Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Singapore's F-15 fighter jets are operationally ready: RSAF

09/19/2013

Singapore's most modern fighter jets are now combat ready, strengthening the Republic's air defence shield. The Republic of Singapore Air Force's (RSAF) 24 F-15 SG fighter jets went operational on Wednesday. Singapore received its first F-15 aircraft in 2009. The F-15 jet is considered one of the top fighter planes in the world. It has racked up a combat record of 104 victories and zero losses in 30 years of air battles worldwide.

Boeing to Complete Production of C-17 Globemaster III in 2015

09/19/2013

Boeing [NYSE: BA] will complete production of the C-17 Globemaster III and close the C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach, Calif. in 2015. "Ending C-17 production was a very difficult but necessary decision," said Dennis Muilenburg, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

Latvia Sounds Alarm Over Russian Warplane Flights

09/19/2013

Latvia’s defense minister on Wednesday slammed frequent flights by Russian warplanes near the country’s airspace. Flights by Russian Air Force aircraft are not only a show of force but also part of a military training program, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks said in an interview broadcast on Latvian TV Wednesday.

Dutch Pick F-35 Jets to Expand Aging Fleet

09/18/2013

The Dutch defense ministry said on Tuesday that it had selected the F-35 fighter jet from Lockheed Martin to replace its aging fleet of F-16s, bringing an end to years of uncertainty over the Netherlands’ commitment to a program that has been plagued by technical delays and mounting development costs.

Super Tucano project on schedule

09/18/2013

Embraer Defense & Security Inc. says it is on schedule to begin delivering A-29 Super Tucano training and combat air support aircraft to the U.S. Air Force. The 20 aircraft are being supplied for the U.S. Air Force's Light Air Support program and will be transferred to the Air Force of Afghanistan.

Air Force May Not Fund New Rescue Helicopters, Dooming Downed Pilots

09/18/2013

On Monday of this week, the Air Force Association kicked off its annual Air & Space Conference near the nation’s capital — just in time for a front-page story in the widely-read trade publication Defense News disclosing that the service will comply with congressionally-mandated budget caps by slashing funds for several combat systems. Parts of the story sounded improbable, like the passage stating that the service would retire the most productive tankers in its aerial-refueling fleet.

Decision time for Amos following Bastion attack investigation

09/18/2013

Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim Amos will soon decide what actions to take after receiving the results of an investigation into how a spectacular and deadly attack on a U.S. base in Afghanistan occurred last fall, Marine officials said Tuesday.

Boeing Stock Takes Off With New Defense Contracts

09/18/2013

Worth $300 million, the indefinite quantity contract runs through 2016 and tasks Boeing with providing hardware and service in support of US Special Operations Command’s UAVs. This contract is the biggest of multiple wins for Boeing, which includes two additional contracts totaling an extra $30 million. Perhaps even more exciting is the recent news that Boeing has emerged as the sole eligible bidder to help replace South Korea's aging aerospace fleet.

Syria says downed helicopter was in Turkish airspace but ‘not on combat mission’

09/18/2013

Syria has admitted that an army helicopter shot down by Turkish forces on Monday had crossed briefly into Turkish airspace, but insists it was not on a combat mission. Syrian opposition activists say rebels captured one of the two pilots in Syrian territory. Syria’s army claims the helicopter was monitoring “terrorists” crossing into the country and was on its way back when it was hit.

F-35 Fighter’s Tires Wear Out Too Soon, Pentagon Finds

09/18/2013

Tires that wear out too soon are adding to the troubles facing Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s F-35, the Pentagon’s costliest weapons system. Landing-gear tires made by Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd. for the Marine Corps version of the fighter have “been experiencing an unacceptable wear rate when operating as a conventional aircraft,” according to Joe DellaVedova, spokesman for the Defense Department’s F-35 program office.

Eurocopter technology transfer sees Brazilian-made countermeasure system integrated on military aircraft

09/18/2013

Six flights were performed with the self-protection system – which is used to detect and identify threats to the aircraft and confuse heat-seeking and radar-guided missiles – validating its operation and integration with the helicopter’s other functions. The system was developed by Helibras’ Engineering Center under the supervision of Chief Engineer Walter Filho.

US, Russia Spar over Truth, Consequences in Syria

09/18/2013

The United States and Russia remained at loggerheads Tuesday over the potential use of force against Syria should Damascus fail to abide by a US-Russian plan to secure chemical weapons stockpiles controlled by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Saudi-British Green Flag

09/18/2013

Aircraft, crews and supporting personnel from the Royal Saudi Air Force, (RSAF) have been operating alongside their allies from the Royal Air Force as Exercise Saudi-British Green Flag took place at RAF Coningsby.

Future war: Arms industry shows off next-gen drones in London

09/17/2013

Reconnaissance gadgets and robotic warfare devices are getting smaller by the year, with James Bond like technology being offered to a wide range of buyers, from police forces to special military units. The market place for such technology has become Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEi) exhibition held at ExCel London.

S. Korea to announce winner of fighter jet project next week

09/17/2013

South Korea will select the winner of its fighter jet project next week, with Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle deemed a favorite as it is the only candidate to meet the 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) budget, the state procurement agency said Tuesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has completed biddings and evaluations on three jets - Boeing's F-15 SE, Lockheed Martin's F-35 and the EADS' Eurofighter - and briefed President Park Geun-hye on the results last week.

It Just Works

09/17/2013

The U.S. is transferring a squadron (battalion) of combat helicopters to South Korea to reinforce the army combat aviation brigade and the 28,000 American troops already there. The new squadron has 380 troops and 30 OH-58D armed reconnaissance helicopters and will arrive in South Korea by October, as part of a program to raise U.S. troops strength slightly (to 30,000 or so) in anticipation of problems with North Korea.

The Boeing Companyy (BA), Lckheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Wheels Up for Textron Inc. (TXT)’s Next-Generation Super Helicopter

09/17/2013

The race is on to build the U.S. Army's new super-helicopter - and competition is heating up. As of March, four companies, and teams of companies, had submitted proposals to the Army to build a new "Future Vertical Lift," or FVL, aircraft to replace the hodgepodge of Kiowa scout helicopters, Black Hawk and Chinook transports, and Apache attack helos that currently carry soldiers into battle, and support ground troops once they're there.

Northrop Unveils F-35 Missile Protection System

09/17/2013

Northrop Grumman on Thursday unveiled a new anti-missile laser protection system designed for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Washington. The Threat Nullification Defensive Resource — ThNDR for short, to compliment the F-35’s “Lightning” designation — is a progression from Northrop’s directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) family of systems.

Textron Unveils Scorpion Light Attack, Recce Jet

09/17/2013

It takes a gutsy move for a company to pitch a brand new, clean-sheet aircraft to the Pentagon for a set of requirements it has not even said it wants, and to present this idea while defense spending in the U.S. faces massive cuts.

Turkey shoots down Syrian helicopter

09/17/2013

A Turkish fighter jet shot down a Syrian military helicopter on Monday after it entered Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings to leave, an official has said. The helicopter strayed 2km into Turkish airspace, but crashed inside Syria after being hit by missiles fired from the jet, according to Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister, Bulent Arinc.

AF considers scrapping A-10s, KC-10s, F-15Cs, CSAR helos

09/17/2013

Faced with steep budget cuts and the desire to keep existing procurement initiatives on track, the Air Force is considering scrapping its entire fleet of A-10 attack jets and KC-10 tankers, according to multiple military and defense sources. Also on the chopping block are F-15C fighters and a planned $6.8 billion purchase of new combat search-and-rescue helicopters, these sources say.

L-3 wins Iraqi F-16 trainer contract

09/17/2013

L-3 Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) announced today that it has been awarded a contract modification to build the Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) two F-16 Block 52 Weapon Tactics Trainers (WTTs), two brief/debrief systems and one mission observation centre.

Shooting down five myths about cruise missiles

09/16/2013

There are not many heroes in the should-we-bomb-Syria debate, but if there is one, it might be the cruise missile. For weeks the news media have discussed the positioning in the Mediterranean of American destroyers and submarines, which carry the Tomahawk cruise missile. And whether arguing pro or con, most of the politicians and military experts have come back to it as the central instrument of U.S. power in this curious crisis.

HELICOPTER PILOT WARY OF NEW DRONES

09/16/2013

Nine hundred hours in the air. That’s the life of a Navy helicopter pilot less than halfway through his career. Lt. Kasey Scheel flies the MH-60S helicopter, a search-and-rescue aircraft that also delivers people and cargo to Navy ships. After a deployment on the aircraft carrier Nimitz and a one-year tour in Qatar, Scheel is back at North Island Naval Air Station as an instructor pilot.

USAF Weighs Scrapping KC-10, A-10 Fleets

09/16/2013

Faced with steep budget cuts and the desire to keep existing procurement initiatives on track, the US Air Force is considering scrapping its entire fleet of KC-10 tankers and A-10 attack jets, according to multiple military and defense sources. Also on the chopping block are F-15C fighter jets and a planned $6.8 billion purchase of new combat search-and-rescue helicopters, these sources say.