Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

China's 'Sharp Sword' stealth UAV to make first flight one year later

08/31/2013

Recently the video about the taxiing test of China's "Sharp Sword" attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was exposed. Media said that China's "Sharp Sword" stealth attack UAV proof test has already begun and the frequent land taxiing tests indicate the preparatory work for the first flight is underway. In an interview with CCTV reporter, military expert Du Wenlong revealed that China's first stealth UAV will make the first flight after one year and it is in good technical conditions at the presen

An Accidental War

08/31/2013

I see the Obama “reset” is going so swimmingly that the president is now threatening to go to war against a dictator who gassed his own people. Don’t worry, this isn’t anything like the dictator who gassed his own people that the discredited warmonger Bush spent 2002 and early 2003 staggering ever more punchily around the country inveighing against. The 2003 dictator who gassed his own people was the leader of the Baath Party of Iraq.

RAF fighter jets sent in as tensions over Syria grow

08/31/2013

As RAF Typhoon interceptor jets touched down in Cyprus – within striking distance of the Syrian capital Damascus – the Government said the aircraft had been sent to protect UK bases. The Ministry of Defence insisted: “They are not deploying to take part in any military action against Syria.” A spokesman said: “We can confirm that as part of ongoing contingency planning, six RAF Typhoon interceptor fast jets are deploying to Akrotiri in Cyprus.

LCAs to be ready by mid-2014, says India's top scientist

08/31/2013

Production work to roll out the country's first indigenous light combat aircraft Tejas began in full throttle and the first few aircraft should roll out by mid-2014, India's top defence scientist said on Friday. The lightweight multi-role combat aircraft, which is in the making for 30 years now, has gone through several phases of streamlining in the drawing room after the armed forces expressed reservation about its faulty initial design.

Russia’s Famed Aerobatic Team Tests New Su-30SM Fighter Jets

08/31/2013

Pilots of Russia’s famed Russkiye Vityazi (the Russian Knights) aerobatic display team on Friday tested new Su-30SM multirole fighter jets, the aircraft’s manufacturer said. “During the flights, pilots of the famed aerobatics team performed a series of aerial stunts and familiarized themselves with unique super-maneuverable capacities of the Su-30SM fighter jet.

Russia Developing Attack Drone From T-50 Fighter Jet – UAC

08/31/2013

Russia is developing an unmanned combat air vehicle based on the T-50 fifth-generation fighter jet, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said Friday. The drone is still mostly on the drawing board, however, as development is currently at a “preliminary research stage,” in accordance with plans approved by the Russian Defense Ministry, UAC president Mikhail Pogosyan said at the MAKS-2013 airshow near Moscow.

Russian MiG-31 Fighter Jets Good Enough Until ‘At Least 2028’

08/31/2013

Russia’s MiG-31 Foxhound interceptors will stay in service until “at least 2028” or possibly five or 10 years more, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev said Friday. “We are satisfied with this aircraft; it performs its functions wonderfully,” the general said, adding that as next-generation long-range missiles and aircraft are developed, interception functions could be assigned to newer warplanes as well.

AF assets could be called on in expected Syrian strike

08/30/2013

While speculation is that Navy warships floating off the coast will lead the expected attack on Syria, the Air Force has a fleet of fighters and bombers deployed nearby and ready if called upon. And Air Force aircraft can reach Syrian targets from the U.S. mainland if need be, just as in the Libyan campaign.

US Likely to Jab Syrian Air Defenses, Planes

08/30/2013

A U.S.-led military strike on Syria would probably last only a couple of days, but wreak havoc on the country's command and control facilities, air defenses and aircraft, analysts said. The White House may as early as Thursday order a military intervention in the war-torn country after accusing Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime of using chemical weapons against civilians.

Air Tractor's Crop-Duster, Other Planes Revamped for Military Use

08/30/2013

Air Tractor President Jim Hirsch isn’t in the business of making pretty airplanes. His crop-dusters are big, slow, and sturdy—perfect for flying low over cornfields and landing on dirt airstrips. He’s betting that means they’re pretty well suited to blowing up terrorists, too. The company is affixing armor plating, sensors, and weapons ranging from .50 caliber machine guns to air-to-ground missiles onto planes originally designed to douse cropland with chemicals and spray water on brush fires.

U.S. Marines see progress in F-35 testing despite challenges

08/30/2013

Two F-35 fighter jets have completed dozens of test flights from the deck of this amphibious assault ship over the past three weeks, but several flights were scrapped on Wednesday for maintenance issues, just as more than a dozen journalists arrived for a demonstration.

Advanced Super Hornet Put Through Three Weeks Of Flight Testing – Improvements To Range and Other Capabilities

08/30/2013

During three weeks of flight testing the Advanced Super Hornet, Boeing [NYSE: BA] and partner Northrop Grumman demonstrated that the fighter can outperform threats for decades to come with improvements that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give it significantly more combat range.

Assad’s Scope to Retaliate for Strike Won’t Match Syrian Threats

08/30/2013

The day after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said U.S. forces were ready to strike Syria, a website backing President Bashar al-Assad announced that an elite group called the “Eagles Martyrdom Aerial Squadron” was ready to sacrifice itself in kamikaze attacks on the enemy.

RAF Typhoon jets deployed to Cyprus

08/30/2013

Six RAF Typhoon jets have been deployed to Cyprus to protect UK interests and sovereign bases "at a time of heightened tension in the wider region", the Ministry of Defence has confirmed. The jets are being sent to Akrotiri in Cyprus as a "prudent and precautionary measure" and are not deploying to take part in military action against Syria, the MoD said.

Future Turkish Fighter Concepts Revealed at IDEF 13

08/30/2013

The international defense industry fair (IDEF 13) held in Istanbul, Turkey, from May 7 to 10 saw the Turkish industry announce a number of developments. The most notable was the revelation of three potential concepts for the TF-X national combat aircraft program, a stealthy aircraft that is ultimately expected to replace the F-16.

Syria crisis: Western military options

08/30/2013

All the signals from Washington and London suggest that military action against Syria is now a strong possibility. Contingency plans are being drawn up, potential target lists are being reviewed and various military assets are being moved into position. The US Navy is re-positioning several vessels, including four cruise missile-carrying destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean and probably a missile-firing submarine.

Boeing to Highlight Partnership Opportunities at MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition

08/30/2013

Boeing will highlight products and services capable of supporting Poland's plans to modernize its armed forces at this year's MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition, including a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system and the AH-64 Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. The exhibition will be held Sept. 2-5 in Kielce.

Czechs and Swiss boost hope for Swedish Gripen

08/29/2013

The interim Czech government said it plans to renew its lease of JAS Gripen fighter jets, while a parliamentary committee in Switzerland said yes to a proposed 23 billion kronor ($3.5 billion) purchase of the Swedish-made warplanes. Following two days of discussions of the deal that would see the Swiss military purchase 22 Jas Gripen jets, the security and defence committee of the Swiss parliament voted 14-9 in favour of the deal.

Hey, Congress: Time To Get Real About National Security

08/29/2013

When members of Congress return from their August recess, their plates will be very full. Our legislators need to fund the government for the next fiscal year, which starts October first. Although it may seem like a simple task to keep the government operating, a potential partisan collision over raising the debt ceiling once again presents the threat of a government shutdown.

US reportedly offers drones to German military

08/29/2013

The US has offered to sell four unarmed drones to Germany's army, the Bundeswehr, according to a newspaper report. However, the aircraft could be easily converted for combat use. The US government could deliver to Germany four unarmed MQ-9A Predator B drones, including ground control stations, the Suddeutsche Zeitung (SZ) reported in their Wednesday edition, citing a defense ministry answer to a request from the Left party's parliamentary faction.

Analyst: Air strikes against Syria would require would big assist from Scott AFB's Air Mobility Command

08/29/2013

Media reports indicate the United States and its allies could begin retaliatory air strikes against Syria as early as Thursday morning. If the air strikes occur, big questions remain as to their goals and scope. Will the air strikes focus on suspected chemical weapons caches in Syria?

Missile strikes may lead to terror attacks on UK, warn military experts: Commanders warn of 'unintended consequences' of ill-thought-out campaign against Assad

08/29/2013

Britain risks sleep-walking into a full-scale war by launching missile strikes against Syria, former top brass warned last night. Retired commanders cautioned that an ill-thought-out attack against President Assad’s brutal regime could provoke revenge attacks at home and abroad.

Russia plans advanced new fighter jet

08/29/2013

Russia says it's planning to build a new fighter jet that would be more advanced than the newest American models. The so-called sixth-generation fighter jet “will most likely be pilotless,” former Russian air force chief Pyotr Deinekin told the state news agency RIA Novosti this week — even though Russia has yet to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet.

Boeing Advanced Super Hornet Demonstrates Significant Stealth, Range Improvements

08/29/2013

During three weeks of flight testing the Advanced Super Hornet, Boeing and partner Northrop Grumman demonstrated that the fighter can outperform threats for decades to come with improvements that make the jet much harder for radar to detect and give it significantly more combat range.

Russian Fighter Jets to Deploy to Belarus by Year End - Minister

08/29/2013

A unit of Russian fighter jets will be deployed in Belarus before the yearend, Belarusian Defense Minister Yury Zhadobin said Wednesday. He did not say whether the jets will be located at an airbase Russia is planning to open in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, but a Russian Air Force general said in late June that Russian Su-27SM3 fighter jets would be stationed at the base, due to open “within a few months’ time.”