Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

US to Deploy Global Hawks to Japan

01/25/2014

Global Hawks, America’s largest unmanned surveillance aircraft, will fly out of Japan for the first time this summer, the Air Force says. Interest in the drones - ranging from NASA to NATO and other U.S. allies -- has been rising due to their versatility and endurance. Two of them, along with 40 personnel, will deploy to Misawa Air Base from May to October, according to 1st Lt. Caitlin Suttie, a public affairs officer with the 35th Fighter Wing at Misawa.

F-35 fighter 'hit by software and reliability problems'

01/25/2014

Britain’s new £70 million F-35 fighter is struggling with “unacceptable” software problems and is less reliable than hoped a new report has warned. The Pentagon’s chief weapons tester has warned the new stealth fighter being bought by the British and the US militaries is facing more delays and remains vulnerable to fires.

Raytheon Prevails Again In Jammer Contest

01/25/2014

The Navy’s EA-18G electronic warfare plane will be the principal host for the Next Generation Jammer that Raytheon is developing. This image shows pods housing the existing jamming system on the plane’s underside. Once the new system is installed, the EA-18G — dubbed the “Growler” — will be able to counter all emerging threats across the electromagnetic spectrum in support of the joint force.

Russian rubbish? India reportedly disappointed with stealth fighters from Moscow

01/25/2014

Despite initial high expectations, the Indian Air Force appears to be souring on a joint development deal with Russia for a new fifth-generation fighter jet, according to the Business Standard, a major Indian business publication. The Russian prototype is "unreliable, its radar inadequate, its stealth features badly engineered,” said Indian Air Force Deputy Air Marshall S Sukumar at a Jan. 15 meeting, according to minutes obtained by the Business Standard.

Russian Carrier Group Conducting Exercises in Mediterranean

01/25/2014

A Russian carrier group that entered the Mediterranean earlier this month has begun a series of naval aviation exercises, a navy spokesman said Friday. “The naval aviators are conducting training in dogfighting, high-speed interception and improving their skills in flying intricate aerobatic maneuvers,” Captain of the 1st Class Vadim Serga said.

Chinese military planes regularly patrol ADIZ: spokesman

01/24/2014

Chinese air force planes have been regularly patrolling the East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) since it was established two months ago, an air force spokesman said here Thursday. The routine patrols have beefed up China's effective control over the ADIZ, air force colonel Shen Jinke said.

Upto 50 killed in shelling by fighter aircraft, helicopters in NWA

01/24/2014

Upto Fifty people were killed and several others sustained injuries in targeted operations by security forces, conducted by fighter aircraft and gunship helicopters, in North Waziristan and the Khyber tribal agencies on Tuesday. For the first time since 2007 when the government signed the peace accord with the Hafiz Gul Bahadur-led Taliban militants in North Waziristan, fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships pounded suspected positions of militants in the Mir Ali subdivision.

The Horrifying Toll Of 5 Years Of Drone Strikes: 2,400 Dead

01/24/2014

The U.S. drone program under President Barack Obama reached its fifth anniversary on Thursday having tallied up an estimated death toll of at least 2,400 people. As the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a U.K.-based non-profit, details on its website, five years ago the CIA conducted the first drone strikes of the Obama presidency. Although there were reports of suspected "militants" killed, at least 14 civilians also died that day.

Fund cut by finance ministry hits modernization of armed forces

01/24/2014

The defence ministry is upset with the finance ministry for slashing Rs 7,870 crore from the funds allocated for the modernization of the armed forces, holding that it will delay the finalization of some critical procurement projects.

Boeing surveillance plane found not yet effective for missions

01/24/2014

A new Boeing surveillance aircraft deployed to Japan last month as part of the U.S. shift to Asia isn't yet effective for its primary submarine-hunting and intelligence missions, the Pentagon's weapons tester found. The new P-8A Poseidon exhibited "all of the major deficiencies" identified in earlier exercises when subjected to more stressful realistic combat testing from September 2012 to March 2013, Michael Gilmore, chief of the Pentagon testing office.

Dassault Aviation: THE RAFALE FURTHER IMPROVES ITS VERSATILITY

01/24/2014

The RAFALE has successfully completed its first test flights in a new heavily-armed configuration, comprising six air-to-ground precision AASM Hammer missiles, four medium and long range air-to-air missiles from the MICA family, two very long range METEOR missiles, as well as three 2,000 liter fuel tanks.

LCA Tejas to be star attraction of DRDO's R-Day Parade contingent

01/24/2014

Tejas, the Indian Light Combat Aircraft, is going to be the star attraction amongst the products displayed as part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) contingent at the Republic Day parade. DRDO’s products for the parade include Arjun Mk-II (a new version of Indian battle tank), a tableau displaying ‘Astra’ and ‘Helina’ missiles and another tableau displaying a wide range of unmanned systems.

Argentina after Israeli fighter planes; concern in London and Brasilia, says defense expert

01/24/2014

Argentina is considering the purchase from Israel of 18 multipurpose combat aircraft Kfir Block 60 after negotiations with Spain for 16 Mirage F1 fighter bombers fell through, according to a report from Buenos Aires daily Clarin.

China in negotiation for more Russian weapons as tensions with Japan rise

01/23/2014

In the midst of heightening tensions with Japan over the disputed Diaoyutai islands (called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China), China is still negotiating with Russia to import more advanced weapon systems with which to equip its air force and navy writes Vasiliy Kashin from the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies in an article for the Moscow-based Military-Industrial Courier.

Israeli Herons Supplied through France end up in Morocco

01/23/2014

International media sources have reported recently that Royal Moroccan Air Force (RMAF) has acquired the three ‘Harfang’ unmanned aerial systems retired by the French Air Force after several years of service in Afghanistan. Harfang which deployed with the Armee de L’air in 2008 was delivered by EADS (Now Airbus Defense & Space), under the Eagle I cooperative development with Israel Aerospace Industries.

Russia Offers Joint Productions On All Future Defense Deals With India, As IAF Reportedly Criticizes FGFA Deal

01/23/2014

Joint productions of all future projects is expected to be the new norm in Indo-Russian relations after Moscow last year offered to set up manufacturing facilities in the country for joint production of defence hardware. India and Russia agreed to set up manufacturing facilities in India for joint production of defence hardware during Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Rogozin’s state visit to New Delhi last year.

Hopes of selling Typhoon jet fighters to United Arab Emirates are over, according to BAE Systems boss

01/23/2014

Hopes of selling Typhoon jet fighters to the United Arab Emirates are over, the boss of BAE Systems conceded yesterday, just weeks after the firm warned talks about the £6bn deal had stalled. Chief executive Ian King said the UAE negotiation was ‘done’, adding ‘we have no plans to revive it’.

Budget includes money for Raptor fixes

01/23/2014

The new omnibus federal budget has millions of dollars for the Hampton Roads defense community, including money for Virginia-class submarines and construction projects at Joint Base Langley Eustis. Another line item is of particular interest to the F-22 Raptor community.

Lockheed exaggerates number of jobs on F-35 program, new report says

01/23/2014

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s claims that the development and construction of the nearly $400 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will sustain 125,000 jobs in 46 states is “greatly exaggerated,” according to a new report by a research center.

Boeing gets lifeline for Super Hornet fighter from Congress

01/23/2014

The U.S. Congress has given Boeing’s Super Hornet fighter jet a lifeline, at least for now. The omnibus federal spending measure contains a down payment of $75 million for 22 of the fighters that the Navy didn’t request. The funding, signed into law Friday, will prod Navy officials to decide this year whether to spend as much as $2 billion for the unplanned planes as a hedge against delays of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Boeing, United Arab Emirates Partners Look to Harvest Biofuel from Desert Plants

01/23/2014

Boeing and research partners in the United Arab Emirates have made breakthroughs in sustainable aviation biofuel development, finding that desert plants fed by seawater will produce biofuel more efficiently than other well-known feedstocks.

US Air Force Receives 1st B-1 Equipped with Boeing Integrated Battle Station

01/23/2014

The U.S. Air Force on Jan. 21 received the first B-1 bomber upgraded with the Boeing Integrated Battle Station, which essentially turns the B-1 into a new aircraft with the addition of full color displays, moving maps and a new diagnostics system.

Russia Plans Cruise Missile Tests, Bomber Patrols for 2014

01/23/2014

The Russian Air Force is preparing to conduct a series of tests of new cruise missiles, as well as carrying out strategic bomber patrols including stops in other countries, the commander of its long-range fleet said Wednesday. “In 2014 we are planning practice launches of cruise missiles, including new models,” Gen. Lt. Anatoly Zhikharev told reporters, without specifying the missiles to be fired. Russian planes launched 15 cruise missiles last year.

CAE To Provide The Italian Air Force With Predator UAV Mission Trainer

01/22/2014

CAE today announced it was awarded a contract to provide Aeronautica Militare Italiana (Italian Air Force) with an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Mission Trainer representing the General Atomics Predator remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). The CAE UAS Mission Trainer will be delivered in early 2015 to Amendola Air Force Base, and will be used to provide initial and mission training for Predator pilots and sensor operators.

Navy gets ready to start Vikramaditya flying ops

01/22/2014

The Indian Navy has launched preparations to start flying operations from aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The MiG-29K fighter aircraft have started taking off from the ski-jump and making arrested landings. Having finished training in Russia, 10 top naval pilots have returned home to operate from INS Vikramaditya, which is berthed at Karwar naval base.