Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Oman's first C295 is ready for delivery by Airbus Military

06/21/2013

The RAFO was at the Paris Air Show today to meet with Airbus with a delegation led by Oman’s defence minister Sayyid Badr bin Saood Al Busaidi. The official transfer of the title will take place from Seville immediately after the airshow. The aircraft is the first of eight ordered last year by RAFO and is configured for tactical transport operations. It will be used for initial training at Seville, Spain, where it was assembled, before transferring to Oman later in the year.

Defense Primes Discuss Fighter Updates at Paris 2013

06/20/2013

Saab CEO Håkan Buskhe revealed this week that the company is exploring the idea of an Optional Manned Gripen (OMG). While believing that manned operations will still be needed for at least the next 40 years, Buskhe also recognizes that many “dull and dangerous” missions could be performed better by an unmanned aircraft. Using an OMG for such roles rather than acquiring another type of aircraft would, in essence, halve the logistics costs. OMGs could perhaps operate in a formation under the contr

USAF May Use V-22s for Combat Rescue Mission

06/20/2013

The future of a long-stymied US Air Force effort to buy new combat search-and-rescue helicopters is once again uncertain as top-level generals are intensely debating the type of aircraft and which arm of the service is best suited to conduct this critical mission.

Indian aircraft manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has ordered 107 Sigma 95 navigation systems kits from Sagem (Safran) for the Indian Air Force’s combat aircraft

06/20/2013

Developed and produced by Sagem, Sigma 95 is an autonomous hybrid inertial navigation system combining laser gyros and GPS/Glonass* satellite navigation. It ensures high-precision navigation and broad operational flexibility for both combat and special-mission aircraft.

Bidding for Korea's $7.3 billion fighter jet project begins

06/20/2013

Korea wants to buy 60 new combat fighter jets and the bidding which started today proved fierce among the three frontrunners: Lockheed Martin, the Boeing Company and the European Aerospace Defense and Space Company. And already they've made some aggressive offers to win the multi-billion dollar bid.

Paris Air Show: Saab to Develop Combat Drone

06/20/2013

Swedish aerospace company Saab AB Tuesday said it will develop a version of its Gripen fighter jet that could be flown without a human pilot as a low-cost alternative to specially-developed unmanned combat aircraft.

Drone technology used for pilotless fighter aircraft

06/20/2013

The matt black, almost featureless triangular aircraft is making its first public appearance, and the makers don't want people seeing too much of its advanced features. But this object - the rather awkwardly-named nEUROn - could be the future of combat aircraft. When a jet like the Rafale or the Sukhoi SU-35 shrieks overhead at the show, the watching crowds are left in awe at the skill and daring of the pilot.

Chinese military aircraft debut at Paris Air Show

06/20/2013

The 50th International Paris Air Show was launched at the Le Bourget Airport near Paris on June 17, 2013, where the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) showcased in the main exhibition hall a variety of its aircraft models, including a single-seat version and a two-seat version of the Xiaolong Fighter China 1 (FC-1), the Hongdu L-15 "Falcon" advanced jet trainer (AJT), the Yilong/Pterodactyl-1 multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Y-8C transport aircraft, etc.

US Scrambles to Keep Afghan Taliban Plan on Track, Russia Backs Karzai

06/20/2013

The United States scrambled Wednesday to salvage plans to bring the Taliban into Afghan peace talks while Russia threw its support squarely behind President Hamid Karzai after he angrily cancelled crucial security talks with Washington.

Russia Shipping Arms Worth $1 Bln to Azerbaijan – Report

06/20/2013

Russia is currently delivering up to $1 billion worth of military equipment to Azerbaijan including tanks, artillery systems and infantry fighting vehicles, Vedomosti newspaper reported Tuesday. The shipments are the result of contracts signed in 2011 and 2012, unnamed Russian Defense Ministry sources told the business daily, which also cited photographs posted on milkavkaz.net, a website analyzing the military situation in the Southern Caucasus.

Boeing to lead sales of KC-390 in key MidEast markets

06/19/2013

Embraer and Boeing are partnering on the sales and marketing of Embraer's KC-390 – a multi-mission mobility and aerial refueling aircraft with advanced capabilities in the medium-sized airlift market. Under the agreement, Boeing is the lead for KC-390 sales, sustainment and training opportunities in select Middle East markets as well as the US and UK.

Malaysia Invests In Sukhoi Fighter Readiness

06/18/2013

The events in Sabah, Malaysia, this past March, when local forces conducted Operation Daulat used combat jets to quell the resistance of the Filipino gunmen on the island of Borneo, may have prompted a spate of arms sales to that country and her closest neighbors. The armed forces do have a big wish list for weapons, but procurement processes for the most expensive and longest-lead items are likely to be launched properly only after the general elections in Malaysia later this year.

V-22 Sees Up To 100 Foreign Sales; Drives Flight Costs Down, Boosts Readiness

06/18/2013

Flight hour costs have dropped while readiness rates have improved for the V-22, a rare feat indeed for a modern combat aircraft. Critics have pointed to the V-22's readiness rates and costs as yet another reason to curtail the program, but when I asked Marine Col. Greg Masiello, manager of the Joint Program Office, what their current maintenance costs are, he said they are down to $9,520 an hour at the same time they’ve substantially increased the plane’s readiness rates.

Hindustan Aeronautics Sets Five-Year Goal for Fighter, Trainer Production

06/18/2013

A target for criticism over delays in projects in the past, India’s largest defense manufacturer, government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) is undergoing a transformation of its human resource through training and innovative programs. This is focusing on two urgent requirements–the overdue Light Combat Aircraft (LCA); and the Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT). HAL (Chalet A 124) has confirmed that the projects will go into production in the next five years.

Lockheed Martin UK Bids For Polish Air Force Aircrew Training Requirement

06/18/2013

London-based Lockheed Martin UK is bidding to create a new state-of-the-art Polish Air Force pilot and aircrew training centre in Deblin, Poland. The company has submitted a fully compliant response to a Polish Ministry of Defence tender for a new Integrated Aircrew Training Systems (IATS). The aim is to boost Poland’s military aviation safety by introducing a next-generation training programme which will produce pilots for the future.

Lockheed Martin, CAE Establish Canadian Training Alliance For The F-35 Lightning II

06/18/2013

On the first day of the 2013 Paris Air Show, a new alliance between Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and CAE was announced when officials from both companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for F-35 Lightning II training system support and services in Canada. CAE is a global leader in modeling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defence.

Boeing Subcontractor Air France Industries Begins Major Upgrade of French AWACS Fleet

06/18/2013

Boeing subcontractor, Air France Industries (AFI), has begun upgrading the electrical, mechanical and structural systems and mission hardware of the first of four French E-3F Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. The $354M Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) – the largest ever for French AWACS – will provide the fleet a fuller picture of the battle space and more actionable information while reducing aircrew workload.

Putin, Obama Admit Split on Syria But Pledge Cooperation

06/18/2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama admitted Monday they disagreed on how to respond to the civil war in Syria but said they are both committed to ending the violence that has ravaged the country over the past two years.

Russia to Unveil Over 100 High-Tech Projects at Air Show

06/18/2013

A Russian state high-tech corporation will roll out more than 100 new military and civilian developments at the Paris Air Show, a Russian Technologies (Rostec) top executive said on Monday. These include the advanced Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter and a modernized Mi-171A2 civil helicopter, as well as military and civilian avionics, Rostec deputy head Vladimir Artyakov told RIA Novosti at the show, which opened Monday and runs through Sunday at Le Bourget Airport in France.

Pentagon Signs New Russian Helicopter Deal

06/18/2013

Russia and the United States have signed a contract for the delivery of Russian Mi-17 helicopters for the Afghan army, a Russian government agency said Monday. The Russian state-owned defense firm Rosoboronexport and the US Department of the Army signed the contract on Sunday in Paris “as part of joint efforts to combat terrorism,” Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said in a statement.

Russia to Display Yak-130 Combat Trainer at Paris Air Show

06/18/2013

Russia will display its Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten combat trainer, Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E multirole fighter and Kamov Ka-52 Hokum B attack helicopter at the Paris Air Show, the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation reported Monday. The Paris Air Show is an international event that takes place every odd year at Le Bourget Airport in the French capital Paris. This year, it will be held June 17-23.

Paris Air Show: Tale of confidence and concerns

06/17/2013

On the civil side, aircraft manufacturers are buoyant, with new products to display and a record backlog of orders. In contrast, the military sector is less confident. Defence budget cuts, particularly in Washington, has meant arms programmes being scaled back or abandoned. Optimism among commercial aircraft makers was underlined last week when Boeing published its closely-watched annual forecast for aircraft demand over the next 20 years.

US gives Israeli minister a ride in V-22 Osprey aircraft

06/17/2013

Israel's Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon got to fly in a V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft during a US visit Friday, as his country weighs whether to buy the American military plane, AFP reports. Yaalon arrived for talks at the Pentagon in unusual fashion, with the hybrid aircraft -- which hovers like a helicopter -- floating down for a landing outside the steps of the Defense Department.

Pakistan ups ante with big military boost

06/17/2013

Pakistan has revealed a massive increase in its military budget, the third nuclear power in Asia to unveil a significant increase this year, adding credence to fears of a growing arms race on the continent. China, Pakistan and India were the only countries to increase their nuclear weapons stockpile last year, as the rest of the world reduced its warhead numbers.

Sikorsky sees good prospects in global helicopter market

06/17/2013

International orders are set to eclipse U.S. military purchases of Sikorsky Aircraft helicopters in four or five years, the company’s president told Reuters ahead of the Paris air show. Sikorsky Aircraft, a unit of United Technologies Corp , sees bright prospects overall for the global helicopter market, given strong international and commercial demand, as well as Washington’s continued commitment to new U.S. military rotorcraft programs, including a new presidential helicopter.