Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

US Aircraft Carrier Group Begins Philippines Relief Operations

11/15/2013

The U.S. Navy launched a huge relief operation in the typhoon-ravaged central Philippines Thursday, as the devastated Philippine city of Tacloban began the grim task of burying its dead. The aircraft carrier USS George Washington and a contingent of seven supply ships arrived in the Philippine Sea early Thursday, and began delivering water and emergency rations to the wrecked city.

BAE Systems Satcom for UAS Test Proves Successful

11/15/2013

As aviation authorities in the U.S. and Europe prepare to integrate more unmanned aircraft into civil airspace, they need to be able to securely and rapidly transfer large amounts of data during missions. Satellite communications networks have become increasingly more congested, making it difficult to find enough spectrum for unmanned aircraft to securely operate on.

India to induct second aircraft carrier

11/15/2013

Defence Minister AK Antony will commission the much-delayed Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikramaditya, the country’s second aircraft carrier and the largest warship, at a Russian shipyard on Saturday. Antony leaves New Delhi on Friday on a four-day visit to Russia to commission the warship and also to co-chair the 13th Meeting of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Co-operation (IRIGCMTC) with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu.

Colombia looks to procure new fighter type

11/15/2013

The Colombian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Colombiana - FAC) is looking to procure a new fighter aircraft type "over the next three to four years" to enhance its top-end air combat capabilities, a senior service official said on 14 November.

Lockheed Martin Conducts Second Successful LRASM Flight Test

11/15/2013

Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) recently achieved another successful flight test, with the missile scoring a direct hit on a moving maritime target. The test was conducted in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Office of Naval Research (ONR) program.

Russia, Egypt Vow to Boost Military Ties

11/15/2013

Russia and Egypt agreed Thursday to start drafting documents to lay the foundation for close cooperation in the defense sector, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said. Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are on a landmark visit to the strategically important North African country to boost bilateral relations, including military ties, which have been in limbo for several decades.

Russia Unveils New High-Precision Air Defense System

11/15/2013

Russia’s Almaz-Antey defense corporation said Thursday that it had developed an advanced version of the Tor-M2 air defense system, featuring an extended firing range, improved precision and greater ammunition-carrying capacity. “We can say now that a unique air defense system in its class with an astounding precision and range has been created. Its performance surpasses all planned parameters,” said Sergei Druzin, head of research and development at Almaz-Antey.

Taiwan Still Hungry for More US Arms

11/14/2013

After nearly a decade of waiting, wrangling with budgets, writing proposals and whistling past the graveyard, new aircraft deliveries have begun arriving in Taiwan. Over the past 60 days, deliveries of 12 P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and 30 AH-64E Apache Longbow attack helicopters have begun arriving in Taiwan. Sixty UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters are expected to begin arriving in 2014.

Afghan Air Force Races To Prepare For Solo Mission

11/14/2013

A gray C-130 Hercules flies low over the runway at Kabul airport. The four-engine cargo plane then climbs and banks to the left. Moments later, it lands and passes under the spray of two fire trucks before stopping in front of a crowd of officials. This ceremony last month marked the official transfer of the first two C-130s from the U.S. to the Afghan air force.

U.S. Navy to declare Boeing's P-8A spy plane ready for use: sources

11/14/2013

The U.S. Navy is expected to announce soon that Boeing Co's P-8A aircraft, a long-range maritime surveillance plane based on the company's 737 airliner, is ready for initial operational use, sources familiar with the program said. The Navy plans to buy 117 of the new anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare planes to replace its P-3 spy planes built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

Russia to Deploy Long-Range Attack Drone by 2016

11/14/2013

Russia is developing its first long-range drone aircraft capable of conducting ground attack missions, but lags behind other militaries in building unmanned aerial combat vehicles, according to U.S. officials. The new drone is being developed in secret and was first revealed in online images earlier this year. U.S. officials familiar with intelligence reports said the drone is being called the Altius-M and work is being done at the Sokol Design Bureau in Tatarstan, a Russian republic.

Drone combat missions may be scaled back eventually, Air Force chief says

11/14/2013

The Air Force is grappling with how to manage a potential glut of drones and may eventually scale back the number of combat missions flown with unmanned aircraft by more than 25 percent, the service’s top commander said Wednesday.

Chinese fighter J-15 ready for service: Chinese military expert

11/14/2013

After the Shenyang J-15, China's first carrier-based fighter aircraft was repainted in military grey, Du Wenlong, a Chinese military analyst told the state run China News Service that the aircraft is almost ready for service in the People's Liberation Army Navy Air Force. The grey J-15 — also known in Chinese as the "Flying Shark" — with the serial number 555 was revealed for the first time by state-run China Central Television two months ago.

NY Air Guard seeks Air Force help in drone search

11/14/2013

The New York Air National Guard asked the U.S. Air Force on Wednesday for help in finding a multimillion-dollar military drone that crashed into Lake Ontario a day earlier. The Syracuse-based 174th Attack Wing asked the Air Force to send an HC-130 search aircraft to look for the missing MQ-9 Reaper, according to Eric Durr, a spokesman for the New York state Division of Military and Naval Affairs, based in suburban Albany.

Lockheed Martin Announces 2013 Briefing Schedule For The Dubai Airshow

11/14/2013

Lockheed Martin will highlight its growing presence in the Middle East through several media briefings at the Dubai Air Show, Nov. 17-21, at the Dubai World Central Airport. The events will feature Lockheed Martin's role as a trusted partner for countries in the Middle East and underscore its commitment to meeting customers' needs as global security challenges become increasingly complex.

US Cancels Russian Helicopter Buy Amid Syria Standoff – Senator

11/14/2013

The United States has scrapped plans to purchase additional helicopters from state-run Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport amid pressure from federal lawmakers over Russian arms deliveries to Syria, a top US senator said Wednesday. “I applaud the [US] Defense Department’s decision to cancel its plan to buy 15 additional Mi-17 helicopters from Rosoboronexport,” US Sen. John Cornyn said in statement, The Associated Press (AP) reported.

Russia, Serbia Ink Military Cooperation Agreement

11/14/2013

Russia and Serbia signed an agreement Wednesday on military cooperation as part of further development of the strategic partnership between the two countries. The deal was overseen in Belgrade by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whose visit is being seen as a prelude to a possibly imminent deal on the sale of Russian fighter jets to Serbia.

F-35A Lightning II Stealth Fighter Strong Candidate for Korea's Next-gen Fighter

11/13/2013

Lockheed Martin’s F-35A is expected to be chosen as Korea’s next-generation fighter aircraft. The final decision will be made after deliberation at a Joint Chiefs of Staff Council meeting in late November and a meeting of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in December.

Philippines: US military's ships, aircraft to aid in typhoon Haiyan relief

11/13/2013

The Pentagon chief has ordered the USS George Washington aircraft carrier group, with its contingent of Navy cruisers and a destroyer ship, “to make best speed” to the Philippines. The group, which carries with it 5,000 sailors and more than 80 aircraft, will aid in disaster relief in a country where as many as 10,000 people may have died and tens of thousands are now homeless, according to current US military estimates.

Indian Navy’s first advance jet trainer aircraft inducted at ENC

11/13/2013

The Indian Navy inducted the Hawk 132, a fourth generation Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft, on November 6 at an impressive ceremony held at Naval Air Station INS Dega. Admiral DK Joshi, Chief of the Naval Staff, who was the chief guest at the event, inducted the aircraft in the presence of Vice Admiral Anil Chopra PVSM AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

Philippine Typhoon Showcases US Strategic Edge Over China

11/13/2013

It is more than a little ghoulish to look at a tragedy that may have killed 10,000 people and see a strategic opportunity. But that’s how strategists have to think. After all, what is war itself but human tragedy exploited for strategic advantage? And that’s how we need to think about what’s happening in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, where US Marines are already on the ground.

Chief Designer discusses J-15 shipborne aircraft's performance modifications

11/13/2013

On November 6th, the 5th media day of AVIC, Wang Yongqing, chief designer of J-15 revealed that special design features have been applied to the J-15 in accordance with its deployment on aircraft carriers, in order to achieve the special requirements of shipborne aircraft.

President Ilham Aliyev views Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc.

11/13/2013

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Abdullah Gul have today viewed the Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. They first watched the flying performances of the "Hurkush" basic trainer aircraft and the "T129" attack helicopter from the control tower. The Head of State was informed that Turkish Aircraft Industries Corporation (TUSAS) was established in 1973 under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Technology in order to reduce the foreign dependency in defense industry in Turkey.

Japan Impresses Russia And China

11/13/2013

Three years after its last upgrade, Japan is again updating its 13-year old AWACS (Air Warning And Control) aircraft. Unlike U.S. AWACS, that are based on the 1950s era year old Boeing 707, the Japanese AWACS is built on the 1980s era Boeing 767, which has 50 percent more floor space and twice the internal volume of the 707. The Japanese AWACS will get the latest electronic countermeasures and communications equipment, which will make the systems more capable and easier to use.

Iranian Air Force Chasing UFOs Discovered An Unknown Type Of Drone

11/13/2013

Retired by the U.S. Navy more than seven years ago, the iconic Grumman F-14 remains in service with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF). Iran used its Tomcats extensively in the Iran-Iraq War and the F-14A is still today the backbone of IRIAF air defense. Over the last few years the “Persian cats” have reportedly flown against a very particular threat: the Unidentified Flying Objects, universally known as a UFO.