Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Turkish foreign minister checks on Roketsan missile development

01/11/2014

Roketsan is one of Turkish major weapons manufacturer and defense contractor. The company was established in 1988 with the supports of Turkey's Defense Industry Executive Committee in order to strengthen country's defense industry capacity. Roketsan is developing Cirit , a laser-guided 70 mm rocket system which is set to equip the Turkish Army's T-129 Atak, AH-1P Cobra and AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopters with low-cost precision strike capabilities.

3 Americans Killed in U.S. Military Plane Crash in Afghanistan

01/10/2014

A U.S. military plane has crashed in eastern Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths of three Americans. There are no indications that the aircraft was brought down by enemy fire, said a defense official. “International Security Assistance Force service members and one ISAF civilian died following an aircraft mishap in eastern Afghanistan today,” said a statement released by NATO in Afghanistan.

Winds of change at Niagara

01/10/2014

The first ever Air Reserve Component combat delivery Association between the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard is ending. As a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the 107th Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard relinquished their KC-135 aircraft and became the 107th Airlift Wing. It was decided by the Department of Defense and the Air Force that the 107th would associate with the Air Force Reserve's 914th Airlift Wing.

New radar Typhoon flies in

01/10/2014

A state-of-the-art new radar has moved another step closer to be installed on a fighter jet built in Lancashire. Work is underway on modifications and upgrades to a Typhoon development aircraft, named IPA5, as part of a programme to integrate an electronically-scanning radar, the E-scan radar.

India May Close Interim MMRCA Deal Soon – Plus MRTT

01/10/2014

With national elections looming in India, speculation is growing that contracts for the long-delayed medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), as well as the multi-role tanker transport (MRTT), could soon be signed. However, the MMRCA pact might cover only the supply of 18 Dassault Rafale aircraft from the French production line, leaving further negotiations for the remaining 108 required to be concluded by the new government.

The Sukhoi-30 MKI: India's Two-Front War Ace?

01/10/2014

A report in the Russia and India Report takes a fascinating look at the role of the twin-fin Sukhoi-30 MKI air superiority fighters in the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) combat strategy. The Su-30 MKI is an eminently versatile fighter that is capable of meeting the IAF’s evolving needs, particularly in the context of a nightmare scenario involving a two-front war with Pakistan and China.

Defence minnow Saab humbling multinational aerospace Goliaths

01/10/2014

Saab is a relatively small aerospace company, employing almost 14,000 personnel with sales of £2.25 billion in 2012: it is a David among Goliaths. And yet, as 2013 drew to a close it was announced that Brazil plans to buy 36 Saab Gripen fighter aircraft.The world fighter aircraft market is dominated by a few large firms from the USA, Europe and Russia. Among them are Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter (producing the F-15; F-16; F-18; F-35; and Typhoon aircraft).

India keeps military ware shopping spree on despite fund crunch

01/10/2014

Notwithstanding the financial constraints, the defence ministry has been on a drive to procure and upgrade military assets over the last five years for which it spent a whopping amount of Rs 3.25 lakh crore. The ministry procured and upgraded a large number of military equipment for the armed forces including nuclear submarines, special operations transport aircraft and fighter planes.

Lockheed Martin Receives $449 Million in Contracts for JASSM® Production

01/10/2014

Lockheed Martin received two production contracts on Dec. 19 totaling $449 million from the U.S. Air Force for continued production of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and the Extended Range (ER) variant. The Lot 11 and Lot 12 contracts include production of 340 baseline missiles and 100 ER missiles. The contracts also include systems engineering, logistics support, tooling and test equipment.

RAF Typhoon Team to perform at Bahrain Airshow

01/10/2014

The Royal Air Force Typhoon Display Team will display daily at the show, with Flight Lieutenant Jamie Norris taking Eurofighter Typhoon to the skies once again following a fun-packed season showcasing its performance throughout 2013, with the most recent at the Al Ain Aerobatic Show.

B-52 upgrade to increase smart-weapons capacity

01/09/2014

Tinker AFB Airmen will update ground maintenance and mission planning software in support of a new Air Force contract that will increase the B-52 Stratofortress's "smart-weapons" capacity by 50 percent. The $24.6 million agreement stipulates that Boeing will develop a modification to existing weapon launchers so the aircraft can carry smart weapons in the bomb bay, which will enable aircrews to use the B-52's entire weapons capacity.

China to build more aircraft carriers

01/09/2014

Military experts describe China's arms race as a global military force following China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning returning to its home port of Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong Province on January 1, completing a 37 day scientific and training mission in the South China Sea.

Helicopter crash: Aircraft was from biggest US base

01/09/2014

Nearly 4,500 active-duty military members work for the wing, which includes a separate base at nearby RAF Feltwell, supported by nearly 2,000 British and US civilians. The base is home to F-15 fighter planes, the US Air Forces in Europe’s (USAFE) only F-15 fighter wing.

Two Killed in Navy Helicopter Crash Off Virginia Coast: 1 Still Missing

01/09/2014

A Navy helicopter with five crew members went down in the Atlantic off the Virginia coast during a routine mission Wednesday, killing two crew members and injuring two, the U.S. Navy said. Rescuers were still looking for a fifth person. The Navy identified the aircraft as an MH-53E. The helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron Fourteen based at Naval Station Norfolk, was conducting routine training operations at the time of the crash, the Navy said.

French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle arrives in Abu Dhabi

01/09/2014

The 42,500-tonne vessel set sail from Toulon 45 days ago on a three-month mission – named Bois Belleau after a First World War battle fought in 1918 – and its latest port of call is Abu Dhabi. After a short stop in Djibouti, the 12-storey ship docked in Port Zayed on Wednesday, and will remain there for four days.

Britain investigating USAF helicopter crash

01/09/2014

British investigators Wednesday were trying to establish what caused a U.S. Air Force helicopter to crash in a bird sanctuary during a "low-level" training mission along the eastern coast of England in which four crewmembers died. The HH-60G Pave Hawk, an updated version of the U.S. Army Black Hawk, went down in the Cley Marshes nature reserve on Tuesday evening, in Norfolk.

U.S. Navy Awards Lockheed Martin $84 Million Contract for Production of Paveway II Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds

01/09/2014

Lockheed Martin received an $84.5 million contract on Dec. 23 from the U.S. Navy to produce paveway II Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds (ELGTR). Under the four-year indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver ELGTRs, shipping containers, logistics and product support to the U.S. Navy.

Indonesia Considers Purchasing Russian Su-35 Jets

01/09/2014

Indonesia is considering Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35 fighter as a replacement for its Air Force’s aging F-5 Tiger jet, the country’s defense minister said. The Su-35 is one of half a dozen options on the table, Purnomo Yusgiantoro told a press conference, Antara news agency reported Tuesday.

Russian Military to Strengthen Radar Defenses in 2014

01/09/2014

The Russian Aerospace Defense Force will add dozens of radars this year, a force spokesman said Wednesday. The list includes six Nebo-M active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) and a mix of 23 Podlyot low-altitude and Sopka medium- and high-altitude radars, the spokesman told journalists. An unspecified number of modernized Kasta and Desna radars is also on the list.

Refitted Former Russian Aircraft Carrier Arrives in India

01/09/2014

A refitted former Soviet aircraft carrier has reached the Indian coast after leaving Russia’s northern shipyard in mid-November, media report said on Wednesday. The Vikramaditya, a refurbished Russian carrier formerly known as the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived at a naval base in Kanwar in the western state of Karnataka on Tuesday, Indian IBN television reported citing sources in the Navy.

Defense Ministry looking to replace aging F-5 tiger fighter aircraft

01/08/2014

The Indonesian Defense Ministry announced its plan to replace the F-5 Tiger fighter aircraft with the latest generation of jet fighters such as the Russian Sukhoi Su-35. "We have received proposals from several jet fighter manufacturers for replacing the F-5 Tiger fighter aircraft. We are in the process of evaluating which jet fighter will best suit our requirements, whether the aircraft is from Russia, USA, or other countries," stated Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, here on Tuesday.

Military going to the ends of the earth to keep search-and-rescue airplanes flying

01/08/2014

The Canadian military has been going across the globe to keep its aging search-and-rescue airplanes flying, reiterating the desperate need for replacement aircraft following decades of delays and political squabbling. Top Defence Department officials were told in a secret briefing last year that the military had been forced to “purchase spare parts from around the world” to ensure the “continued airworthiness” of the Air Force’s 47-year-old Buffalo airplanes.

Despite appearances, Japan insists Izumo is not an aircraft carrier

01/08/2014

The Maritime Self-Defense Force’s newest ship has a flight deck its entire length and is nearly the size of the Shokaku and Zuikaku aircraft carriers that took part in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, yet Japan insists it is not an aircraft carrier. With a length of about 250 meters and standard displacement of 19,500 tons, the Izumo is the biggest ship in the fleet. Up to nine helicopters can land on its deck at the same time.

P18.9-B FA-50 trainer jet project hangs; DND pitches counteroffer to Koreans

01/08/2014

The project to procure 12 units of Korean trainer jets worth a total P18.9 billion for the Philippine Air Force continues to hang over issues of downpayment and after-sales service turnaround, but the Department of National Defense, which recommended a counter-offer, remains confident the deal will push through.

Hollande drives for arms deals in Persian Gulf as U.S. power wanes

01/08/2014

French President Francois Hollande is pushing hard to restore Paris' once-thriving defense links with the Persian Gulf monarchies, especially the major military power Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of securing major arms deals.