Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Pentagon, suppliers draft plan to lower F-35 cost: Pratt

12/21/2013

he U.S. Defense Department and top suppliers on the $392 billion F-35 fighter program are developing a plan to drive down the cost of the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, the head of enginemaker Pratt & Whitney told Reuters. The project uses an "innovative" new mechanism to encourage companies to invest their own funds to lower production costs, Dave Hess, president of Pratt & Whitney, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday.

Japan considers a boost in military purchases

12/21/2013

Japan's Cabinet has approved a national security strategy that would boost spending on military equipment, officials said. The strategy, that includes the revised National Defense Program Guidelines and a Mid-term Defense Program, could start the export of weapons from Japan for the first time since the second world war.

Russian Military Confirms Plans for New Light Transport Plane

12/21/2013

The Russian Defense Ministry and the United Aircraft Corporation will sign a contract on the development of the Il-112V light transport plane next year, a deputy defense minister said Friday. The development of the twin turboprop aircraft, designed to carry six tons of cargo to a range of 1,000 kilometers (620 miles), was canceled in 2011 under former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, but his successor Sergei Shoigu reportedly approved the revival of the Il-112 program earlier this year.

UAE drops plans for Eurofighter Typhoon order

12/21/2013

The British company – which leads the activities of the European consortium in the Middle East region – also said that negotiations with Saudi Arabia over the price for 72 of the fighters remain stalled. Shares in the company dropped on the London Stock Exchange on the news.

Pakistan Rolls Out 50th JF-17, Block II Production To Commence

12/20/2013

Pakistan rolled out its 50th JF-17 Thunder Block I multi-role combat aircraft Wednesday and will now begin construction of the next batch of 50 which will be of the Block II standard. The 50th example of the Sino-Pakistani fighter was rolled out during a ceremony at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) in the town of Kamra not far from the capital Islamabad. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, and Chinese dignitaries were in attendance.

Double blow for BAE fighter sales

12/20/2013

BAE Systems suffered a bruising setback after Britain’s negotiations to supply 60 Typhoon fighter jets to the UAE collapsed and pricing talks on a separate deal with Saudi Arabia stalled. It is a double blow for Britain and Europe’s biggest defence company which had hoped a win in the UAE would solidify its position as one of the biggest suppliers of combat aircraft to the Gulf region. BAE already has contracts for Typhoons with Saudi Arabia and Oman, and is in talks with Bahrain.

IAF set to fly indigenous fighter Tejas after initial operational clearance

12/20/2013

World's lightest and India developed supersonic fighter Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is battle-ready for testing by its air force pilots three decades after it was conceived, designed and developed with cost overruns and inordinate delays. "The home-grown aircraft is ready for flight tests by Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots to assess its air prowess and strike power," state-run Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) director PS Subramanian told ahead of its IOC on Friday at New Delhi.

President Dilma Rousseff Announces Brazil Is Buying Sweden's Saab Gripen Jet Fighters

12/20/2013

After a decade of discussion, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff announced Wednesday the acquisition of 36 Gripen NG fighter jets, from Sweden’s Saab (STO:SAAB-B), for the FX-2 program of the Brazilian Air Force. Defense Minister Celso Amorim and Gen. Juniti Saito, the air force's chief of staff, said at a press conference after the official announcement that the planes will be delivered in 4 years. The total cost of the deal will be $4.5 billion.

HAL Tejas Light Combat Aircraft joins the Indian Air force

12/20/2013

Alright folks, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Tejas Mk-I is all set to achieve Initial Operational Clearance-2 on December 20. Forget the critics, this combat jet is now all set to be flown by serving pilots of the Indian Air force (IAF) who are going to miss the Mig-21 FL a lot less once they get their hands on this baby.

Lockheed Martin Supports Japanese F-2 Restoration Program

12/20/2013

In cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Lockheed Martin has delivered the first F-2 aft and leading edge flaps as part of a restoration plan to replenish Japan’s F-2 fleet. Eighteen Japanese F-2B fighter aircraft based at Matsushima Air Base were destroyed during a tsunami that hit the nation in March 2011.

Boeing Delivers Final Focused Lethality Munition to US Air Force

12/20/2013

Boeing delivered the 500th Focused Lethality Munition (FLM) to the U.S. Air Force this month, completing the contract for the low-collateral-damage weapon 100 percent on time and on cost. “This Direct Attack FLM team not only delivered to our customer with remarkable efficiency, but also provided an important tool to protect the lives of U.S. and coalition forces around the world,” said Gary Rodenberg, Small Diameter Bomb program manager for Boeing.

Russia to Develop 5th-Generation Attack Helicopter by 2017

12/20/2013

It could take Russia about three years to complete the development of a fifth-generation attack helicopter and start testing its prototype, a defense industry official said Wednesday. The Mi-28NM, a modernized version of the Mi-28N Night Hunter attack helicopter that is being upgraded to standards of a fifth-generation aircraft, has been in development since 2008.

Royal Air Force joins major exercise with UAE Air Force

12/20/2013

The Advanced Tactical Leadership Course (ATLC), led by the UAE Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre, aims to make sure the UAE and its allies can operate together effectively to support security in the Gulf. Following the exercise the commander of the RAF’s 83 Expeditionary Air Group praised the UAE’s ‘first-class’ training.

Japan pumping up military with drones, U.S. aircraft to counter Chinese threats

12/19/2013

Japan plans to beef up its military with a wide-range of new arsenal to deal with Chinese national security threats. The island nation plans to spend roughly $232 billion over the next five years on hardware it believes is capable of securing disputed islands in the South China Sea. The list of purchases includes “anti-missile destroyers, submarines, 52 amphibious vehicles, surveillance drones, U.S. fighter planes and 17 Boeing Osprey aircraft, capable of vertical take-off,” the BBC reported.

USAF: F-16 Pilot in Midair Collision Lacked Sleep

12/19/2013

An overconfident pilot who got less than half the sleep he needed before a night training mission was responsible for causing a midair F-16 collision over the summer that forced the other pilot to eject over the Atlantic Ocean, according to a U.S. Air Force report released Wednesday.

F-35 events moving swiftly

12/19/2013

Dateline August 2012: U.S. Air Force makes decision to establish an F-35 pilot training center at Luke Air Force Base following a three-year process that included an extensive environmental impact analysis. Dateline June 2013: U.S. Air Force chooses Luke AFB as the primary training site for the F-35A, and is the location for 72 additional F-35 Lightning II aircraft, bringing the eventual total number of the aircraft to be based at Luke to 144; six squadrons of 24 F-35A aircraft each.

UK Typhoons to get collision avoidance system

12/19/2013

The United Kingdom is testing a new collision warning system (CWS) for its fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft, it was disclosed on 15 December. Answering questions in the House of Commons, Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond said that the system will be rolled out across the fleet depending on the results of the current test programme. He did not, however, say when this might happen.

Exclusive: How Diplomacy Helped Cause an F-18 Crash

12/19/2013

High over Afghanistan, a two-man team of U.S. naval aviators found itself in trouble April 8 after an aerial refueling mishap damaged the right engine of their supersonic F/A-18F Super Hornet. Turbulence ripped the fighter away from an Air Force KC-135's refueling hose, leaving a piece of the tanker's refueling apparatus attached to the Super Hornet and causing the fighter to suck airborne fuel through its right engine.

Shortage of Fighter Aircrafts

12/19/2013

The Government constantly reviews the security environment and ensures that the IAF is fully equipped to meet the security challenges. The IAF is in the process of modernizing its fleet by procuring various aircrafts including the Sukhoi-30 MKI and the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft. In addition, existing fleets of aircraft such as Mirage-2000, Jaguar and MiG-29 are being upgraded as per requirements.

Saab's Brazil Jet Contract Boosts Defense Group's Strategy

12/19/2013

Saab SAAB ABs's win of a coveted contract in Brazil gives a significant lift to the Swedish defense group's strategy of offering value for money as it competes for the world's defense-procurement dollars. Brazil ended a lengthy process to replace its aging fleet of fighter jets by selecting the latest "E" version of Saab's JAS Gripen jet fighter in a deal worth $4.5 billion. Boeing Co. and France's Dassault Aviation competed on winning the contract, which calls for 36 fighter jets.

Pakistan inducts multi-role combat aircraft built with Chinese help

12/19/2013

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday hailed the induction of Pakistan Air Force's 50th JF-17 fighter aircraft, built with Chinese help, as a move towards "self-reliance" and said the country's defence strategy is being devised on modern lines.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Landmark 300th C-130J Super Hercules

12/19/2013

The C-130J Super Hercules program reached another significant milestone with the delivery of its 300th aircraft, which was ferried today by a U.S. Air Force crew from the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility here.

Russia Plans to Build 'UAV-Killers' Based on Pantsir-S Systems

12/19/2013

Russia is upgrading its short-range Pantsir-S air defense systems with an improved capability to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles, a Defense Ministry spokesman said Wednesday. “The modernization of these unique systems aimed at increasing their effectiveness against UAVs has already started,” Col. Igor Klimov said.

PAF to brief PM on JF-17 export today

12/18/2013

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) would brief Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the proposed measures for enhancing defence production exports, during his scheduled visit to a key PAF facility today (Wednesday). The PM would be visiting Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) Kamra to receive the relevant briefings on the contemplated exports of the PAF aircraft, especially the JF-17 Thunder, sources in PAF informed The Nation on Tuesday.

Europe set to launch drone programme

12/18/2013

After many false starts, Europe looks ready to back plans for a drone development programme aimed at cutting its reliance on U.S. and Israeli rivals and bolstering its position in the industry. European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday and Friday will throw their weight behind a drive to build a next-generation European surveillance drone by 2020 to 2025, according to a draft communiqué seen by Reuters.