Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia to Hold Military Drills in Response to Ukraine Crackdown

04/25/2014

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced Thursday that Russia will conduct military drills in response to the developing situation in Ukraine’s southeast, where a special operation has targeted the country’s own citizens. “We are forced to react to such a development in the situation,” Shoigu said.

Russian Bombers Conduct Test Flights Over Northern Europe

04/25/2014

Russian Tu-95MS “Bear” strategic bombers, accompanied by supersonic Mikoyan MiG-31 interceptors, have conducted test flights over neutral waters of the North Sea, a senior Air Force official told reporters Thursday. Russia’s strategic bomber force regularly performs flights over neutral waters of the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Black Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

RAF fighter jets scrambled to investigate Russian planes

04/24/2014

Fighter jets were scrambled after two Russian military aircraft were spotted approaching UK airspace, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets took off from RAF Leuchars in St Andrews, Fife, on Wednesday. The jets were sent to investigate the Russian planes, which are believed to have turned away shortly afterwards.

Dutch fighter jets intercept 2 Russian bombers in their airspace

04/24/2014

Dutch fighter jets scrambled Wednesday to intercept a pair of Russian military aircraft that entered their airspace, a fairly routine action that comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO, a Dutch official said. Maj. Wilko Ter Horst said that the military learned around 3:50 p.m. (9:50 a.m. ET) that two Russian TU-95 bombers, known as Bears, had come a half-mile inside its airspace.

Top Gun, robot-style: Navy moves ahead on carrier-based drone program

04/24/2014

The US Navy is close to the next phase of its plan to build squadrons of robotic “top guns,” carrier-based unmanned aircraft capable of collecting intelligence, watching for enemies, and bombing them if necessary. On April 17, the Naval Air Systems Command issued a “restricted” draft request for proposals for the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) system to the four contenders who have already been involved in the preliminary design review.

As Assad gains momentum, Jordan feels the heat from the Syrian fire

04/24/2014

After a series of battle successes in the Syrian civil war over the last few months, Syrian President Bashar Assad may direct his army to renew efforts in the south of the country, primarily along the border with Jordan. The Arab media have published several reports in recent weeks to the effect that a major military campaign is in the works for the region in which the Syrian uprising erupted a little more than three years ago.

Pilots blamed in October crash that killed guardsman

04/24/2014

The failure of contracted pilots to keep their aircraft over water during an Oct. 5 night flight over Panama led to a crash that killed an Air National Guard member and three other crew members, according to an Air Combat Command-directed Accident Investigation Board report released Wednesday. The two pilots survived.

China Army Targets Students for Officers to Match Modern Weapons

04/24/2014

China’s military has used annual budget increases in excess of 10 percent to buy precision-guided weapons, fighter jets and an aircraft carrier. Now it’s seeking to upgrade its recruits to operate them. For Wu, a 20-year-old journalism student at a university in Beijing, that means his college fees are paid and he has an extra 3,500 yuan ($561) a year to live on.

Australia acquires $12B jets to boost air combat force

04/24/2014

Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced in Canberra his government has approved the acquisition of a multi-billion jet fighters to boost Australia’s air defence capability. Australia will spend $12. 4 billion for 58 Texan-built F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter jets. Boasting the fighter planes’ capability, the prime minister gave some specs: a top speed of 1960km/h, fire air-to-air missiles, guided bombs and a cannon using the most sophisticated avionics and sensors.

Why is Canada sending fighter jets to Poland?

04/24/2014

Canada is about to station combat-ready fighter aircraft in Eastern Europe. The six CF-18s we are sending abroad will apparently be based in Poland. The only reason for their presence is a perceived threat from one country only – Russia. While this gesture may be tokenism, be assured it will nonethless be expensive (our contribution to the “liberation” of Libya came in at around $100-million).

The Next Step Toward Autopilot in Combat

04/24/2014

Flying military combat aircraft requires an exceptional amount of decision making in a very short window with lots of distractions. Now, the Defense Department wants the defense industry to build them much better autopilot. The Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, or DARPA, announced a new program to build an automatic pilot kit to install into military planes.

Lockheed Martin Demonstrates Enhanced Ground Control System and Software for Small Unmanned Aircraft

04/24/2014

Lockheed Martin’s Group 1 family of unmanned aircraft systems is migrating to enhanced automation capabilities using its Kestrel™ “Fly Light” flight control systems and industry-leading mobile Ground Control Station (mGCS) software. The increased automation allows operators to focus on executing the mission, rather than flying various aircraft.

McConnell clears final hurdle to officially become new tanker base

04/23/2014

The U.S. Air Force on Tuesday issued what is called the Final Record of Decision on McConnell Air Force Base and the new KC-46A tankers, a move that officially makes McConnell the main operating base for the new aircraft. "It's literally the last shoe to drop," Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo told me Tuesday. Of near-term importance, he said, it means the USAF can start spending money to get the base ready for the new tankers.

4 Army units heading to Eastern Europe

04/23/2014

The U.S. military in Europe is sending four company-sized infantry units, a total of about 600 soldiers, to Eastern Europe, the latest effort to reassure NATO allies in light of Russian aggression in Ukraine, a Pentagon official said Tuesday. Four countries — Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — each will receive a company of paratroopers from the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in Vicenza, Italy, said Pentagon spokesman Rear. Adm. John Kirby.

Syrian rebels get SA-16 anti-aircraft missiles after receiving advanced anti-tank weapons

04/23/2014

Syrian rebels have been sighted wielding anti-aircraft weapons in various combat sectors including the Damascus region in the last few days. Just as on April 6, DEBKAfile was the first publication to disclose the arming of Syrian opposition forces with their first US weapons, BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missiles, our military sources now reveal that they have also acquired - and are using - Russian-made 9K310 Igla-1 aka SA-16 anti-tank rockets, which have an operational range of 5.2 km.

'PROVOCATIVE' PUTIN REACTS TO U.S. PRESENCE

04/23/2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin has begun to react to subtle U.S. military deployments in the periphery of Russia. The U.S. has sailed an Aegis anti-ballistic warship into the Black Sea, and the Pentagon announced Tuesday that U.S. troops would be sent for exercises in Eastern Europe to reassure allies on Russia’s border.

China Said to Plan Capital Market Access for Military

04/23/2014

China plans to fold developers of military hardware into listed state-owned companies, people familiar with the matter said, giving them access to capital markets as the country prioritizes high-technology defense capability.The plan would allow military research institutes to be incorporated into state-owned enterprises, said the two people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to discuss the plans publicly.

De Gracia: Why America needs more Boeing EA-18G Growlers

04/23/2014

The United States and her Western allies are facing some of the most difficult challenges to national security in modern history. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and rising Chinese tensions in Asia painfully expose how airpower is critical to holding freedom’s line around the world, yet deteriorating fiscal stability means every tax dollar spent must be prioritized on platforms that work and win on the battlefield.

Ukraine to restart anti-terrorist operation as military plane 'hit by gunfire'

04/23/2014

Ukraine's president orders anti-terrorist operation in the east to restart after politician "tortured to death" as defence ministry says Ukrainian military aircraft hit by gunfire while on reconnaissance flight over Slavyansk

Joint Strike Fighters: Government to spend $12 billion on 58 more next-generation F-35s

04/23/2014

Australia will buy 58 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) at a cost of more than $12 billion after the Federal Government gave the go ahead for the purchase yesterday. The extra aircraft will bring Australia's total Joint Strike Fighter force to 72 aircraft, with the first of them to enter service in 2020. The $12.4 billion price tag makes the Joint Strike Fighters Australia's most expensive Defence asset.

Dassault achieves world's first formation flight of combat drone and manned aircraft

04/23/2014

Dassault Aviation announced that last month it came a step closer to making science fiction reality when it conducted a formation flight of the nEUROn unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with a Rafale fighter and a Falcon 7X business jet. The flight off the coast of the south of France took place on March 20, and for almost two hours the nEUROn kept station with the other planes as they flew over the several hundred kilometers out over the Mediterranean.

pike in Russian military aircraft near Japan ‘abnormal’

04/22/2014

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Sunday there have been an “abnormal” number of flights by Russian military aircraft close to Japanese islands in recent days. The country’s air defense force scrambled fighter jets for seven days in a row through Saturday after spotting Russian military planes flying along the Japanese archipelago, according to the Defense Ministry.

Guard Apaches Less Ready, Must Move To Active Army

04/22/2014

National Guard attack helicopter units just can’t be as battle-ready as full-time regular Army ones, Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine Fox has been telling the Hill. That’s why the Guard should give all its AH-64 Apache gunships to the active-duty force to replace older aircraft lost to budget cuts.

Russia Orders New MiG-29 Jet Fighters To Increase Strike Capability

04/22/2014

The Russian Ministry of Defense has placed an order for its first 16 Mikoyan MiG-29 SMT jet fighters in the “new light tactical version,” Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG said in a statement The fighters were modernized and fitted with improved ability to eliminate air, ground and sea targets with air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles, the statement said.

U.S. Plans to Sell Mexico 18 Black Hawks to Tackle Drug Trade

04/22/2014

The U.S. approved plans to sell Mexico as many as 18 Black Hawk helicopters in a $680 million deal aimed at bolstering efforts to combat drug trafficking. The State Department approved the potential sale of 18 UH-60M Black Hawks made by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in an announcement that comes ahead of a planned visit to Mexico this week by U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel.