Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

U.S. to replace nuclear-powered aircraft carrier near Korea

01/15/2014

The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that it would deploy a newer nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Japan to replace USS George Washington. USS Ronald Reagan, commissioned in 2003 and currently based in San Diego, will be deployed at the Yokosuka Naval Base as part of the Pentagon's efforts to bolster combat readiness in the region. It is known to carry more than 6,000 crew members.

Dozen F-22 Raptor jets deploying to Okinawa

01/15/2014

About 12 Virginia-based F-22 Raptor fighter jets will deploy this month to Okinawa, according to an announcement posted on the 5th Air Force website. The rotational deployment to Kadena Air Base will include about 300 people from Langley Air Force Base as part of a routine assignment, according to 5th Air Force officials.

Documents and plans relating to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have been recovered from shipping containers destined for Iran

01/15/2014

The secret plans for America's - and Australia's - next stealth fighter have been recovered from boxes labelled "household goods" on their way to Iran. It's just the latest scare for the troubled multi-billion dollar Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II program. It's turned out to be the most expensive defence program in history, costing about $400 billion so far. Tens of more billions are expected to be spent in ironing out the many problems with its ultra-advanced electronics.

Sweden Considers Broader Alliances With NATO, EU

01/15/2014

Recognizing that its self-defense capabilities are becoming inadequate, Sweden is shifting its strategic policy to embrace partnerships beyond its Nordic neighborhood, including NATO and the European Union. The first step in the process was the appointment of an expert group headed by Tomas Bertelman, a former Swedish ambassador to Moscow (2009-12). The group is due to present a final report to the Ministry of Defense in October.

F-35 maintains market edge, but rivals want to catch up

01/15/2014

Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is gaining new markets but rival manufacturers are straining to upgrade their models to catch up, Aviation Week and Space Technology said. Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is the F-35's direct competitor in the U.S. defense aviation industry but the global air force market has serious contenders in Dassault Aviation's Rafale, Eurofighter's Typhoon and Saab's Gripen.

BAE gets $39m Army order for aircraft missile warning system

01/15/2014

An upgrade of BAE System’s much-used missile warning system for combat aircraft has drawn a $39 million order from the U.S. Army, which wants more than 300 of the third-generation units of the Common Missile Warning System and has already begun using them in Afghanistan, according to the company.

TAI to display T129 ATAK at BIAS 2014

01/15/2014

Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) will display the T-129 ATAK - the final evolution of the Agusta A-129 light combat helicopter - at the Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS), being held later this week (16-18 January) at the Sakhir Airbase.

C-130H, end of an era in Afghanistan

01/14/2014

All good things don't necessarily need to come to an end; sometimes they are just replaced by something even better. Such is the case with the venerable C-130H Hercules model aircraft here. The C-130 has been around since the Vietnam War, forming the backbone of the Air Force's tactical airlift fleet. It is especially well-suited to austere conditions like those found throughout Afghanistan.

As China decries Japan’s rising ‘Voldemort’, the UK remains quiet

01/14/2014

Not that long ago, the Prime Minister would demand from military and intelligence chiefs at meetings of the National Security Council that “something must be done” about Syria; this apparently rose in volume and urgency in the sessions after Samantha Cameron had visited a refugee camp across the border in Lebanon.

After budget deal, Lockheed Martin would share in Air Force helicopter contract

01/14/2014

A federal budget agreement announced Monday night includes money for the Air Force to award a contract to a Sikorsky Aircraft/Lockheed Martin joint venture to build a new generation of 112 combat search-and-rescue helicopters. The deal includes $333.5 million for the Air Force to approve the project, which would support 250 existing and new jobs at Lockheed’s facility in Owego.

Thales contracted to develop new laser designation pod

01/14/2014

The French defense procurement agency, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), has awarded Thales a contract to develop a new laser designation pod for deployment on fighter aircraft. The award follows the completion of what Thales calls a “risk reduction phase” throughout 2013, and series production of the new pod is expected to begin in 2018.

Desi defence showpieces powered by videshi parts

01/14/2014

The Tejas light combat aircraft, 30 years in the making, is just 60% indigenous as of now. The story of the indigenous Arjun main battle tank is even worse. First sanctioned in May 1974, 55% of the tank is still made of imported parts. This is the recurring theme across India's fledgling defence industrial base (DIB), with the government failing to whip DRDO and its sprawling empire of over 50 laboratories as well as the five defence PSUs, four shipyards and 50 ordnance factories into shape.

RAF Valley: Hawk T2 aircraft mean fast jet training for pilots is faster than ever

01/14/2014

A new fast jet training course is pushing RAF pilots faster and further than ever. The new Hawk T2 aircraft, which uses state of the art advanced avionics suite and sensor simulation software to help make the step up between trainer aircraft and Typhoon easier, has revolutionised flying training at RAF Valley.

Northrop Grumman's Hunter Unmanned Aircraft System Surpasses 100,000 Combat Flight Hours

01/14/2014

The MQ-5B Hunter, which is currently deployed supporting contingency operations across the globe, provides warfighters with state-of-the-art reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition (RSTA), communications relay and weapons delivery.

Murphy's Law: China Defeats The Embargo

01/12/2014

The Western arms embargo against China (because of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre) continues to provide evidence of being more evaded than complied with. Major military exporters like France and Germany are leading the way. European firms are particularly eager to drop the embargo and some, like France, are basically ignoring it. This is done most frequently by disregarding the installation of dual-use Western equipment in Chinese weapons systems.

DASSAULT AVIATION : France : Dassault Aviation SECURES F3 R standard development contract for the RAFALE combat aircraft

01/12/2014

Dassault Aviation has secured the F3 R standard development contract for the RAFALE combat aircraft while French Defense Minister Jean- Yves Le Drian visited its main facility. Negotiations were finalized with the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) on December 30, with the contract estimated about 1 billion euros.

Negotiations Begin Over New Russian Air Base In Belarus

01/12/2014

Russia has taken the first steps toward establishing its first air base in Belarus, but questions remain over how much Moscow will have to pay for the privilege. Last month, four Russian Su-27 fighter jets and their support personnel arrived at the Baranovichi air base, near Belarus's borders with Poland and Lithiania (both NATO members). The move is part of a plan to set up a Russian fighter jet regiment, likely at another base in Belarus, by 2015. RIA Novosti writes that the new base would

Gates vs. Air Force Round Two

01/12/2014

Former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' much-talked about memoir includes a chapter in which he relives bitter clashes with Air Force officials over nuclear weapon screw-ups, drone deployments and funding for the F-22 fighter aircraft. The showdown culminated in June 2008 with the firing of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley.

Report puts China's air power growth fastest in world: website

01/12/2014

A global ranking shows that China is developing its air power faster than any other country in the world, propelled in part by its newest jet fighters and special mission military aircraft, according to a Chinese news source. The online news website - Xin Lang Jun Shi (Sina Military) - cited a 2013-2014 world air power report published by U.K.-based weekly "Flight International."

Why Do Fighter Aircraft Cost So Much?

01/11/2014

The question has long vexed defense analysts, as the projected costs of fighters seem to expand even faster than those of other military hardware. Some of the reasons include the ever-increasing gulf between civilian and military technology, a gulf that demands extra specialization on the part of engineers, equipment, and workforce.

Digital Targeting Technology Increases Battlefield Effectiveness

01/11/2014

A new program enables controllers and combat aircrews to visualize, select and employ guided weapons from a diverse set of airborne platforms, an instructor told the DARPA Congressional Tech Showcase here yesterday. Marine Corps Maj. Thomas Short, an instructor at the Marine Corps Aviation Weapons School, Yuma, Ariz., describes DARPA’s Persistent Close Air Support program as precise and prompt with its digital air-to-ground coordination and shared situational awareness.

Mechanic: Crashed Helicopter Prone to Breakdowns

01/11/2014

The type of U.S. Navy helicopter that crashed Wednesday near Norfolk, Va., killing at least two personnel, breaks down frequently and may be more accident-prone than other kinds of military helicopters, according to interviews and safety data. An MH-53E Sea Dragon crashed Wednesday in the Atlantic Ocean, about 20 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, during a training mission. Four of the five crew members were pulled from the frigid water. Two later died and a pilot remains missing.

France to invest 1 bln euro on aircraft upgrade

01/11/2014

France planned to invest 1 billion euro (1.364 billion U.S. dollars) in a bid to upgrade the Rafale combat aircraft enough to snatch deals and cope with a fierce competition, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Friday. "It is a clear sign of our commitment to invest in the Rafale... to have better international level. It is also a guarantee to offer for a long term products that meet the requirements of export," the minister said.

Lockheed Martin Receives JASSM® Contract For Additional Finnish Air Force F-18 Integration

01/11/2014

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a $13.3 million Foreign Military Sales contract in November from the U.S. Air Force to support additional integration of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) onto the Finnish Air Force F-18C/D aircraft. This third contract for Finland includes wind tunnel models and test support, software development completion, logistics support and engineering documentation. All work under this contract will be completed by third quarter 2016.

Russian Carrier Group Skirts Britain on Trip to Mediterranean

01/11/2014

A naval task force led by Russia’s largest warship has passed through the English Channel on its way to the Mediterranean, a Russian military official said on Friday. The group carried out naval aviation exercises while passing close to UK territorial waters, Captain 2nd Class Yevgeny Kirillov said.