Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

PACAF Airmen wrap up busy year

10/18/2013

Throughout fiscal 2013, the key aspect of Pacific Air Forces was engagement as more than 45,000 Pacific Air Forces Airmen conducted a broad spectrum of operations, from humanitarian relief to decisive combat employment, in an area covering 13 time zones and 100 million square miles.

PH, South Korea sign 3 agreements on 1st day of Aquino state visit

10/18/2013

The Philippines and South Korea on Thursday signed agreements on flood mitigation, defense and sports development as President Aquino began a two-day state visit here. Aquino arrived here at noon on a chartered Philippine Airlines flight and met with President Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female leader.

Colombia Takes Delivery of First S-70i(TM) BLACK HAWK Helicopters with Terrain Awareness and Warning Capability

10/18/2013

Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., has delivered to the Colombian Army two S-70i(TM) BLACK HAWK helicopters incorporating a Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System (HTAWS) as standard equipment. Colombia is the first country to field S-70i helicopters equipped with HTAWS, which Sikorsky has customized for the unique requirements of the combat assault and utility missions.

India’s weapons might to be on display at ADEX

10/18/2013

For the first time, India will display at an international event its latest, state-of-the-art weapon systems, platforms, sensors, communication systems and equipment designed and developed by Hyderabad-based DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organization, Ministry of Defence, Govt of India).

Pilots shut off GPS, other tools to train for future wars

10/18/2013

Air Force fighter and bomber crews owe much of their success in Iraq and Afghanistan to their reliance on a collection of high-tech tools: GPS, data links, communications and radar. But with the drawdown and the pivot to the Pacific, the Air Force is preparing for new enemy threats and has been asking a new question: What happens when those tools are taken away?

S. Korea pushes to complete fighter jet procurement by end of 2014

10/18/2013

South Korea's arms procurement agency said Thursday it will speed up the process to buy advanced fighter jets, with the aim of concluding the deal by the end of 2014. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) conducted bids with three contractors to buy 60 combat aircraft between June and August, and listed Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle as the only jet to come within the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) budget for approval.

India to finalise Rafale deal this fiscal year: Report

10/18/2013

India will finalise a $15 billion deal to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation by March 2014, an Indian air force official said on Thursday, after the deal had been held up by differences over local manufacturing. New Delhi picked the Rafale for exclusive negotiations in January 2012 after a bidding contest against Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, made by a consortium involving EADS, Finmeccanica and BAE Systems.

Boeing to Feature Proven Capabilities, New Technology at AUSA Expo

10/18/2013

Boeing will showcase proven capabilities and technology advances designed to meet the needs of the U.S. Army during the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition, held Oct. 21-23 in Washington, D.C.

Iraq Taking Delivery of Russian Arms under 2012 Contract

10/18/2013

Russia has started implementation of a multibillion dollar arms deal with Iraq, an official with the Middle Eastern nation’s government said Thursday. Russia is to supply over 10 fully armed and equipped Mi-28NE Night Hunter attack helicopters to Iraq under a $4.3 billion agreement on cooperation in the defense and technology sector signed in 2012.

Pentagon F-35 review next week to examine operating costs

10/17/2013

Top Pentagon officials will examine the cost of building and operating the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jet at a major review of the $392 billion program next week that will also provide updates on lingering technical issues. Kyra Hawn, spokeswoman for the Pentagon’s F-35 program office, said a high-level Defense Acquisition Board meeting was expected to proceed on Monday despite the partial government shutdown. The meeting has already been postponed several times.

US-India Defence Technologies For Transfer: Cultural Change – Analysis

10/17/2013

Recent news reports suggest that the US has identified a list of 10 defence technologies for transfer to India. The government is reported to be “reviewing” these offers which could reach as high as 90. The US appears to be finally moving to realise its oft stated stand that it considers India an important strategic partner. It is a significant move from the earlier tightly controlled defence technology exports to India.

Boeing denies overcharging for Chinook repairs

10/17/2013

A spokesman for Boeing’s Ridley Township facility denies the aerospace manufacturer overcharged the federal government for aircraft refitting, a conclusion put forth in an audit report from the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General.

Finally, Tejas gets electronic warfare systems

10/17/2013

After eight years of research and postponement, India’s first indigenous light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas, positioned at HAL Bangalore, has finally been fitted with electronic warfare (EW) systems. Now, new test flights will happen with electronic warfare anytime during November or beginning of December. The 2,348 test flights of the LCA so far have not had electronic warfare.

Taking Flight Without Taking Off

10/17/2013

Travelers who fancy themselves flyboys and girls can test their skills at Fly the Dream, a new virtual entertainment store where customers can navigate a simulated flight of an F-16 Falcon, a single-engine fighter aircraft developed by General Dynamics for the Air Force in the early 1970s.

Air Combat Command Restarts Training Aircraft Flights

10/17/2013

The U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command has restarted flying operations of training aircraft after civilian defense employees returned to work, Defense News reported Tuesday. Aaron Mehta writes the command also intends to maintain the mission readiness of combat-coded aircraft as those units remain grounded.

Brazil aims to build advanced fighter jets with Russia

10/17/2013

Brazil said Wednesday it hopes to develop state-of-the-art combat aircraft with Russia, and purchase surface-to-air missile batteries from Moscow. Brasilia is already in talks with other countries to modernize its air force by purchasing 36 fighter jets valued at up to $5 billion.

Russia Offers Peru Helicopter Maintenance Center

10/17/2013

Russia has proposed establishing a servicing and maintenance center in Peru for its Russian- and Soviet-made helicopters, a senior government official said Wednesday. The offer was discussed at a meeting between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Peruvian counterpart Pedro Cateriano, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said.

Angola Inks $1Bln Arms Deals With Russia – Paper

10/17/2013

Russia’s state arms export monopoly has signed a $1 billion deal package with Angola to deliver military equipment, build an ammunition plant and provide maintenance services, Vedomosti business daily reported Wednesday. Rosoboronexport will supply 18 Su-30K fighter jets to the southern African nation, the daily said, citing sources at the arms exports company and the Russian military.

The Russian A-10 Abides

10/16/2013

Another Russian Su-25 ground attack aircraft crashed on September 23rd, killing the pilot. All Su-25s were immediately grounded until the cause of the crash could be found. This is the 17th Su-25 lost in the last decade, which is not unusual for a Russian military aircraft that has been in service since the 1980s. Despite these losses, the Su-25 is still a popular aircraft.

Dutch Treat For the F-35

10/16/2013

The Netherlands recently agreed to buy 37 of the new American F-35 fighter-bombers, and possibly more if money became available. Originally the Dutch were going to buy 85 but the escalating cost of the F-35 forced them to reconsider. Some Dutch leaders wanted to stick with the F-16 and upgrade it or consider another new fighter (Gripen, Eurofighter, or F-18E).

U.S. builds up military bases in Italy for African ops

10/16/2013

The U.S. deployment of 200 Marines to a naval base in Sicily for possible operations in Libya, a short hop across the Mediterranean, underlines how the Americans have been building a network of bases in Italy as launch pads for military interventions in Africa and the Mideast.

Sweden Plans Defense Spending Boost

10/16/2013

The Swedish government’s promise to bolster defense spending and inject more capital into equipment procurement programs has failed to impress the country’s military establishment. The Defense Ministry said in September that expenditures on defense would increase by US $220 million in 2014-17, yielding an annual increase of $60 million a year. The armed forces budget for 2013 amounts to $6.2 billion.

Concerns Rise As Indian Fighter Negotiations Drag On

10/16/2013

India’s Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract with Dassault Aviation is not likely to be signed before April 2014, despite the Indian air force’s (IAF) concerns about maintaining its tactical air deterrent capability.

ACC Training Units Flying, Some Combat Coded Units Still Down

10/16/2013

The US Air Force’s Air Combat Command (ACC) ended a shutdown-imposed grounding of training aircraft last week , but some combat craft remain grounded.

Will Russia ever have its own aircraft carrier?

10/16/2013

It seems that water and air are incompatible as natural element. However, there is such a thing as naval aviation. Judging by modernization plans, Russian naval aviation will see great changes in the future. After years of debate about whether Russia needs a fleet of vessels with aircraft on decks or surface ships and submarines would be enough, Russian admirals have chosen a sort of "American" model of the fleet: naval groups with an aircraft carrier in the center.