Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Cameron, Hollande Seek Closer Military Ties Amid Strains Over EU

01/31/2014

When the British and French governments signed a military cooperation agreement in 2010, it was intended to usher in close cooperation between Europe’s leading military powers. A little more than three years later, the promise of the Lancaster House Treaty has only been half fulfilled. While cooperation on the countries’ nuclear deterrents has advanced and their armed forces increasingly exchange officers, there have yet to be any savings from jointly procuring costly weaponry, analysts said.

PENTAGON CHIEF TESTER: F-35 SOFTWARE REMAINS SERIOUSLY FLAWED

01/31/2014

The $397 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program suffers from such severe software problems that aircraft could not conduct operational missions today, the Pentagon’s chief tester said in his annual report to Congress, which was released to the public yesterday.

ndia eyes stealth fighter plane

01/31/2014

India will soon join the elite league of nations to desing and produce mid-combat aircraft with stealth capability. “Defence Research and Development Organisation has already come up with light combat aircraft (LCA) and in the next phase we are working on a mid combat aircraft (MCA) with stealth capability. The structure and design has to be made in such a way that they remain invisible to the radar,” Dr A. Sivathanu Pillai, chief controller.

Militants shoot down Egyptian helicopter

01/30/2014

Islamic militants in North Sinai have released a video which appears to show them shooting down an Egyptian military Mi8/17 transport helicopter, the first time militants have successfully targeted an Egyptian military aircraft.

U.S. Air Force, Boeing confident tanker program still on schedule

01/30/2014

U.S. Air Force and Boeing Co officials on Wednesday expressed confidence that a $52 billion air refueling program would deliver its first 18 planes by August 2017 as scheduled, despite a Pentagon report warning that testing of the new aircraft could be delayed by at least six to 12 months.

UAE, Libya Request US Arms Purchases

01/30/2014

While Iraq’s request to purchase Apache attack helicopters and Hellfire missiles has garnered headlines this week, two other regional countries have received approval to buy US military equipment. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DCSA) has notified Congress that it has approved key foreign military sales to the United Arab Emirates and Libya last week, bring the total worth of approvals to $7.1 billion.

Sikorsky may be up for sale

01/30/2014

United Technologies Corp. officials weren't talking late Monday about defense industry rumors that Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft could be up for sale. Even U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was in the dark after touring Sikorsky earlier in the day with U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the Senate assistant majority leader.

Britain to set up controversial drone development partnership with France

01/30/2014

Britain and France are to join forces to build a new generation of lethal drones as part of a controversial defence deal. President François Hollande is due to arrive in Britain on Friday for a summit with David Cameron at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where they are expected to agree to develop an Anglo-French Predator-type military drone.

Red Flag returns to Nevada

01/30/2014

The latest iteration of the Air Force's premier air-to-air combat training exercise kicked off Jan. 27 as allied and U.S aircraft launched to simulate battle in the sky over the Nevada Test and Training Range. Allied aircrews from Great Britain and Australia joined U.S. warfighters in the continued effort to maximize combat readiness, capability and survivability in a contested and degraded environment during Red Flag 14-1, hosted by the 414th Combat Training Squadron.

Budget battle threatens the A-10 Warthog

01/30/2014

This is not your typical military battle. No weapons will be fired, and no troops deployed. This is a budget battle. In an effort to trim spending, the Air Force is planning to retire hundreds of Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, better known as the "Warthog," a move that will save the Air Force more than $3.7 billion by 2020. It is all part of a congressional mandate which aims to cut $50 billion from the Air Force budget over the next five years.

DoD Testers: F-35 Mission Software Maturity Lagged in 2013

01/30/2014

The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter met most of its flight test goals in fiscal 2013, but development of the fighter, especially its mission system software and weapons integration, lagged in some respects, according to an annual report issued by the Pentagon’s top weapons test director.

Virginia to Pentagon: Keep 11 aircraft carriers

01/30/2014

Last summer, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel raised the prospect of mothballing three aircraft carriers as part of a broader strategy to cut military spending. In December, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office listed 28 ways to reduce the budget deficit by cutting discretionary spending. Option number six was to stop building aircraft carriers.

HAL team’s visit to Dassault facilities in France on hold

01/30/2014

The visit by a HAL team to Dassault facilities in France has been put on hold amid efforts by the government to verify the linkages between AgustaWestland's parent firm Finmecannica and other European defence companies. The defence ministry earlier this month scrapped a deal with AgustaWestland for procuring 12 VVIP choppers after charging it with breaching contractual obligations.

Bangladesh Buys Russian Combat Training Jets Worth $800M

01/29/2014

Bangladesh ordered 24 Russian Yak-130 light fighter jets worth $800 million in the final quarter of last year, a Russian newspaper reported Tuesday. The deal was paid for with a loan extended by Moscow to the country a year ago, the director of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said in a separate interview published by Kommersant on Monday, without disclosing the deal’s price tag.

F-35 Operational Test and Evaluation Report; Marines Say No IOC Changes

01/29/2014

Here it is, for everyone to ponder, the F-35 portion of the annual report from Michael Gilmore, director of the Pentagon’s Operational Test and Evaluation office. The only sort of public annual benchmark on the success or failure of the Pentagon’s major programs, the OT&E report is often quite dated by the time it comes out. Read the material on software delays with that in mind. The Block 2B software could be delayed by 13 months, the report concludes.

Fatal helicopter crash prompts JBLM to complete radar picture with new sensors

01/29/2014

The Army is spending $4.6 million to buy a low-altitude aircraft surveillance system that would improve safety in the Joint Base Lewis-McChord training areas where four helicopter pilots were killed in a December 2011 collision. The system, to be built by Saab Defense and Security, would enable Lewis-McChord air traffic controllers to monitor helicopters that fly below 500 feet.

Unmanned U.S. aircraft plunges into Pacific

01/29/2014

U.S. Customs and Border Protection grounded its fleet of unmanned aircraft Tuesday after losing one worth $12 million in the Pacific Ocean. The unarmed aircraft had a mechanical failure while on patrol of the southern California coast. The crew determined that it wouldn't make it back to Sierra Vista, Ariz., "and put the aircraft down in the water," the agency said in a statement.

Army Looks to Build Air-Droppable Armored Vehicle

01/29/2014

The U.S. Army's Ground Combat Vehicle isn't officially dead, but maneuver officials are already searching for a new, air-droppable combat vehicle to support light infantry units. The Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, Ga., recently released a Sources Sought document to see if industry is capable of building the Ultra Light Combat Vehicle – an armored chariot that could be carried by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, or airdropped by C-130 aircraft.

Both Sides Optimistic Ahead of French-UK Summit

01/29/2014

An upcoming Anglo-French summit could breathe fresh life into a bilateral defense relationship seen as faded, with industry waiting to hear if there is progress on an anti-ship missile and a future combat drone for the two nations. Prime Minister David Cameron and President François Hollande are due to meet Jan. 31 at Royal Air Force base Brize Norton in southern England.

Tests find cracks in F-35, Pentagon says

01/29/2014

Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 jet developed cracks in testing of the fighter's durability and wasn't sufficiently reliable in training flights last year, the Pentagon's chief tester found. On-ground testing of the Air Force and Marine Corps versions of the fighter revealed "significant findings" of cracks on five occasions in fuselage bulkheads, flanges, stiffeners and engine mounts "that will require mitigation plans and may include redesigning parts and additional weight."

Lockheed Martin Demonstrates Weapons Grade High Power Fiber Laser

01/29/2014

Lockheed Martin has demonstrated a 30-kilowatt electric fiber laser, the highest power ever documented while retaining beam quality and electrical efficiency. The internally funded research and development program culminated in this demonstration, which was achieved by combining many fiber lasers into a single, near-perfect quality beam of light—all while using approximately 50 percent less electricity than alternative solid-state laser technologies.

Lockheed Martin Receives $31 Million U.S. Air Force Contract for Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb Kits

01/29/2014

Lockheed Martin received a $31.1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for follow-on production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) kits. The contract represents the majority share award of the available fiscal year 2013 funding. Production deliveries under this contract will include computer control groups and air foil groups for GBU-10 and GBU-12 bombs.

Two major projects to replace ageing RAAF jet planes have come under fresh assault from the Pentagon's chief weapons tester

01/28/2014

According to leaked documents the head of the Pentagon's operational test and evaluation office, Michael Gilmore, has raised major concerns about software flaws in the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the sensors on board the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The eight Australian Poseidons to be based at Edinburgh near Adelaide are due in service by 2019 to replace the RAAF's P3C Orion maritime patrol planes.

UTC Weighs Sikorsky's Future

01/28/2014

United Technologies Corp. (UTC) is considering the future of America’s leading helicopter maker, Sikorsky, and whether to sell, spinoff or forge a strategic merger for the manufacturer of the Black Hawk, one of the world’s most popular military helicopters, sources said.

ROK, US curtailing joint military drills

01/28/2014

South Korea and the United States are scaling down their annual joint military exercises, apparently in response to a series of conciliatory moves by North Korea. “The two sides have mapped out an exercise plan that will not feature a super-carrier or strategic bombers,” a government official said Monday, speaking of the upcoming Key Resolve/Foal Eagle drills.