Military Aviation News Archive

Opinion: Europe Faces Smaller Role Without Next-Gen Fighter

12/04/2013

In the absence of having any next-generation combat aircraft currently under development, Europe faces the risk of strategic downgrading, according to the France-based air and space academy.

Lockheed Martin test pilot talks fighter aircraft innovations in situational awareness, sensor payloads

12/04/2013

Lockheed Martin Test Pilot Billie Flynn opened the second day of the Aerospace Innovation Forum in Montreal with a talk about innovations in military fighter aircraft. The key to pushing the envelope currently is to take the human, who has historically been the limiting factor, out of the equation to push what the aircraft itself can do, Flynn says. The F-22 was the start of that new paradigm.

Russia to Test UAE-Made Drone Next Year

12/04/2013

Russia’s armed forces will conduct test flights of a drone aircraft from the United Arab Emirates early next year, the manufacturer said. The unmanned United 40 Block 5 long-range reconnaissance vehicle will be tested to assess whether it meets the military’s operational needs. The medium-altitude drone can stay airborne for more than 100 hours and can also be equipped with Namrod air-to-surface guided missiles.

Al Raha secures RSAF F-15 maintenance extension

12/04/2013

Riyadh-based Al Raha Group for Technical Services has been awarded an estimated $45m extension of an existing contract for third party logistics, repair and return management services on Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15s.

US calls on China to rescind air defence zone to avoid Japan confrontation

12/03/2013

The US called on China to scrap its newly declared air defence identification zone on Monday, warning that Beijing risked a potentially dangerous confrontation with Japan and its allies at the start of a trip to the region by vice-president Joe Biden. The explicit request for China to “rescind” threats against unannounced aircraft passing over a chain of islands in the East China sea was made by the US just hours after Biden landed in Tokyo ahead of a six-day trip to Japan, China and South Korea

No Chinese military aircraft have entered Taiwan's ADIZ: minister

12/03/2013

No military aircraft from China have entered Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) since Beijing's recent demarcation of an ADIZ over the East China Sea, Defense Minister Yen Ming said Monday. Part of China's new ADIZ overlaps with Taiwan's, but no Chinese military aircraft have been spotted in Taiwan's air defense zone, Yen said at a hearing in the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Maiduguri attack: Boko Haram ‘incapacitates’ five military aircraft, soldiers kill 24 insurgents – DHQ

12/03/2013

The Nigerian military said on Monday evening that five of its aircraft were ‘incapacitated’ when suspected Boko Haram members attacked an Airforce base in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. Soldiers, however, killed 24 of the insurgents in a gun-battle, the defence headquarters said.

Too Close for Comfort? The U.S. Pacific Presence

12/03/2013

In the late 1980s, when it was apparent the Soviet Union was on its last legs, Colin Powell was Ronald Reagan’s national security adviser. One day, he found himself sitting at a table in the Kremlin across from the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. “Ah, General, I’m so sorry,” said Gorbachev, “you’ll have to find a new enemy.”

Image of the Day: Russian PAK FA fighter jet gets new shark camo

12/03/2013

As much as we like the look of the F-22 Raptor (and we certainly do), the Russians have managed to give their own fifth-generation fighter, the PAK FA, a much better paint job. The last time we saw this futuristic aircraft, it was sporting a not-entirely displeasing blue camo color scheme, but this latest one is apparently called "shark camo.

If China's Airspace Grab Turns Violent, Here's How the Dogfight Could Go Down

12/03/2013

Last week China announced a new air defense identification zone over the East China Sea, basically insisting it's in charge of the airspace over the disputed Senkaku Islands claimed by Japan. Japan and the United States said they would not recognize the ID zone and promptly sent in warplanes to underscore the point. U.S. B-52 bombers flew over the Senkakus, practically inviting a Chinese intervention.

Last 'new' Phantom returns to service

12/03/2013

he 82nd Aerial Target Squadron received the last of the "new" QF-4 aerial targets as the Vietnam-era aircraft landed here Nov. 19. The QF-4, Aircraft 68-0599, spent more than 20 years in the Air Force "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., before being brought back to life for one last mission.

Lockheed Martin Showcases New Training Technologies at I/ITSEC 2013

12/03/2013

Lockheed Martin will demonstrate the latest advancements in simulation and training for the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The event, Dec. 2-5, is the world's largest modeling, simulation and training conference.

Russia, US to Hold Joint Military Drill in July

12/03/2013

Russia and the United States will hold a joint military exercise next July, a spokesman for Russia’s Central Military District said Monday. Col. Yaroslav Roshchupkin said the drill, dubbed Atlas Vision 2014, will be held in the Chelyabinsk Region in the Urals.

Syrian warplanes kill 50 in northern rebel town

12/02/2013

Syrian government helicopters dropped barrels full of explosives on a rebel-held town near the northern city of Aleppo, killing at least 50 people in two separate attacks over the weekend, activists said on Sunday. The shelling hit near a bakery in the town of al-Bab, located east of Aleppo, killing at least 24 people, said Rami Abdurrahman of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Akram al-Halabi, a rebel spokesman based in nearby in Aleppo.

SOCOM asks industry for software tools to help helicopter pilots evade enemy radar and radar-guided missiles

12/02/2013

U.S. special operations aviation experts are asking industry for new software tools to help helicopter pilots evade enemy radar and radar-guided missiles and weapons. Officials of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Special Operations Mission Planning Office (SOMPO) at Fort Eustis, Va., have released a broad-agency announcement (H92238-14-R-0001) for the Threat Modeling for Enhanced Helicopter Mission Planning program.

Saab Reinforces Cost-Reduction Drive

12/02/2013

Faced with the twin challenges of a harsher competitive international marketplace and reduced national defense spending, Saab is launching a battle plan to increase profits and sales. The program will include cost-reduction initiatives and a greater focus on expanding high-in-potential niche business areas such as drone design and production.

Air Force maintenance unit critical asset during Israeli Blue Flag exercise

12/02/2013

Under abnormal conditions and in an unfamiliar location, maintainers from Royal Air Force Lakenheath had to use their creative minds and adaptability to ensure mission success during the first-ever Israeli “Blue Flag” exercise.

BAE Systems to build hundreds of fiber-optic decoys to protect combat jets from missiles

12/02/2013

Electronic warfare (EW) experts at the BAE Systems Electronic Systems segment in Nashua, N.H., will build 262 AN/ALE-55 fiber optic towed decoys (FOTDs) and 70 electronic frequency converters (EFC) under terms of a $28.2 million U.S. Navy contract announced last week.

Murphy's Law: Gripen Competes On Price And Being Good Enough

12/02/2013

The 2013 sale of 22 Swedish JAS 39E Gripen jet fighters to Switzerland was the last act in a very contentious competition between the Gripen, the French Rafale and the Anglo-German (mainly) Eurofighter. Most of the secret evaluations of the three fighters were recently leaked to the media and provided some interesting insights on all three aircraft. The Gripen won the competition not because it was the best fighter but because it was OK on all counts and it was the cheapest.

Naval Air: China Catching Up With X-47B

12/02/2013

The U.S. Navy’s X-47B UCAV (unmanned combat air vehicle) successfully carried out more tests aboard an aircraft carrier during November. In this case both existing X-47Bs were used. This comes after an X-47B made two out of three carrier landings for the first time on July 10th. The November tests further stressed the capabilities of the automatic landing system, especially in high speed and complex (different directions) winds. The autolanding systems passed all these tests.

No Chinese jets scrambled: Japan

12/01/2013

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera on Saturday denied Beijing’s claim that it scrambled fighter jets in response to Self-Defense Forces aircraft that had entered China’s new air defense identification zone, saying Tokyo has received no such reports. “There have been no abnormal situations, such as (Chinese) aircraft suddenly approaching (SDF planes in the ADIZ), as announced by China yesterday,” Onodera, surrounded by reporters, said Saturday morning.

Chinese fighter jets patrol air zone

12/01/2013

Tension escalated over the East China Sea after China scrambled its fighter jets to monitor US and Japanese planes in the new defence zone on Friday. China's defence ministry said its military was on "high alert," and prepared to act "based on different air threats to firmly ensure air-defence safety."

U.S. Said Making Daily Flights Into China’s Air Zone

12/01/2013

The U.S. military is conducting daily flights through China’s newly declared air-defense zone without notifying Beijing authorities in advance, a U.S. defense official said today. The disclosure indicates that U.S. flight activity in the area, where China has unilaterally sought to exert control, is more extensive than was previously known. The Pentagon had acknowledged a flight by two unarmed B-52 bombers through the air zone earlier this week.

U.S. 'advising' airlines to 'comply' with China request on disputed zone

12/01/2013

China, Japan and the United States are continuing their tense standoff in Beijing's disputed new air defense zone Friday - a treacherous situation that both sides warn could lead to violence, intended or not. To this point, a senior official in U.S. President Barack Obama's administration said Friday that commercial airlines are being told to abide by Beijing's call to notify it of plans to traverse the newly declared zone over the East China Sea, even if the U.S. government doesn't recognize it

Integrated strategy key to future joint operations, says Air Chief

12/01/2013

Chief of Air Staff (CoAS) Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne on Saturday stressed on the significance of jointmanship in the armed forces. "Any future operational response will demand an integrated strategy and employment of service specific strengths in a joint operation," he said. Browne, who also heads the Chiefs of Staff Committee, was addressing the passing out parade of the 125th course at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla.