problem: how to remain profitable when European defense budgets are in decline and export competition is intensifying. The combining of Airbus Military, Astrium and Cassidian took effect at the executive level on January 1. Three weeks earlier, a reduction of 5,800 jobs at the new combined division over the next three years was announced.

Military activitiy in 2013: start of Deveselu works, the purchase of the F-16 multirole aircraft

01/04/2014

The Ministry of National Defence (MApN), acting on behalf of the Government of Romania, signed this year the agreement with Portugal for the purchase of the F-16 multirole aircraft that will refresh the Romanian Air Force fleet, and succeeded in paying the first tranche due under the contract; works at the Deveselu base that hosts the NATO missile shield also kicked off in an event attended by U.S. officials.

Shopping list for jet fighters show airforce inadequacies

01/04/2014

If foreign aircraft, whether hostile or friendly, intrude into Philippines skies, the air force will watch them closely and do nothing, according to military and defence officials. The Philippines has no capability to confront foreign aircraft violating the country’s airspace because of government failure to implement the military modernization act of 1995, which mandated purchase of 36 “multi-role” jet fighters, said the officials.

Russian Navy to Expand Air Patrols in Arctic

01/04/2014

Combat aircraft from Russia’s Northern Fleet will extend the ranges of their patrol flights over the Arctic in 2014 using a network of revamped Soviet-era airfields, the fleet’s spokesman said Friday. “In 2014, the naval aviation of the Northern Fleet will significantly expand the geography of Arctic patrol flights, including with the use of the Temp airfield on the New Siberian Islands,” Capt. 1st Rank Vadim Serga said.

Japan: Revised Defence Posture – Analysis

01/03/2014

The Japanese government led by nationalist Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has scrapped the previous government’s National Defense Programme Guidelines (NDPG) and has adopted new defence guidelines that outline Japan’s defence and security strategy for the next ten years. At first glance, the move to revise the NDPG appears to be in response to the challenges posed to Japan’s territorial integrity by China following Senkaku’s nationalisation.

Pentagon Plans for Cuts to Drone Budgets

01/03/2014

The Pentagon didn’t expect to see the major budget cuts the U.S. military has received over the past two years that has forced Pentagon leaders to update planning documents such as the Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap. The 2013 update released right before the New Year takes into account those cuts while also emphasizing the need to keep up with advances by countries like China and Iran in the drone market.

IAF strikes Gaza in response to rocket fire

01/03/2014

Israeli jets bombed targets in the northern Gaza Strip Thursday night, hours after a rocket launched from Gaza landed in the Negev Regional Council. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The IDF confirmed it struck the Gaza Strip in response to the rocket fire earlier in the evening, which caused no injuries or damage.

Bluedrop Completes Purchase of Atlantis Systems, Establishing Bluedrop As One of Canada’s Largest Military Training Firms

01/03/2014

Bluedrop Performance Learning Inc. (“Bluedrop”) and Atlantis Systems Corp. (“Atlantis”) jointly announced today that they have completed the previously announced plan of arrangement (the “Arrangement”) pursuant to which Bluedrop, through its wholly-owned subsidiary 8682259 Canada Inc., acquired all of the common shares of Atlantis (“Atlantis Shares”) for aggregate cash consideration of C$1,000,000 or approximately C$0.0276 for each Atlantis Share.

Syrian defense systems put Turkish F-16 jets under radar lock: General Staff

01/03/2014

Syrian air missile batteries put two Turkish F-16 jets conducting a sortie in the southern province of Hatay along the border under a radar lock, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement Jan. 2. The Turkish jets were deployed to the border area after a Syrian military aircraft approached Turkish airspace, the statement said. It added that the Syrian SU-24 changed its route to the opposite direction at five nautical miles from Turkish airspace.

Military drones set to get stronger chemical weapons and could soon make their OWN decisions during missions

01/03/2014

Drones that can choose to deviate from a set mission and hunt in ‘swarms’ could be patrolling skies within the next 25 years, according to a new roadmap. Unmanned aircraft carrying stronger chemical weapons could also be on the horizon, the U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) revealed in its Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap.