Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

How Great Britain's New Massive Aircraft Carrier Could Make Billions for One American Company

12/15/2013

And yet, Illustrious' retirement sets the stage for a new age in aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. That same year, Britain aims to launch the lead vessel of a new class of carriers, the HMS Queen Elizabeth. The new Queen will be a technological marvel, equipped with a new "highly mechanized weapon handling system" that can be operated, in a pinch, by as few as a dozen sailors. The entire vessel, twice the size of the carrier it is replacing, will boast a crew of only 679 souls.

Crew Escape Russian Fighter Jet Crash

12/15/2013

Two Russian Air Force crew members ejected to safety when their MiG-31 interceptor crashed on Saturday in the Far Eastern Primorye region, local authorities said. The aircraft went down 26 kilometers from the Tsentralnaya Uglovaya airbase near Vladivostok, after taking off at 5:07 a.m. Moscow time from the Knevichy airfield.

British hopes of $10B Emirates Typhoon deal sink

12/14/2013

Britain's high-profile drive to sell Eurofighter Typhoon combat jets in the Persian Gulf seems to be running into trouble, with the United Arab Emirates reportedly having second thoughts about acquiring as many as 60 of the aircraft. If Emirates' planned $10 billion procurement to replace its aging Dassault Aviation Mirage 2000-9 jets to counter regional rival Iran is still on, that could boost the prospects of the Typhoon's main rival, Dassault's Rafale multirole fighter.

Japan offers Asean countries $20bn in aid and loans

12/14/2013

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe has offered SE Asian countries almost $20bn in aid and loans, in what is being seen as an effort to combat Chinese expansion. The announcement came at a summit in Tokyo, weeks after China's declaration of a new air defence zone overlapping areas claimed by Japan and South Korea.

SDF to acquire 17 Osprey aircraft over 5 yrs from FY 2014

12/14/2013

Japan's Self-Defense Forces will acquire 17 of the U.S. military's controversial Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft over five years from next April, a source close to the issue said Friday. Japan will also purchase three surveillance drones and 52 amphibious vehicles to enhance its capability to defend remote islands, the source said.

Combat Power: China Way Ahead Of India

12/14/2013

An Indian Defence Ministry document has revealed that it will take nearly 15 years for the South Asian country to improve its fighting capacity to China’s level as the communist neighbour is currently outnumbering India’s combat power by a 3:1 ratio.

First F-35A destined for Luke Air Force Base rolls out of Texas plant

12/14/2013

The first F-35A Lightning II fighter jet destined for Luke Air Force Base rolled out of a Lockheed Martin assembly plant here Friday amid cheers and whoops from military and political leaders, and a blaring rendition of rock legend AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” Dozens more of the twin-tailed planes will follow.

Chinese Naval Vessel Tries to Force U.S. Warship to Stop in International Waters

12/14/2013

A Chinese naval vessel tried to force a U.S. guided missile warship to stop in international waters recently, causing a tense military standoff in the latest case of Chinese maritime harassment, according to defense officials. The guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens, which recently took part in disaster relief operations in the Philippines, was confronted by Chinese warships in the South China Sea near Beijing’s new aircraft carrier Liaoning, according to officials familiar with the incident.

Lockheed Martin Celebrates 100th F-35 Lightning II

12/14/2013

At a ceremony attended by more than 2,000 employees and guests, Lockheed Martin celebrated the production of its 100th F-35 Lightning II. Defense leaders Gen. Robin Rand, Commander, Air Education and Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and Brig. Gen. Michael Rothstein, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz., joined the employees who build the F-35 for the celebration.

Another C-130J Super Hercules Rolls to “The Rock”

12/14/2013

The 61st Airlift Squadron at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., received another C-130J Super Hercules that was ferried from the Lockheed Martin plant here by a U.S. Air Force crew, Dec. 12, 2013.

Greece Tests Russian-Made S-300 Missile System for First Time

12/14/2013

Greek armed forces test-fired a Russian-made S-300 air defense system on Friday, for the first time since it was bought 14 years ago. Greece is the only NATO member that has an S-300 in service. The system was initially purchased by Cyprus in the mid-1990s, and was later transferred to the Greek island of Crete following objections from Turkey.

Scorpion Jet Takes Flight

12/13/2013

This morning, Textron AirLand successfully completed the first flight of the Scorpion, the company's new tactical twinjet, which was announced earlier this year. The Scorpion took off from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, and flew for 1.4 hours.

Negotiations on with Dassault for fighter jets: IAF chief

12/13/2013

The Indian Air Force is negotiating with French aviation major Dassault Aviation's Rafale for 126 medium fighter jets in a multi-billion dollar deal, Chief of Air Staff of IAF, Air Chief Marshall N A K Browne today said. The deal suffered a "setback" due to the death of an official, who handled the negotiation, in September. Now a new Joint Secretary has joined last week to take the negotiations forward, Browne told reporters here.

Hagel, Singapore Minister Reaffirm Defense Relationship

12/13/2013

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Singapore's Defense Minister Dr. Ng Eng Hen met today at the Pentagon and reaffirmed their countries’ longstanding defense relationship. Minister Ng is in the United States to witness the Singapore Armed Forces' Exercise Forging Sabre and the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Republic of Singapore Air Force's Peace Carvin II F-16 detachment.

Inside China: Ukraine gets nuke umbrella

12/13/2013

Ukraine has served as a back channel for China to circumvent Russia’s intellectual property rights protections. In recent years, debt-ridden Kiev sold to Beijing hundreds of Russian-made aircraft engines to equip China’s JL-trainers and J-10 and J-11 combat aircraft — themselves knockoffs of Russia’s Sukoi fighter jets.

Last flight of MiG-21 jet that changed course of Liberation War

12/13/2013

The MiG-21 FL fighter jet from Indian Air Force (IAF), which had changed the course of the 1971 Liberation War of Bangladesh due to its accuracy, flew into the annals of history yesterday. “I have the greatest professional regard for MiG-21. The agility of MiG-21 cannot be matched by any of the present day fighters,” the Hindustan Times quoted Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne as saying while bidding farewell to one of the first variants of MiG-21 combat aircraft.

Examining MiG aircraft success

12/13/2013

Artyom Ivanovich Mikoyan, the outstanding Soviet aircraft designer, created aircraft that set 55 world records. Here’s a look at five of the most interesting designs produced by the MiG Experimental Design Bureau.

Light Combat Aircraft Tejas to officially replace MiG-21 FL

12/13/2013

The indigenously developed light combat aircraft 'Tejas' would officially replace the MiG-21 FL fighter jet, Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne said on Thursday. "One major phase has passed over and now we look toward the new induction into the force. The LCA will replace the MiG-21," Browne told reporters at the headquarter of Eastern Air Command here.

Iraq signs $1.1 bn deal to buy S. Korean fighter aircraft

12/13/2013

Iraq signed a $1.1 billion deal Thursday to buy 24 multi-role light fighters from South Korea, officials said, in what will be the Asian nation's biggest arms export. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) said it would deliver the T-50IQ, a variant of its T-50 supersonic aircraft, to Baghdad between 2015 and 2016, under the terms of the deal signed in Seoul.

Putin Says Bids to Gain Military Dominance Over Russia Futile

12/13/2013

President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday against foreign powers seeking to secure a military advantage over Russia and said any attempts to destroy the existing global strategic balance would be futile. Speaking in his annual State of the Nation address, Putin dismissed arguments that the proposed European missile shield is defensive only and described it as having a strategically offensive potential.

Russia Plans to Increase Arms Exports to $50Bln by 2020

12/13/2013

Russia could quadruple its annual arms sales to $50 billion by 2020 in a race for the top spot on the global arms exporters list, a senior government official said Thursday. “Not counting inflation, I think we could reach $50 billion [in arms exports] annually by 2020,” Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin told reporters in Moscow. “It is four times the current amount.”

China’s Unmanned Carrier-Based J-20 is a Pipedream (For Now)

12/12/2013

Loyal readers of Flashpoints know any type of new Chinese military weapon or gadget is always a hot topic of conversation for this blog. And rightly so—Beijing has presented us defense geeks with new ballistic and cruise missile technology, a new carrier with rumors of a domestically built flattop allegedly under construction, fresh ICBM’s, increasingly advanced submarines and more. The rumor mill is always churning with new developments and technologies to digest and dissect.

Rocky flight: Sikorsky, other helicopter makers worry about future

12/12/2013

The paragraphs were slipped into a massive defense bill by a Mississippi senator. Part assertion, part plea, they are aimed at the Pentagon, and more than anything else, they reflect the worry that Sikorsky Aircraft and other helicopter manufacturers feel about their future. Rather than investing in new technologies and funding a new generation of rotary winged aircraft, the Pentagon is moving to upgrade existing helicopters.

UAE, UK conclude joint military training exercises

12/12/2013

Advanced Typhoon fighter aircraft took part in the advanced tactical leadership course (ATLC), led by the UAE Air Force’s Air Warfare Centre, to ensure the UAE and its allies can operate together effectively to support security in the Arabian Gulf. Flt Lt Jim Fordham, a Typhoon pilot with 3 (Fighter) Squadron, said the exercise helped the RAF to share knowledge with the UAE.

Aero Vodochody develops new L-169 aircraft

12/12/2013

Czech aircraft producer Aero Vodochody Aerospace is developing the concept of new aircraft L-169, which will have more Czech-made equipment and longer flying range compared with the older L-159 version, news servers iDnes and Aktuálne.cz said today. The design philosophy of the new model is based on the older L-39 Albatros aircraft, which is still used in a number of countries.