Military Aviation News Archive

Helicopters shot down in Ukraine, 2 pilots dead

05/03/2014

Two pilots were killed, one briefly abducted, and several wounded -- including an emergency responder - during an attack early Friday in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Four men suspected of using MANPADS in the attack have been detained.

NATO Is Getting Distress Calls From Eastern Europe. How Should It Reply?

05/03/2014

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has ranged as far abroad as Afghanistan and Iraq in recent years. Now the crisis in Ukraine is pulling it back to the mission that led to its creation 65 years ago: defending Europe’s eastern rim against Kremlin expansionism. The U.S., Britain, and some other NATO members began deploying troops and fighter jets to Poland and the Baltics last month.

BAE Systems continues Tornado GR4 support services

05/03/2014

The Royal Air Force’s fighter fleet of Tornado GR4 aircraft will receive support services from BAE Systems until retirement in 2019. Under the Availability Transformation: Tornado Aircraft Contract, or ATTAC, from Britain’s Ministry of Defense BAE Systems will provide on and off maintenance of the fighters and also provide capability enhancements.

New tests ahead for X-47B unmanned combat air vehicle

05/03/2014

Northrop Grumman’s X-47B unmanned combat air system is to undergo ramped-up testing in preparation for new sea trials, the U.S. Navy reports. The X-47B is an unmanned aerial vehicle, which will enter service with the Navy in 2020, is the size of a normal combat jet and is designed for launch and recovery from an aircraft carrier.

Ukrainian Troops Strike Rebel-Held City as Fighting Spreads to Black Sea Port

05/03/2014

Two days after Ukraine’s interim government declared itself all but helpless to control events in the eastern part of the country, Ukrainian military and police forces on Friday resumed their effort to retake this rebel-controlled city, forcing armed separatists from the city’s outskirts with armored vehicles, helicopters and ground troops — and seemingly pushing ever closer to a confrontation with Moscow.

Boeing Delivers 2nd Peace Eagle Aircraft to Turkey

05/03/2014

Boeing this week delivered, on schedule, the second Peace Eagle Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Turkish Armed Forces, further improving the country's self-defense capabilities. The AEW&C aircraft arrived at Konya Air Base, the fleet's main operating base.

Ukraine crisis: Sloviansk rebels down army helicopters

05/02/2014

Pro-Russian rebels have shot down two of Ukraine's army helicopters during an "anti-terror" operation in the eastern city of Sloviansk, Kiev has said. It said a pilot and serviceman had been killed, four suspected separatists held and nine rebel checkpoints seized.

NATO allies take over Baltic mission from Air Force

05/02/2014

Three NATO nations assumed control on Thursday of a strengthened Baltic air policing mission from the U.S. Air Force amid the worsening crisis in neighboring Ukraine. Separately, Canada is sending six interceptors to Romania as a sign of allied solidarity with its east European members bordering Ukraine and Russia.

ANGEL THUNDER to bring increased flying in Arizona

05/02/2014

Air operations will increase in Arizona from May 4-17 due to the 7th annual ANGEL THUNDER Personnel Recovery exercise. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base says there will be 23 additional aircraft flying into D-M and aircrews will follow standard D-M flight procedures throughout the exercise.

Airbus: US Army's Extra Lakota Helicopter Buy Boosts Foreign Sale Potential

05/02/2014

The US Army’s decision to purchase 100 additional Airbus UH-72 Lakota helicopters for pilot training increases the potential for international sales of the aircraft, according to company officials.

Hill’s F-16s take first flights alongside F-35s

05/02/2014

F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from Hill Air Force Base’s 419th and 388th Fighter Wings took to the skies the morning of April 24 for their first training missions alongside the F-35A Lightning II, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft. Hill’s F-16s flew air-to-air combat training missions with F-35As assigned to Eglin’s 33rd Fighter Wing.

Harris Corp. awarded $19M contract by Boeing

05/02/2014

Harris Corp. received a two-year, $19 million contract from Boeing to provide key avionics components for the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet fighter aircraft. The combat-proven Super Hornet provides precision strike capability. The EA-18G Growler, derived from the Super Hornet, is the U.S's newest and most advanced airborne electronic attack platform.

Obama’s inaction invites challenges to the U.S.

05/02/2014

In the Philippines this week, President Obama took a cheap shot at critics of his foreign policy. “Why is it,” the president pondered at a news conference, “that everybody is so eager to use military force after we’ve just gone through a decade of war at enormous costs to our troops and to our budget?”

Sweden opens airspace to NATO AWACS aircraft

05/02/2014

Sweden is to open up its airspace to Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft operated by NATO as the crisis between Russia and Ukraine continues, national media disclosed on 30 April.

New Zealand Ministry of Defence Awards Upgrade Program to Lockheed Martin Canada

05/02/2014

Building on its 30-year legacy as a naval combat systems integrator, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Canada today announced the signing of a contract with the Government of New Zealand for the upgrade of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s two ANZAC Class frigates at a signing ceremony in Wellington on April 29, 2014.

Boeing Flies Production Configuration AH-6i Light Helicopter for the 1st Time

05/02/2014

Boeing's AH-6i light attack/reconnaissance helicopter has flown for the first time in its production configuration, moving the program another step closer to full-scale production while continuing to prove the helicopter's close air support and attack capabilities.

Congress Should Not Cut Critical Defense Capabilities and Readiness

05/01/2014

A month after the fiscal year (FY) 2015 defense budget was submitted to Congress, the Department of Defense (DOD) released the report Estimated Impacts of Sequestration-Level Funding. The report highlights areas where additional cuts will be made in order to comply with sequestration-level funding. While it dutifully tabulates the affects on procurement programs, services, and budget accounts, explanations of the implications of these decisions are lacking.

EU arms and technology sold to China's armed forces

05/01/2014

European Union countries export a range of technology to China's military, according to public documents, research institutes and military analysts. Below is a selection of the weapons and dual-use goods that have flowed from EU countries to China in the past five years.

US-Philippine defense deal revolves around China

05/01/2014

Although President Barack Obama went to great pains to state that a new defense agreement with the Philippines wasn’t about countering China, it’s unclear if he was able to pull off the balancing act. Obama encouraged China’s “peaceful rise” and emphasized partnership with Beijing while speaking Monday in Manila during the introduction of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Israel's fighter jets spying on enemy targets without having to leave country

05/01/2014

The Israel Air Force shed some light on its fighter jet reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities, revealing on Tuesday that one of its F-15 squadrons frequently uses advanced, long-range cameras to photograph enemy targets without leaving Israeli air space. The Double Tail Knights Squadron, which flies out of Tel Nof Air Base, south of Rehovot, dedicates a significant amount of its operations to aerial intelligence gathering, senior members of the squadron said.

Push for Growler jets points to military growth despite spending cap

05/01/2014

It wasn't looking good for the Growlers. The Boeing-made fighter jets, used to jam enemy radar, were left out of the Pentagon's budget for next year. And with spending strictly limited by a budget cap, the plane seemed headed for extinction. But in reality, the Growlers aren't dead yet. Like dozens of other programs, the EA-18G Airborne Electric Attack Aircraft, as they're officially known, have ended up on something called the "unfunded priorities list."

IAF gets new deputy chief amid declining fighter strength

05/01/2014

Even as the IAF awaits the induction of new fighters to retain its eroding combat edge, Air Marshal SBP Sinha took over as the new deputy chief of the force on Wednesday. An ace fighter pilot commissioned in June 1980, Air Marshal Sinha will have to steer all IAF modernization projects in his new assignment.

What is a fifth-generation fighter aircraft?

05/01/2014

Any conversation about Australia's commitment to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter refers to it as a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. But what exactly is a fifth-generation aircraft, and why is it important? Both the Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Defence Minister David Johnston spoke of the JSF's "fifth-generation" capability as Australia now plans to buy a further 58 aircraft.

Russia Starts Combat Helicopter Training Flights on Baltic Border

05/01/2014

A newly formed Russian army helicopter brigade has begun training flights in the northwest of the country near the borders with the Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia, a spokesman for the Western Military District said Wednesday. “Helicopters of the army aviation brigade of the Western Military District, based in the Pskov region, have begun regular training flights in the skies over northwestern Russia,” Col. Oleg Kochetkov said.

French Warship Deliveries to Russia Not Affected by Sanctions

05/01/2014

The delivery of two French warships to Russia will not be affected by the current EU sanctions imposed in light of the situation in Ukraine, French Permanent Representative to the UN Gerard Araud told RIA Novosti Wednesday. "At the moment they are not affected by the sanctions," he said, adding that the sanctions are only target individuals.