Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia Sends First Fighter Jets to Belarus Base

12/10/2013

A Russian fighter jet unit has arrived at a Belarusian airbase where it will be stationed on alert duty as part of an integrated regional air defense network, Belarusian news agency BelaPAN reported. Four Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker fighter jets and technical personnel have been based at the Baranovichi airbase, BelaPAN said on Sunday.

Russia Activates Aerospace Defense Radar Aimed at Europe

12/10/2013

Russia has begun testing a new radar designed to detect highly maneuverable aerial targets – including cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles – at a range of up to 3,000 kilometers (over 1,800 miles), allowing it to cover most of Europe. The new-generation over-the-horizon radar, dubbed Container, was put on trial duty near the town of Kovylkino in Russia’s republic of Mordovia on December 2.

Pentagon Under Fire Over Russian Helicopters – Report

12/10/2013

The US Defense Department is facing allegations that it misled Congress over the purchase of Russian helicopters for Afghan security forces amid revelations that a Pentagon study recommended an American-built aircraft for the job, the Associated Press reported. The United States has bought dozens of Russian military transport helicopters for use in Afghanistan in the past two years.

Date change for Abu Dhabi Air Expo

12/10/2013

he Abu Dhabi general aviation show is to take place a week earlier than planned, show organisers have said. The Abu Dhabi Air Expo event will now take place at the Al Bateen business aviation airport.on February 25-27.

South Korea announces expanded air defence zone

12/09/2013

South Korea has announced it is expanding its air defence zone, which will now partially overlap with a similar zone announced by China. The two zones will now both include a rock claimed by both countries and controlled by South Korea. The defence ministry said it would co-ordinate with "related countries".

S Army Plans To Scrap Kiowa Helo Fleet

12/09/2013

US Army leaders are considering scrapping its entire fleet of Bell Helicopter OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, while pulling the National Guard’s Boeing AH-64 Apaches into the active-duty force to fill the scout helicopter role as the Army seeks to fulfill its longer-term requirement of a newly developed armed aerial scout, according to several Army and defense industry sources.

Liaoning and J-15 jets to conduct drills in South China Sea

12/09/2013

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has set sail from the Qingdao naval base in northern China's Shandong province and will reach the disputed South China Sea within months to conduct a range of military training exercises, our sister paper Want Daily reports. The J-15 naval carrier-based fighter jets will also join in the military exercises and will conduct live-fire tests to enhance air defense anti-missile, anti-ship, anti-submarine capabilities in three areas.

War from afar: How the Pentagon fell in love with drones

12/09/2013

In the last years of the twentieth century, two weapons changed the way that America fights air wars: smart bombs (bombs that “see” a target using a television camera or a radiation sensor, or that head for a programmed location) and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Smart bombs came into their own in the first Gulf War.

Tejas LCA sprints towards IAF's frontline squadron

12/09/2013

If the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) has taken decades for completion, it is now in a record-breaking sprint to the finish line. The Tejas has flown an unprecedented 450 test flights this year towards a splashy ceremony in Bangalore scheduled for December 20, where Defence Minister A K Antony will preside over its induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF).

First Batch of MiG-21s to be Phased Out on December 11

12/09/2013

India’s first set of Russian-made MiG-21FL supersonic combat jets is all set to be phased out from the air force on December 11, with Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne presiding over the event. The deafening roar of the Mikoyan-Gurevich plane’s afterburner, an iconic delta-wing fighter aircraft that heralded the ‘supersonic era’ in the Indian Air Force (IAF), will no longer be heard. It will fly into the annals of military aviation history once the MiG-21FL supersonic combat jet comes into use.

Can Anyone Kill the Air Force's A-10 Warthog?

12/09/2013

First flown by manufacturer Fairchild-Republic in 1972, and bearing the official name "Thunderbolt II," the A-10 was designed as a "tank buster" to blunt the edge of an armored Soviet invasion of Western Europe. But the world has changed a lot since then.

Switzerland, Austria seek U.S. Foreign Military Sales deals

12/07/2013

Two European countries are separately seeking support services and aircraft from the United States under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation agency, in its required notifications to Congress, said the sales would have a combined value of $307 million.

Chinese aircraft carrier has major weaknesses: Beijing newspaper

12/07/2013

By sending its first aircraft carrier to the South China Sea, Beijing aims at more effective control over disputed islands in the region, but the vessel has five major weaknesses that make it unable to match up against U.S. carriers, according to a Friday report in a Chinese state-run newspaper.

Navy Launches Sophisticated New Drone From Submerged Submarine

12/07/2013

The US military has stepped up its use of drones over the past decade, and the Navy has just announced the successful testing of another new drone, which was launched from an underwater submarine. The drone, dubbed “XFC” after its eXperimental Fuel Cell, is an all-electric, fuel cell-powered, unmanned aerial system (UAS), according to a Navy press release. The drone was developed through the Office of Naval Research’s (ONR) SwampWorks program.

Eurofighter delivers 400th Typhoon

12/07/2013

Eurofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH says a milestone has been reached in its Typhoon fighter program - delivery of the 400th production aircraft to Germany. The delivery of the Typhoon to the German Air Force on Wednesday also coincided with the first flight of a Trance 3 Typhoon.

VIDEO: Marines Take to Guam and Tinian Skies for Forager Fury II

12/07/2013

The Marines are putting their combat power to work with exercise Forager Fury II between Guam and Tinian this week. The exercise includes more than 1,200 Marines and Sailors working out of Andersen Air Force Base and 400-500 Marines mostly working on Baker Runway in Tinian.

Israel: Combat drones in dogfights with enemy jet fighters ‘not a fantasy’

12/07/2013

Israel has envisioned the design of unmanned aerial vehicles to attack enemy fighter-jets. The Israel Air Force has been examining the prospect of a new generation of UAVs that could intercept enemy warplanes. The proposal to the Air Force was meant to reduce dependence on expensive manned aircraft platforms, including the Joint Strike Fighter of the United States.

New Stealth Spy Drone Already Flying Over Area 51

12/07/2013

The latest top secret unmanned spy plane to be uncovered isn’t just a design idea, it’s already flying at the Air Force’s famed Area 51. Unlike the recently announced SR-72, the new RQ-180 from Northrop Grumman is believed to be currently in flight testing according to Aviation Week and Space Technology.

Boeing and Saab Sign Joint Development Agreement on T-X Family of Systems Training Competition

12/07/2013

Boeing and Saab AB [Stockholm: SAABB] have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to jointly develop and build a new advanced, cost-efficient T-X Family of Systems training solution for the upcoming competition to replace the U.S. Air Force's aging T-38 aircrew training system. The JDA, with Boeing as the prime contractor and Saab AB as primary partner, covers areas including design, development, production, support, sales and marketing.

Japan Scrambles Fighter Jets to Track Russian Bombers

12/07/2013

Japan placed its air force on alert on Friday after two Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear strategic bombers flew near its airspace, the Japanese military said. The two Russian bombers reportedly flew near Japan’s northernmost Hokkaido island and flew above the Sea of Japan past the Honshu island. The Russian aircraft did not violate the country’s airspace, but Japanese fighter jets were put on alert, the Japan Self-Defense Forces said.

DISCOVERY AIR ANNOUNCES PENDING ACQUISITION OF ADVANCED TRAINING SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL

12/06/2013

Discovery Air Inc. ("Discovery Air") announced today the pending acquisition of Advanced Training Systems International, Inc. ("ATSI") by Discovery Air Defence Services Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Discovery Air). ATSI is a U.S. airborne training services company based in Mesa, Arizona. It currently owns a fleet of ten (10) Douglas A-4 Skyhawk aircraft and offers airborne training services, including, among other services, tactical "Red Air" services, fighter lead-in training.

Maintainers shine during first-ever Blue Flag

12/06/2013

Maintainers from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, used innovation and flexibility to ensure mission success during the first-ever Israeli Blue Flag exercise. Blue Flag, which took place Nov. 24-28, was a multinational aerial warfare training exercise hosted by the Israeli air force and included forces from the U.S., Israel, Italy and Greece.

UK in talks to help France with CAR logistics

12/06/2013

Britain is discussing offering logistical support to France for its military operation in the Central African Republic, officials said Thursday, an effort that could mirror U.K. assistance for a previous French intervention in Mali. The U.N. Security Council on Thursday authorized increased military action by France and African troops to try to end near-anarchy in the impoverished country.

Filling stations in the sky

12/06/2013

High above the border province of Paktika, in eastern Afghanistan, NATO airwaves crackle and shriek. “Kandahar this is Card Shark Seven-Eight at ten”, a Texan twang rings over the radio. An Australian dispatcher guides a different aeroplane: “Charlie Lima approved for niner zero”. “Pyramid One-One are you on this frequency?” bellows another American.

Former CSAF: Time to cut the A-10, invest in combat search-and-rescue

12/06/2013

A former top general of the Air Force weighed in on the debate over the future of the A-10, saying it is time to let the venerable jet go and move on to newer jets that can face newer threats. “You got to let it go and progress in to the next generation,” said retired Gen. T. Michael Moseley, who served as chief of staff of the Air Force from September 2005 to July 2008.