Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

"Electronic Warfare is Becoming More Important and More Complex"

06/14/2013

"In the past, you purchased an electronic protection system and installed it onboard the aircraft in order to provide the pilot with alerts pertaining to various threats. Today, electronic warfare resources are a part of the over-all protective suit of the aircraft and are also a part of its weapon systems. They are no longer a stand-alone element – and that has been a quantum leap."

As Nellis AFB grounds aircraft, training goes virtual

06/14/2013

The sky over southern Nevada is quieter than they have been in quite some time due to the June 1 Air Combat Command directed stand down of flying operations. Despite the stand down, the 64th Aggressor Squadron remains committed to accomplishing their mission, said Lt. Col. Michael Shepherd, the 64th AGRS academic assistant director of operations.

House Appropriations Committee approves FY2014 DoD spending bill

06/14/2013

Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee (HAC) approved the FY2014 Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations bill. The HAC bill provides $512.5 billion for the DoD base budget (excluding military construction), almost $3.4 billion below the president’s request.

Marines to assume EA-6B Prowler training

06/14/2013

Training to keep the 1968 vintage EA-6B Prowler flying transfers Friday from the Navy to a 2nd Marine Air Wing squadron based at Cherry Point air station. Training for the Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. twin-engine aircraft has previously been conducted for the Navy and Marine Corps by Navy Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.

Indian ‘Home-Grown’ AMCA, An Alternative To FGFA

06/14/2013

Despite being involved in the fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) joint program with Russia, India is developing a next-generation fighter of its own–the advanced multirole combat aircraft (AMCA).

Predictive Models Guide Fighter Jet Maintenance for RAF Squadrons

06/14/2013

In March 2011, aircraft from Britain’s Royal Air Force joined an international task force patrolling the skies above Libya, enforcing a United Nations-mandated no-fly zone as the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi crumbled.

The dam is beyond the combat radius of all aircraft staging from Egyptian airfields

06/14/2013

Ethiopia’s initiation of a dam project on the Blue Nile has quickly drawn the ire of Egypt, which is critically dependent on it as a source of much of the country’s freshwater needs. As Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr said June 9 following Ethiopia’s refusal to halt construction of the dam and ahead of his trip to Addis Ababa to discuss the project, Egypt will not give up a “single drop of water from the Nile.” ”No Nile, no Egypt,” he said.

LONGBOW LLC Receives $90 Million Contract for Saudi Arabia Apache Radar Systems

06/14/2013

The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corporation [NYSE: NOC], received a $90.6 million contract to provide Saudi Arabia with LONGBOW Fire Control Radars (FCRs) for the AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter.

Israel denies exporting military equipment to Pak

06/13/2013

srael has dismissed media reports that it exported security equipment to Pakistan over the past five years. “Israel does not export defence equipment to Pakistan. That is our stated policy and is implemented completely,” a senior foreign ministry official said.

Budget Cuts To Keep U.S Jets Grounded At Paris Air Show

06/13/2013

The U.S defense automatic budget cuts called Sequestration has affected the way U.S military is representing itself in Paris Air Show. Sequestration and a need for careful spending has meant that show organizers are expecting around 10 U.S defense officials, compared with 29 two years ago.

France sees first Rafale jet deliveries to India by 2016

06/13/2013

France expects to make its first deliveries of Rafale warplanes to India by 2016 or 2017, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was quoted as saying by financial daily Les Echos.

F-16s may stay in Jordan after exercise

06/13/2013

The U.S. is sending F-16s to Jordan for an exercise, but they could stay longer to safeguard Jordan from violence in neighboring Syria. The planes will take part in the upcoming exercise, Eager Lion, which runs until June 20, said Defense Department spokesman Air Force Lt. Col. Jack Miller. The U.S. also is sending a Patriot missile battery from Fort Hood, Texas.

Israel exports military equipment to Pakistan: report

06/13/2013

Israel has exported military equipment, including hi-tech gear used in combat jets, over the past five years to Pakistan and Arab countries with which it has no diplomatic relations, according to a media report on Tuesday.

UAS are the eye of the battlefield

06/13/2013

Unmanned Aircraft Systems — previously referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles or remotely operated aircraft/vehicles — come in a variety of shapes and sizes; providing aerial surveillance and security for service members and coalition forces throughout Afghanistan.

Interview with Oleg Demchenko, President, IRKUT Corp About The Yak-130 Combat Trainers And Other Programs

06/13/2013

Interview with Oleg Demchenko, President, IRKUT Corp About The Yak-130 Combat Trainers And Other Programs.

Pakistan Female Fighter Pilot Wins Battle of Sexes

06/13/2013

With an olive green head scarf poking out from her helmet, Ayesha Farooq flashes a cheeky grin when asked if it is lonely being the only war-ready female fighter pilot in the Islamic republic of Pakistan. Farooq, from Punjab province's historic city of Bahawalpur, is one of 19 women who have become pilots in the Pakistan Air Force over the last decade - there are five other female fighter pilots, but they have yet to take the final tests to qualify for combat.

Finland Accuses Russia of Airspace Violation

06/13/2013

Two Russian military aircraft are suspected of having violated Finland’s airspace, the Finnish Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday. The incident took place Tuesday morning over the Gulf of Finland, the ministry said on its website. The report did not identify the Russian aircraft, saying only that F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets of the Finnish Air Force were dispatched in order to identify the invaders.

Navy to Buy 99 Ospreys in $6.5 Billion Order

06/12/2013

The Navy has reached a $6.5 billion deal with a joint venture of Textron Inc.‘s Bell Helicopter unit and Boeing Co. for 99 V-22 Ospreys that likely cements the long-term future of the tilt-rotor aircraft as part of the military’s air inventory.

ISPR says Israel not arming Pakistan with hi-tech gear

06/12/2013

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Tuesday categorically rejected a news report appeared in a section of media which read that Pakistan bought defence equipment from Israel. Earlier, a media report said Israel had exported military equipment, including hi-tech gear used in combat jets over the past five years to Pakistan and Arab countries with which it has no diplomatic relations.

BAE says Asian, Mideast jet demand to offset Western cuts

06/12/2013

Sales of combat aircraft in the Middle East and Asia will more than compensate for cutbacks in U.S. and European spending, Britain's BAE Systems forecast on Tuesday. Europe's largest defence contractor said international markets outside its U.S. and European heartlands would grow to account for around half of turnover at its military air and information unit by 2016, up from around a quarter now.

Britain refused Israel military equipment for fear it would add to 'internal repression'

06/12/2013

Britain refused to provide Israel with certain types of military equipment in recent years out of fears there was a “risk of their use for internal repression” and a “risk of contributing to internal tensions or conflict in the recipient country.” The equipment, Britain worried, might also damage “regional stability” or be transferred from Israel due to the “risk of diversion or re-export to undesirable end-users.”

BAE Sees South Korea Typhoon Choice Leading Other Bids

06/12/2013

BAE Systems Plc, Europe’s largest defense company, said South Korea is poised to decide whether to buy Eurofighter Typhoon combat planes, in one of the biggest decisions since the jet lost tenders in India and Japan. South Korea may buy as many as 36 Typhoons in the next two months, Peter Anstiss, BAE’s business development director for military aircraft, told reporters today.

Pak says Indian fighter jets enter its airspace

06/12/2013

Pakistan today said it had scrambled warplanes after two Indian jets allegedly entered three nautical miles into the country's airspace over Punjab province. Officials said the incident occurred over Pakpattan district, 200 km from Lahore, the capital of Punjab. They alleged the jets remained in Pakistani airspace for about two minutes.

Lockheed Martin Releases Paris Air Show 2013 Media Briefing Schedule

06/12/2013

Lockheed Martin will offer several briefings for journalists at the 2013 Paris Air Show. These events will underscore Lockheed Martin's position as the world’s leading global security company and a trusted partner for governments around the world, delivering innovative and affordable technology to customers in more than 50 countries.

Lockheed Martin Real-Time Intelligence Support Provides Battlespace View to U.S. Air Force Aerial War Games

06/12/2013

Lockheed Martin teams provided exploitation of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities at a level never before achieved during Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force premiere aerial warfare exercise. During the exercise, live imagery from manned and unmanned aircraft was disseminated in near real-time to the Distributed Common Ground Station Imagery (DCGS-I) mobile test bed.