Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

After losing deal to Rafale, US makes low-key presence with F16

02/11/2013

After losing the deal for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft to French company Dassault’s Rafale, US presence at the Aero India 2013 in Bangalore has been quite low key. Its marquee F16, piloted by Chris Nations, flew just once and was later part of the static display at the Aero India. “At all air shows we have been showcasing F-16’s proven capabilities and will certainly attract attention,” Chris Nations, told Business Line on the tarmac at the Yelahanka Air Station.

An insipid display on last day

02/11/2013

The much-hyped Russian Knights failed to live up to the expectations, despite flying in a formation of five on Sunday, unlike the four-aircraft formation they displayed the previous day. The ‘Barrel Rolls’, ‘Loops’, the ‘eye lug’, the ‘tail dive’, even the ‘vertical climb’, all of which they had showcased on Saturday were as unexciting as on the previous day. The Knights not using the flares, which was the highlight of their performance on Saturday, left the crowd upset.

IRKUT Makes a Case for YAK 130 Trainers for India at Aero India 2013

02/11/2013

Russian aircraft manufacturer IRKUT has made a case for the Yak-130 advanced combat trainer to be a part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) fleet. The aircraft which has been inducted into the Russian Air Force to offer both basic and advanced jet training for fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft is considered a good fit for the MiG-29, SU-30 MKI, the Rafale MMRCA and the potential acquisition of the PAK-FA fifth generation fighter.

Rethink Everything You Think You Know About World War II

02/11/2013

Did Britain go to war in 1939 dangerously unprepared compared to her Nazi German adversary? No. 1930s Britain was the leading arms producer on earth. The British army of 1939, although small, was the most mechanized in the world, with many more tanks per unit than the German Wehrmacht.

Iran Tests New Air-to-Air Missile

02/11/2013

"The new missile dubbed as Fakour 90 is fired from F14 fighter jets," General Farahi said. Meantime, he noted that Qader and Nasr air-based cruise missiles will be tested in coming days. Last week, a senior Iranian military commander announced that the Iranian Armed Forces plan to unveil its latest achievements in the production of armored vehicles, missiles and aircraft in the next few days.

Russian Military Inspectors to Fly Over Italy

02/11/2013

Russian military inspectors will begin on Monday a surveillance flight over the territory of Italy under the international Open Skies Treaty, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. The group of Russian experts will conduct the inspection flight in an Anotonov An-30B aircraft between February 11 and 15, he said. The aircraft will take off from the Ciampino airport to cover a total distance of 2,015 kilometers (1,252 miles).

Stopping short of war

02/10/2013

On January 30, a Chinese Jiangwei II-class frigate entered the disputed waters around the Senkaku Islands, a cluster of uninhabited rocks in the East China Sea claimed by China as the Diaoyu Islands. A Japanese destroyer was waiting. When the two warships were only three kilometres apart, the Chinese frigate turned on its fire control radar that aims its 100mm gun and C-802 anti-ship missiles and “painted” the Japanese vessel.

British, U.S. squadrons prep for Red Flag

02/10/2013

Residents in Hampton Roads are more used to the winds from hurricanes, but for the past two weeks, the skies above Hampton have been churning due to Typhoons — the Eurofighter FGR4s, that is. Eight Typhoons from the U.K. Royal Air Force’s XI Squadron joined the 1st Fighter Wing in a training exercise called Western Zephyr to familiarize pilots and maintainers from both countries how to better integrate during a joint mission.

Firms Willing To Deal With Indian Gov’t Headaches

02/10/2013

International defense giants and domestic companies that want to do business with India face an overloaded bureaucracy, complex defense procedures and a government with protectionist policies designed to favor state-owned entities. But they’re still willing to do business.

Thousands flock to Bangalore air show

02/10/2013

Thousands Saturday flocked to the Indian Air Force (IAF) base at Yelahanka on the outskirts of Bangalore to watch in awe metal birds fly and perform breathtaking aerobatics. Opening up the biennial air show to the public on the fourth day brought frenzied weekend crowds to see a spectacular flying display by fighter jets, choppers and military transport aircraft over the air base.

"Commanders will Control Aircraft Providing Close Air Support to Forces"

02/10/2013

The brigade's reconnaissance battalion, which celebrated its tenth anniversary during the exercise, returned to its roots on its anniversary: for the first time since the First Lebanon War in 1982, the paratroopers managed to "restore" the ability of calling for close air support by fighter aircraft. The commander of the reconnaissance battalion, Lt. Col. Nimrod, can now communicate directly with the pilot of an F-16 fighter circling overhead, and explain to the pilot where he wants him to drop

Sequester Defense Spending Cuts 2013: Will The US Be Less Safe After The Ax Falls On The Pentagon?

02/09/2013

In about three weeks, lawmakers in the U.S. Congress will be at each other’s throats again as they continue playing a favorite Washington parlor game: governing by crisis. This time around, though, it is the military and the safety of the nation that will be at the forefront of those decisions, as sequestration - the capital's buzzword for automatic spending cuts -- is due to begin taking effect March 1.

IAAFA hosts first female Dominican Republic combat pilot

02/09/2013

Taking a break from catching drug dealers, Capt. Maria Tejada-Quintana came to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland to attend the Inter-American Squadron Officer School at the Inter-American Air Forces Academy, graduating Dec. 12 with 278 fellow IAAFA students.

Inside China: English-speaking enemy

02/09/2013

In a recent air-combat exercise, the drill master pulled a trick on the “Red Team” representing the Chinese air force by having pilots of the enemy “Blue Team” shout orders in English. The tactic surprised the Red Team, which lost its airborne warning-and-control system (AWACS) plane and thus its electronic-warfare capability, resulting in a humiliating loss in the war game.

AERO INDIA: Indian air force chief slams HAL trainers

02/09/2013

The Indian air force's most senior officer has cast further doubt on the future of the Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) HTT-40 basic trainer, and also criticised the company's HJT-36 Sitara jet trainer during a media briefing at the Aero India show. Although bad relations between HAL and its biggest customer, the Indian air force, have been reported for years, the event at Yelahanka air base, near Bengaluru, gave a unique glimpse into the differences between the two parties.

Ace Combat Assault Horizon: Enhanced Edition review

02/09/2013

I’ve never been one to shy away from admitting when I’m wrong (why is my good wife laughing?), but Ace Combat Assault Horizon: Enhanced Edition (ACAH:EA) has forced me to correct something I’ve always thought about myself; that I abhor flight games. The idea of being out in the open with no walls to hide behind with my silenced weapon gave me the chills. How would I duck when under fire? Well, being a professional sort, I took one for the team.

Neuron partners show off future-fighter know-how

02/09/2013

"Our Istres flight test centre," boasts Charles Edelstenne, outgoing chief executive of Dassault Aviation, "has seen the first flights of more than 100 prototypes over the last 60 years. It is part of the history of French aviation." Most recently, on 1 December 2012, Istres was the location for the maiden sortie of Dassault's most ambitious project yet, the Neuron, an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).

Rolls-Royce Lifts Its Hopes For Indian Military Work

02/09/2013

Rolls Royce is attending the 2013 Aero India show with a renewed sense of optimism for its prospects in this key Asian market. At the last show back in 2011, there was some gloom when the UK-based aero engines maker decided to withdraw from the competition for re-engining the Indian Air Force’s Jaguars. Now Rolls-Royce’s main focus in India is the CTS800 turboshaft engine offered in partnership with Honeywell for the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) being developed by HAL.

Russia rants at India’s military buys

02/09/2013

Viktor Komardin, the head of the Russian delegation to India’s military airshow Aero India, alleged that Delhi has bought aircraft, submarines and weapons from western countries at inflated prices “without military logic”. Komardin is also the deputy chief of the Russian state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport.

U.S. Looks to Build on Military Exports to India

02/09/2013

The U.S.-India Business Council coordinated a large U.S. industry delegation to this week’s Aero India show led by Lt.Gen. Jeff Kohler (Retd.), vice president of Boeing Military Aircraft and Vice Admiral (Retd.) Kevin Cosgriff, senior vice president for international business with Textron Systems.

Japanese claim Russian fighter jets ‘stormed into their air space’ during annual rally demanding back islands Moscow seized after World War Two

02/09/2013

Tensions between Russia and Japan have intensified after two Russian warplanes were allegedly spotted flying over Japanese territory. Japan scrambled its own fighter jets in response, claiming the Russian Su-37 planes had entered its air space off the northern tip of Hokkaido island in the South China Sea.

IN FOCUS: Lockheed claims F-35 kinematics ‘better than or equal to’ Typhoon or Super Hornet

02/08/2013

Lockheed Martin is claiming that all three versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) will have kinematic performance better than or equal to any combat-configured fourth-generation fighter. The comparison includes transonic acceleration performance versus an air-to-air configured Eurofighter Typhoon and high angle-of-attack flight performance vis-à-vis the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

Lockheed Martin’s top sales guys pitch F-35s in Ottawa; Canuck test pilot says fighter jets have 50 per cent further range than CF-18s

02/08/2013

Two of Lockheed Martin’s top salesmen for the F-35 stealth fighter jet were in Ottawa Thursday for a round of media interviews, in the wake of a recent U.S. government report about development glitches for the trouble-plagued warplane and opposition criticism about high costs, to argue the F-35 is not only the best buy for Canada but also for future protection of Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.

Syrian air attacks worry some at camps for displaced people

02/08/2013

Syria On Jan. 13, bombs dropped by Syrian aircraft destroyed this town’s open-air market and at least five buildings around it. U.S. officials and Syrian opposition leaders say the bombings were part of a Syrian government tactic to target people who’ve fled because of violence in their home cities. Sixty people died and more than 100 were wounded, according to Dr. Bara’a al Nasser, 29, who works in the clinic at the nearby Bab al Salamah camp at Azaz, directly on the Turkish border.

Indigenously - manufactured aircraft stole the show at Aero India 2013

02/08/2013

Unlike the past few editions that were dominated by aircraft from nations vying for the medium multi role combat aircraft (MMRCA) contract, the opening session of this year saw the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, AWACS, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and the ZM-1 along with the vintage Tiger Moth perform some aerobatic stunts. The much-maligned Tejas, which in the past has been bashed for its performance and inability to enter the service, put up a breathtaking display.