Military Aviation News Archive

Three New Aircraft Join The Mali Air War

01/29/2013

In the last few days, several nations have joined the large coalition supporting France in the Mali Air War with an overall Order of Battle currently including assets from some African air forces as well.

Expert lifts lid on China's surveillance aircraft

01/29/2013

A senior Chinese military scientist has ended years of secrecy on a key type of surveillance aircraft mastered by China, exposing details on the domestic research and manufacture of "airborne early warning and control" (AEWC) systems. Wang Xiaomo, 74, regarded as the "father" of AEWC in China, said that the country has developed a complete AEWC aircraft series with its own technology, the People's Daily reported on Monday.

Search and rescue effort continues for missing aircraft

01/29/2013

U.S. military officials are coordinating search and rescue efforts with Italian military and civilian teams following the loss of communication with an Aviano F-16 fighter jet Monday evening. The aircraft, assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing, was performing a training mission over the Adriatic Sea when the base lost contact with the pilot at approximately 8 p.m. Soon after, Italian aircraft and ships were dispatched to the missing jet's last known location.

US military plans drone base near Mali: Official

01/29/2013

The US military plans to set up a base for drones in northwest Africa to bolster surveillance of al-Qaida's affiliate in the region as well as allied Islamist extremists, a US official told AFP on Monday. The base for the robotic, unmanned aircraft would likely be located in Niger, on the eastern border of Mali, where French forces are currently waging a campaign against al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Chinese military plane boosts global reach

01/29/2013

China’s new heavy-lift transport aircraft and a successful missile interception test are key steps in expanding the strength and reach of its armed forces, analysts and state media said Monday. The Y-20, China’s biggest home-produced military transport jet to date, took to the skies for its maiden flight on Saturday in the northwest of the country, just months after Beijing’s first aircraft carrier entered service.

US Fighter Jet Missing in Adriatic

01/29/2013

A search in underway for a US F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet that has gone missing on a training flight off the coast of Italy, the ANSA news agency reported. The headquarters of the US 31st Fighter Wing, stationed at Aviano Air Base in Italy, lost contact with the aircraft at about 20:00 local time [21:00 GMT] on Monday, shortly after the pilot reported a problem, ANSA said.

Russia to Buy 7 AW139 Helicopters

01/29/2013

Russia’s Defense Ministry is planning to buy seven multirole AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters for 630 million rubles (about $20 million) this year, the Federal Agency for Arms Procurements said Monday. “An open tender will be announced in February,” it said. Russia started making AW139s at the HeliVert plant last year.

French Air Force to Take Over Policing Baltic Air in May

01/29/2013

The French Air Force will take over from Denmark the mission of policing Baltic airspace in May, the Latvian Defense Ministry said on Monday. Danish F-16 fighters will be replaced by French Mirage 2000C fighters. France has previously participated in three missions: in 2007, 2010 and 2011.

British 'Superdrone' Robot Plane Could Fly 'Within Weeks'

01/28/2013

A unmanned British combat drone could be deployed in the front line of the war on terror in regions such as North Africa and the Middle East, if a forthcoming test flight in Australia is successful. The performance of the eight-ton Taranis "superdrone" will be monitored by Ministry of Defence officials, after the long-awaited flight was delayed by stringent aviation laws in the UK, and repeated technical setbacks.

Britain's deadly superdrone that picks its own targets but experts warn plane could mark the start of 'robot wars'

01/28/2013

It is named after the Celtic god of thunder, can fly faster than the speed of sound and evades enemy radar with its single-wing stealth design. This is Taranis, Britain’s latest pilotless combat aircraft, which is even capable of selecting its own targets. The revolutionary superdrone is due to make its maiden flight in the next few weeks and could spearhead the fight against terrorism in Africa.

Air force faces strike fighter gap

01/28/2013

Australia will almost certainly be forced to buy 24 new Super Hornet fighter planes for about $2 billion to plug a looming gap in its air defences caused by delays in the purchase of the cutting-edge Joint Strike Fighter. According to a leaked draft of the 2013 defence white paper, Australia will take delivery of just two Lockheed Martin JSFs by 2020, indicating the government will need to buy a batch of rival Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets.

ASDF monitoring Senkakus 24 hrs a day / Radar-equipped aircraft deployed in bid to prevent intrusions by Chinese planes

01/28/2013

The Self-Defense Forces have been keeping around-the-clock surveillance over airspace around the Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture, dispatching radar-equipped aircraft in a bid to prevent intrusions by Chinese airplanes. Air Self-Defense Force aircraft were dispatched to Okinawa Prefecture after a Chinese airplane intruded into Japanese airspace on Dec. 13, when the ASDF failed to promptly scramble fighters as a ground radar in the area was unable to detect the low-flying plane.

China’s New Freight Plane Extends Military Modernization Program

01/28/2013

China successfully tested a locally- built freight plane, two months after the debut of its fighter jet, boosting the nation’s efforts to use homegrown technology to expand defense capacity. The Yun-20, which had its maiden flight yesterday, can take a maximum load of 66 tons and is suited for long-distance transportation, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. The plane will aid the armed forces and will help deliver disaster relief and humanitarian aid, according to the report.

China's First Heavy Transporter Y-20 Takes Off

01/27/2013

China began test flights Saturday for the prototype of its first indigenously-developed heavy transport aircraft, Y-20, a craft similar in size to the Russian IL-76 and somewhat smaller than the U.S. C-17. The plane took off at around 2:00pm from an airport in Yanliang, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, according to CCTV News.

The Air Force Is Turning Combat Planes Into Airborne Wireless Routers

01/27/2013

The U.S. Air Force is trying to turn the targeting pods carried by some of its legacy fighters and the B-1 Lancer bomber, into flying wireless routers that would allow ground troops to communicate each other. Tested by the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, on an A-10 Warthog, the flying router is a software upgrade called Net-T (network tactical) for the Litening II and Sniper advanced targeting pods.

U.S. PLANES DELIVER FRENCH TROOPS TO MALI

01/27/2013

The U.S. Air Force delivered on its promise to Paris by delivering French troops via airlift to Bamako, Mali, Jan. 21. The first C-17 Globemaster III from Dover Air Force Base, Del., took off from here and landed in Bamako Monday afternoon and delivered more than 80,000 pounds of equipment and dozens of French soldiers.

New military systems brighten Republic Day parade

01/27/2013

This year’s Republic Day parade in New Delhi, a traditional showcase for India’s defence arsenal, featured an unusually large number of brand new military systems. At the very start four brand new Mi-17V5 helicopters flew past carrying the national flag, and these were followed by several other systems that were making their debut before the public.

Canada kicks tires on other military aircraft

01/27/2013

A questionnaire meant to gauge what options exist to replace the air force's aging CF-18 fighters has landed on the desks of aerospace companies in North America and Europe. The 15-page survey is considered the first step in evaluating whether the Conservative government should bail out of its planned and controversial F-35 stealth fighter deal with U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin.

Germany Plans to Deploy Armed Drones

01/26/2013

A document obtained by SPIEGEL ONLINE indicates the German government is preparing to procure armed drones for foreign combat. Opposition politicians are outraged by the development and note that the use of weapons-equipped unmanned aircraft is legally dubious and possibly unethical.

HAL's Prospective Multirole Fighter at AeroIndia

01/26/2013

ALH, LCH and Rudra (Mk 4 WSI) will be on flying display. Scale models of Light Utility Helicopter, Hawk, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and Su-30 will also be on display. HAL’s strength in design, development and production will be showcased through its products at the up-com-ing Aero-India 2013. The major attr-actions of the HAL’s pavilion will include in-house designs like Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), ‘Rudra’ the weaponised Advance Light Helicopter (ALH) and Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT).

Pak military conducting 'Saffron Bandit' exercise

01/26/2013

Against the backdrop of a spike in tensions with India, the Pakistani military is conducting a combat exercise involving fighter jets and ground troops with a top General saying the armed forces were "well prepared" to defend the country's sovereignty and integrity. The Pakistan Air Force is conducting the 'Saffron Bandit' exercise with elements from the Army Aviation and Army Air Defence.

ASDF scrambles 91 times against China in Oct.-Dec.

01/26/2013

Japanese fighter jets scrambled against Chinese aircraft 91 times from October to December, a sharp increase from the previous quarter that reflects increased tension following the nationalization of three Senkaku Islands. The Air Self-Defense Force scrambled 140 times in the three-month period against foreign military and nonmilitary aircraft that could have intruded into national airspace, the Defense Ministry said Thursday.

Joint Strike Fighter already making an NC impact

01/26/2013

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter promises a military future for Cherry Point air station as it replaces older Marine Corps aircraft, but it already has a growing impact for North Carolina’s civilian economy. Tom Burbage, of JSF developer and manufacturer Lockheed-Martin, said in an interview Friday in New Bern that Fleet Readiness Center East has a “field team (that) is doing modifications on one of the operations of the aircraft at Yuma (Ariz.) as we speak.”

Fighter Fiasco

01/26/2013

After two and a half years of political dogfighting on and off Parliament Hill, the federal government rebooted its procurement of new fighter jets on Dec. 12, potentially opening the door to aircraft other than its preferred Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. A week earlier, rumours had exploded that the proposed acquisition of the conventional “A” variant of the F-35 had been scrapped.

New CG Aircraft Operating at Air Station Cape Cod

01/26/2013

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod’s new fixed wing aircraft, the HC-144 Ocean Sentry, is fully operational and replaced the HU-25 Falcon on Jan. 24, 2013. The HU-25 Falcon has been the primary fixed-wing aircraft for more than 30 years providing search and rescue, law enforcement, medical transportation and other services to the Northeast. The HU-25 Falcon will be officially retired from Air Station Cape Cod later this year.