Military Aviation News Archive

Rivals play down China's overture in South China Sea, no breakthrough

07/04/2013

Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario walked into a regional security forum this week to hear his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi reel off a list of complaints against Manila for stirring tensions over the South China Sea.

NATO and partners to conduct air-defence flying training over Iceland

07/04/2013

NATO will conduct an air-defence flying training event for pilots and ground support personnel, including fighter controllers, in Iceland from 3-21 February 2014. The Iceland Fighter Meet 2014 (IFM14) will bring together fighter aircraft from NATO member Norway (F-16 Fighting Falcon), and from partner countries Finland (F-18 Hornet) and Sweden (JAS Gripen), to conduct a wide range of air defence-related flying activities.

Nellis war relics symbolize freedom, dedication of military

07/04/2013

They stand as symbols of freedom. Some are perched on concrete pedestals at parks and military bases. Others guard the entrances to American Legion and VFW posts. The thunder from their jet engines and deafening blasts from their barrels have long been silent. Yet their sun-baked shrouds remain as reminders of their historic roles in the nation’s defense.

Northrop fends off Lockheed to win $490 million Air Force training contract

07/04/2013

Northrop Grumman Corp. has fended off a rival bid from Lockheed Martin Corp. to win a training-simulation contract potentially worth $490 million to support the U.S. Air Force's next-generation air-combat virtual-training network, industry experts said Wednesday. Virginia-based Northrop Grumman — one of Florida's largest defense contractors — will perform the work at its Orlando military-training operation, according to an announcement by the Department of Defense.

Lasers target military aircraft bringing home wounded troops

07/04/2013

Thugs are using powerful lasers to target airliners, police helicopters and even military transporters bringing wounded troops into Birmingham. There have been more than 220 separate laser attacks reported in the West Midlands in the last two years, according to alarming new figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Ethiopia to purchase 18 SU-30K Fighter Jets from Russia

07/04/2013

18 Su-30K fighter jets that India returned to Russia, probably will not be sold to Vietnam, but instead may be heading to Ethiopia. Deputy Group Director arms exporter Rosoboronexport[?????????????????] Alexander Mikheyev said that Russia is negotiating to supply 18 Su-30K fighters to Ethiopia.

Russia's military aircraft engineering "in top shape"

07/04/2013

Russia's new Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet made its international debut at the recent Paris Air Show in France. Ogonyok has interviewed Sukhoi test pilot Sergey Bogdan, a Hero of Russia, who was demonstrating the aircraft's capabilities during the show.

Battle Over F-16 Combat-Jet Upgrades Unfolds Amid New Plane Push

07/04/2013

The F-16 fighter jet, the most widely flown western combat aircraft in its 35 years in service, is getting a new lease on life as defense contractors Lockheed Martin Corp. to BAE Systems Plc vie to upgrade existing fleets. Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea are among the countries looking to modernize their aging single-engine combat planes, with several thousand aircraft getting new radar, communications gear and displays in coming years.

Russia’s Weaponry Exporter Reports $34Bln in Orders

07/04/2013

Russia’s state arms exporter said Wednesday that its order portfolio stood at $34 billion as of June 1. Rosoboronexport delivered $6.5 billion worth of weaponry to foreign customers in the first half of this year, deputy head Igor Sevastyanov announced, adding that the current order portfolio included contracts with 67 countries.

Azerbaijan's armed forces fund raises over $54 mln

07/03/2013

The amount of funds accumulated in the Azerbaijan Armed Forces Assistance Fund significantly increased and as of July 1, 2013 amounted to 42,674,317 manats (over $54 million), $208,791 and 593 euros, the Defense Ministry said. As of April 1, the figures were 39,017,597 manats, $205,791 and 593 euros.

Russian-made chopper faces ironic future in Afghanistan

07/03/2013

In a twist of fate, Russia may end up pitching its newest helicopter to the very people it was designed to fight. At the Paris Air Show in June, Russia held a coming-out news conference for the Kamov company’s Ka-52 Alligator, which they say is now ready for export. The parastatal Russian export company Rosoboronexport is courting India as a buyer.

The Border Patrol Wants to Arm Drones

07/03/2013

Documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation from the Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Patrol indicate that the agency is close to finalizing payload standards for its drone aircraft. Among the things the CBP might want to use in its unmanned aircraft: "non-lethal weapons designed to immobilize" targets.

Philippines to Modernize Air Force Amid China Row

07/03/2013

The Philippines will modernize its air force by 2016 President President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Monday, local media reported. “Be assured that before I step down from office [in 2016], our skies will teem with new and modern equipment such as lead-in fighters, long-range patrol aircraft, close air support aircraft, light lift fixed-wing aircraft, medium lift aircraft, attack helicopters, combat utility helicopters, air defense radar and flight simulators.

B-1 crews are busy while other combat squads lose hours

07/03/2013

The Air Force has forced combat squadrons to stay on the ground and canceled large-scale exercises for its fleet, but one aircraft has been busy in the middle of it all: the B-1B Lancer. After canceling a Red Flag this spring and standing down 17 combat-coded squadrons due to mandatory budget cuts, B-1 crews have participated in a Green Flag exercise in May, the 9th Bomb Squadron flew a total of 58 sorties during a surge operation in June, and the service has kept the B-1 on its front pages.

Drones cause 10 times more civilian deaths than manned planes

07/03/2013

An expert on drone casualties has told reporters that the use of unmanned aerial vehicles by American forces has caused 10 times the number of deaths brought on by more conventional aircraft. Speaking to The Guardian’s Spencer Ackerman, Larry Lewis of the Center for Naval Analyses claimed United States-led drone strikes in Afghanistan are not only more likely to cause civilian casualties than traditionally piloted planes.

Just How Many Weapons Can America Sell?

07/03/2013

When the leaders of the global aerospace industry met late last month at the 50th anniversary staging of the Paris Air Show, one word predominated: exports. With military budgets leveling off or declining in the United States and Europe, arms companies are looking to deals in the Middle East and Asia to bolster their bottom lines.

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Italian aviation equipment company Avio by GE, subject to conditions

07/03/2013

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the aviation business of Avio S.p.A. of Italy by General Electric Company of the United States. The decision is conditional upon a series of commitments aimed at safeguarding the competitive position of the Eurojet consortium. Eurojet manufactures the engine for the Eurofighter, a combat aircraft used by Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and Austria.

Lockheed Martin Demonstrates Management of Varied Unmanned Air Vehicles from One Integrated Control System

07/03/2013

During a recent demonstration at NAVAIR, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] monitored and controlled multiple types of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) from one integrated command and control (C2) system. Controlling both the unmanned air vehicles and their on-board mission system sensors, Lockheed Martin’s system fully integrated with other Navy C2 and intelligence.

Israel seeks $5B in U.S. loans to buy arms

07/02/2013

Israel is reported to be seeking U.S. loan guarantees of $5 billion to finance the purchase of the advanced weapons systems the U.S. administration has offered the Jewish state under a $10 billion package for its Middle East allies. These include AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles made by the Raytheon Corp., that can knock out air-defense radar systems and Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers that will greatly extend the reach of Israel's strike jets.

Saab tests Meteor missile on Gripen

07/02/2013

Saab of Sweden reports the first test firing of a mass-production configured Meteor radar-controlled air-to-air missiles. Two Meteor missiles, for use on Saab's Gripen, the Eurofighter and Rafale combat aircraft, were fired at a remote-controlled target from a Gripen in cooperation with the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration to demonstrate missile separation from the aircraft, the link function between the aircraft and missile, and the missile's ability to lock in on the target.

'Tejas' to be ready by 2014: DRDO chief

07/02/2013

The first of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas' being developed for the Indian Air Force is expected to roll out by the end of this year or beginning of 2014 as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has put the project on the fast track, Avinash Chander, scientific advisor to the defence minister and secretary of the department of defence research & development, said here on Monday.

Gigantic C-17 aircraft executes its first operational deployment, flies to Port Blair with infantry battalion

07/02/2013

The big bird has taken to the skies. In its first operational deployment since it landed in India on June 18, the IAF's gigantic C-17 Globemaster-III strategic airlift aircraft transported an Army infantry battalion to the country's last military outpost in the Andman and Nicobar Islands on Sunday.

Aquino vows to arm air force with new aircraft

07/02/2013

President Benigno Aquino III vowed today to provide the country's Air Force new sets of aircraft before his term ends in 2016. In his speech at the 66th Founding Anniversary of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) in northern province of Pampanga, Aquino said that based on the passage of the New Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act last year, the government is allotting P75 billion ($1.73 billion) for the next five years to improve the capability of the military.

China's J-20 fighter completes 2nd test flight: People's Daily

07/02/2013

A second prototype of China's J-20, China's fifth-generation stealth fighter, has completed a second test flight, according to the People's Daily, China's most-circulated newspaper. In addition to what was described as a low altitude flight test, the J-20 aircraft No. 2002 also conducted an in-flight fuel-dump test, the report said, without specifying when the tests took place.

The Destruction Of The Syrian Air Force

07/02/2013

The Syrian Air Force has suffered major losses in the last year, as the aircraft and helicopters were unleashed on rebels (and civilian supporters) and took a beating. Of the 370 usable fixed wing war planes the Syrian Air Force had two years ago, about half are now out of action because of combat losses or wear and tear. Nearly two-thirds of the 360 helicopters are gone, for the same reasons.