Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Hacking U.S. Secrets, China Pushes for Drones

09/22/2013

For almost two years, hackers based in Shanghai went after one foreign defense contractor after another, at least 20 in all. Their target, according to an American cybersecurity company that monitored the attacks, was the technology behind the United States’ clear lead in military drones.

It's a bird...it's a plane...it's a reusable, hypersonic military space plane

09/21/2013

The U.S. military's future satellite operations could include a reusable vehicle that can fly like an airplane, go faster than Mach 10 and be launched multiple times in a short time frame. That's the goal of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's new XS-1 project which aims to reduce costs associated with traditional satellite launches. DARPA will hear proposals on the new hypersonic space plane on Oct. 7.

Hair-Raising Video Shows What It's Like To Fly In An F-16

09/21/2013

This video is particularly interesting because it not only gives an idea of what flying in the backseat of an F-16 looks like, but let’s you hear some pilots talk: for instance, at a certain point you can hear the formation leader’s say to the rest of the flight to switch on “discrete freq” 138.150 MHz.

Boeing selects L-3 Display Systems remote interface unit for F-15C/D Eagle military aircraft

09/21/2013

The Boeing Company engineers needed a Remote Interface Unit (RIU) for the F-15C/D Advanced Display Core Processor (ADCP) II aircraft. They found their solution at L-3 Display Systems. The RIU is a redundant, programmable input/output processing system that collects and manages heads-up display (HUD), hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS), and other F-15C/D analog and digital signals for distribution using the aircraft’s digital bus interfaces.

France Receives First Rafale Aircraft Of Lot Four

09/21/2013

The French Government Defense procurement agency takes delivery of the first aircraft of the fourth production tranche of the Rafale program. The sixty aircraft of this production lot are all fitted as standard with next-generation sensors, namely the RBE2 Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) radar with active antenna, the new-generation missile launch detector (DDM NG) and the new front sector optronics "Identification and Telemetry.”

Supersonic! The 10 Fastest Military Airplanes

09/21/2013

Aviation has come a long way since the intrepid Wright brothers made the first powered and sustained heavier-than-air flight in 1903. More than a century has passed since that fateful morning in Kitty Hawk, N.C., and since then, engineers have created planes that can fly higher and faster than Wilbur and Orville Wright likely ever imagined. Here are 10 of the fastest military airplanes.

U.S. pilot scares off Iranians with ‘Top Gun’-worthy stunt

09/21/2013

The U.S. Air Force has a message for Iran: Don’t mess with our drones. In what only can be described as a scene out of Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun,” Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Air Force chief of staff, describes how F-22 stealth jets scared off Iranian jets from a U.S. drone flying in international airspace.

Ogden ALC Welcomes Its First F-35 Lightning II

09/21/2013

The U.S. Air Force’s Air Logistics Complex (ALC) at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah, hosted a ceremony today marking the arrival of the first Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft to a depot facility.

US Prepared to Strike Syria if UN Deal Falls Short – Official

09/21/2013

The United States has not ruled out military strikes against Syria if Damascus does not abide by a US-Russian plan to hand over its chemical weapons arsenal, a White House official said Friday ahead of UN Security Council talks on enforcing the disarmament program. “We are not forsaking the option of the United States and our allies taking military action,” White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters during a conference call.

Russian Aircraft Carrier to Take Part in Barents Sea Drills

09/21/2013

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will take part in five-day naval exercises in the Barents Sea from Saturday until September 25, a spokesman for Russia’s Northern Fleet said Friday. “The Admiral Kuznetsov set sail from the naval base in Severomorsk yesterday, heading toward the exercise area in the Barents Sea,” Capt. 1st Rank Vadim Serga said.

Angry Skies: Japanese Jets Scramble as Tensions With China Escalate

09/20/2013

The skies over Okinawa are often perilous, with sudden squalls complicating air traffic over this subtropical Japanese outpost. In recent months, the treacherous airspace has gotten even busier, with Japanese fighter jets based in Naha, the capital of Okinawa prefecture, scrambling in record numbers as tensions between China and Japan spiral over a scattering of disputed islands.

Growler Gets Down With The Internet

09/20/2013

Four years after entering squadron service, the U.S. Navy's EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft is being upgraded with a communications technology that allows the EA-18G to share data instantly with other EA-18Gs and other types of aircraft (combat and support, like E-2 and E-3 AWACS). The new capability is JTIDS (Joint Tactical Information Data System).

US Budget Woes Could Affect Taiwan F-16 Upgrades

09/20/2013

Despite pains by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) to keep the F-16 upgrade program on course, the effort could be derailed by US defense budget cuts that endanger the US Air Force’s Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) program for its own F-16s.

The Art Of Aging Effectively

09/20/2013

The East European country of Belarus is retiring its Su-27 fighters. It will probably sell them, unless it is able to find the cash to refurbish them. The Su-27s are 25 years old and were not built to fly more than 3,000 hours. This is low for modern jet fighters but typical of Russian combat aircraft. For example, last year the first 18 Su-30s India received from Russia were retired after a decade of service and a service life of only 4,000 flight hours.

Croatian Air Force To Protect Montenegrin Airspace

09/20/2013

Montenegrin airspace is tol be protected by Croatian aircrafs. The day on which when this agreement will be formalized is not far off, as the Government of Montenegro has adopted a draft agreement between the Ministries of Podgorica, Zagreb, Sarajevo and Skopje on air surveillance.

Gridlock, Sequester Deepen Military Budget Morass

09/20/2013

The uniformed chiefs of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps got another shot Wednesday at describing the deepening readiness crisis that Congress has inflicted on the armed forces.

Airmen test skills in first 'Arctic Challenge'

09/20/2013

The first Exercise Arctic Challenge, which includes more than 60 aircraft from five partner nations, here began Sept. 16. Norwegian F-16 Fighting Falcons, Swedish JAS-39 Gripens, Finnish F/A-18 Hornets and U.K. Eurofighter Typhoons took to the skies with U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, F-15C Eagles and KC-135 Stratotankers to train in a combined environment.

Make it a Dozen!

09/20/2013

Lockheed Martin delivered its 12th C-5M Super Galaxy to the U.S. Air Force from its facilities here today. Major General Rowayne “Wayne” Schatz Jr., Director of Strategic Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. flew the Super Galaxy to Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., where it will undergo internal paint restoration before traveling to its permanent home at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

Ship Trials Bring F-35B Capability, Operational Utility Into Focus

09/20/2013

Recent ship trials for the Lockheed Martin F-35B onboard the USS Wasp [LHD-1] underscored the fifth-generation fighter’s unique capabilities and operational utility according to Marines and sailors alike.

Israel's booming arms exports under scrutiny

09/19/2013

Israel's defense industry is under scrutiny for not being particular enough about its customers amid allegations it exploits the West Bank to develop security systems. "A key component of the militarized state is the drive to increase the production and export of weapons while also becoming a global security-services provider," former Central Intelligence Agency officer Philip Giraldi said.

Air Force Blows Up Speedboat Using Laser-Guided Bomb: Camera Capture Moments Before And After Impact

09/19/2013

A laser-guided GBU-10 targets a mobile surface vehicle Sept. 4, 2013, at a training range in the Gulf of Mexico. A B-1B from the 337th Test and Evaluation Squadron, alongside other bomber and fighter aircraft, participated in a maritime tactics development and evaluation exercise with the goal of improving and better understanding the aircraft’s capabilities in a maritime environment.

Local Navy Contract Awards

09/19/2013

The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities.

Service chiefs: Budget cuts put troops, nation at risk

09/19/2013

The U.S. military’s gloomy future came into clearer focus Wednesday when the four service chiefs testified on Capitol Hill about the long-term impact of defense spending caps on the force, including troop cuts, deployment-to-dwell times and cutbacks to worldwide operations.

Editorial: USAF Should Be Open To Low-Cost Aircraft

09/19/2013

Since its formation in 1947, the U.S. Air Force has tended toward the high end of the combat-aircraft spectrum. The service began its independent life flying the lightweight P-51 Mustang and F-86 Sabre, but quickly gravitated to the heavy F-105 Thunderchief, F-106 Delta Dart and eventually the F-111, a fighter in designation only.

Afghans to Receive First C-130 Aircraft From USAF

09/19/2013

After nearly a year of relying on helicopters for the bulk of its air cargo transportation, the Afghan Air Force will receive its first C-130H Hercules transports early next month. The U.S. Air Force is slated to give the Afghans four C-130H aircraft. Two of those aircraft will be delivered on Oct. 10, the NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan announced on Wednesday.