Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia to sell 24 Su-35 fighter planes to PRC

11/24/2012

In a reversal of a decision made earlier this year, Moscow has agreed to sell 24 Sukhoi Su-35BM fighter aircraft to China for an estimated US$1.5 billion, a sale that will further shift the balance of power in the air over the Taiwan Strait. Russia’s Rosoboronexport and the Chinese Ministry of National Defense are said to have reached a preliminary agreement, with details discussed during a meeting in Beijing on Wednesday between Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoygu and Chinese President Hu

US Moves Osprey Drills from Okinawa to Guam

11/24/2012

US and Japanese officials have agreed to move some exercises involving US Osprey transport aircraft from Okinawa to the Pacific island of Guam, the NHK public broadcaster reported. US military aircraft based in Japan, including four Ospreys from the Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Okinawa, will take part in a three-week drill starting November 29.

Turkey to Begin Attack Helicopter Production Next Year

11/23/2012

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the Turkish defense industry will begin producing attack helicopters next year. Erdogan says mass production of Turkey's indigenous T-129 attack helicopters will begin in 2013 as part of the country's program to expand domestic production of military equipment.

Danish Officials Browse Candidates for New Fighter

11/23/2012

Danish military officials crisscrossed the U.S. last week in a major step toward restarting competition for the country’s fighter replacement program. On Nov. 12, the delegation visited Boeing’s facility in St. Louis to see the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Nov. 13 and 14 were spent on meetings in Washington before traveling to a Nov. 15 meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, where the group got a firsthand look at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program.

Russian Officials Reveal J-31 Engine and Describe Sales to China

11/23/2012

China’s recently flown second stealth fighter is powered by a pair of Russian-supplied Klimov RD-93 turbofans, AIN has learned. A large model of the design, which has been dubbed the J-31 in unofficial reports, was on display at Airshow China in Zhuhai last week, labeled as “an advanced multi-role fighter for the international defense market.” Russian officials at the show described the supply of military turbofans to China in some detail.

Advanced Fighters

11/23/2012

If one were to classify modern advanced fighters in the order of performance, fifth generation fighter aircraft (FGFAs) would clearly lead the pack. They represent a class of their own. However, technologies involved are so advanced and resources required so substantial that so far only the United States has been able to field a state-of-the- art operational fifth generation fighter in its F-22, the Raptor.

Czech military plane with 1 person aboard crashes near Prague, killing the pilot

11/23/2012

Czech officials say a military plane has crashed near Prague, killing the pilot, who was the only person onboard. Military spokeswoman Jana Ruzickova says the L-159 crashed Thursday at 5.24 p.m. (1624 GMT) west of Kolin, a town 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of the capital, Prague. Ruzickova says the pilot was the only person on board. She declined to give any more details.

Marine Corps forms new fighter jet squadron

11/23/2012

The Marine Corps is forming the first squadron of pilots to fly the next-generation strike fighter jet, months after lawmakers raised concern that there was a rush to end the testing of the aircraft that has had technical problems. So far, two veteran pilots of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing have been trained to fly the F-35B. They are becoming the first members of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 that will debut Tuesday at a ceremony at the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma, Ariz.

2 military planes collide in Venezuela, killing pilot

11/23/2012

Two military airplanes on Thursday collided in midair at the Libertador Air Base in Palo Negro, the Venezuelan state of Aragua, killing one of the pilots, a government official said. Preliminary reports said the collision took place at noon local time while the two planes were practicing for an air show scheduled for November 27. Minister of Communication and Information Ernesto Villegas later confirmed the death of a pilot via Twitter.

Russian Troops Get Six Pantsir-S Air Defense Systems

11/23/2012

Six Pantsir-S short-range air defense systems were handed over to air defense units of Russia’s eastern military district, the head of air defense troops of Russia's Air Forces, Viktor Gumenny, said on Friday. He said that all air and air defence forces commands in Russia will be equipped with the new system. The Defense Ministry has so far ordered 100 Pantsir-S units for Russia’s Aerospace Defense Forces, which are expected to be delivered in the next few years.

Irkut Delivers First Su-30SM Fighters to Russian Air Force

11/23/2012

Aircraft maker Irkut delivered the first two Sukhoi Su-30SM fighter aircraft to the Russian Air Force on Thursday, the company said. Flight testing of the multirole fighter jet began around two months ago, following the first flight of the Su-30SM on September 21, Irkut said.

African Union to enter Mali to suppress Islamist uprising

11/22/2012

Military forces of the African Union are ready to enter the north of Mali to suppress Islamist uprisings. The plan of the operation aimed at restoration of legitimate authority must be submitted to the UN by November 27. So far, the West only promised to help with the logistics, but the strong army of Chad that has experience of conducting military actions in the desert and air force is ready to fight immediately.

Delays Still Cloud Airbus A330 Tanker Program

11/22/2012

Technical issues continue to affect the Airbus Military A330MRTT Multi-Role Tanker-Transport program, delaying full operational capability with four air forces that are due to receive a total of 28 aircraft ordered to date. A second refueling boom separated from an A330MRTT during a test flight in Spain in September. But the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is likely to clear the new tanker for routine hose-and-drogue refueling of F/A-18A/B Hornet fighters next month.

Danes to buy Sikorsky combat helicopters

11/22/2012

Denmark's Defense Ministry says it will purchase nine Sikorsky Sea Hawk naval combat helicopters for 4 billion kroner ($686 million). Minister Nick Haekkerup said in a statement Wednesday that the MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopters built by Sikorsky-Lockheed Martin will be delivered in 2016-2018. The company is a division of Lockheed Martin, which is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

IN FOCUS: How China downplayed the bombast at Zhuhai show

11/22/2012

China's biennial air shows in Zhuhai offer a rare glimpse into Beijing's efforts to develop capabilities such as unmanned air vehicles, military jet engines and advanced weapons. This year's iteration, held from 13-18 November, was no different, with Chinese aerospace firms revealing some impressive new capabilities and offering tantalising hints about the future.

Russian Officials Reveal J-31 and Describe Engine Sales to China

11/22/2012

China’s recently flown second stealth fighter is powered by a pair of Russian-supplied Klimov RD-93 turbofans, AIN has learned. A large model of the design, which has been dubbed the J-31 in unofficial reports, was on display at Airshow China in Zhuhai last week, labeled as “an advanced multi-role fighter for the international defense market.” Russian officials at the show described the supply of military turbofans to China in some detail.

Su-35: does Russia need Chinese contract?

11/22/2012

Russia and China have clinched a preliminary agreement on the delivery of 48 Sukhoi Su-35BM fighter jets to the Chinese air force, sources in Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation said on Wednesday. The agreement worth 1.5 billion dollars may add to the Su-35 foraying into international markets even though Russia’s cooperation with China in this field is fraught with substantial risks.

All eyes on China in Asian arms build-up

11/22/2012

The decks of the Liaoning were filled with saluting sailors rather than fighter aircraft and in the smog it was impossible to see Hu Jintao and other dignitaries at the commissioning ceremony for China's first aircraft carrier. The carrier itself is a retrofitted Ukrainian model and was once earmarked to be a floating casino in Macau. Compared with the 97,000-tonne, nuclear-powered George Washington, the centrepiece of the US Navy's fleet in Asia, the Liaoning is a modest vessel.

Zambian Air Force incapable of defending national airspace - President Sata

11/21/2012

Zambian President Michael Sata has said the Zambian Air Force (ZAF) urgently needs to be re-equipped to improve its capability. He said it is presently incapable of defending the country and cannot respond to emergencies and disasters.

Chile phasing out C-212 tactical aircraft

11/21/2012

Chile's military is phasing out its remaining CA SA C-212-100 tactical transport aircraft amid local concerns over its safety. A Chilean air force's Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A. C-212 Aviocar 300DF crashed at sea in September 2011 with the loss of all on board - three crew members and 18 passengers who were on an earthquake relief mission. The crash off Robinson Crusoe Island revived calls for the replacement of the aging aircraft.

Boeing targets doubling of Middle East defense sales

11/21/2012

Boeing expects to double revenue from its defense and security business in the Middle East over the next two years as recent turmoil in the region drives up demand for arms. Gulf Arab states and other Middle Eastern countries that witnessed the Arab Spring uprising are "shopping" for new high-tech military equipment as they swap out older weaponry and invest in new capabilities, Jeff Johnson, president of Boeing Middle East said at the Reuters Middle East Investment Summit.

China’s FTC-2000 Upgraded

11/21/2012

During the 2012 China Airshow (Nov. 13-17) in Zhuhai, AVIC unveiled two models of the FTC-2000 Mountain Eagle (Shanying) fighter trainer/attack aircraft. The FTC-2000 is an export variant of the Guizhou JL-9. The two models show that AVIC has made major improvements to the aircraft since 2001 when revelations surfaced that a development program was underway to replace the JJ-7 fighter-trainer.

Keeping the warfighter safe: 416th FLTS continues to enhance life-saving auto collision avoidance technology

11/21/2012

Since the beginning of the partnership between the Department of Defense, NASA and Lockheed Martin, the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System has evolved into an instrument intended to keep civilian and military aircrew members fit to fly and fight another day. More than 25 years later, team members from the 416th Flight Test Squadron continue to test that life-saving technology in order to see it fully integrated and implemented into the Air Force's fourth generation fighters.

PLA's combat command achieves historic leap

11/21/2012

A mechanized infantry division under the Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) maneuvered long distance to participate in a drill commanded by an early-warning plane of an aviation division under the PLA Air Force in mid-November of 2012.

HAL inaugurates factory for military aircraft avionics

11/21/2012

India has inaugurated a new Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) factory in the south Indian city of Kasaragod that will produce avionics for military aircraft and helicopters. "Avionics plays a major role in functioning of modern aircraft and contributes significantly to the value of an aircraft/helicopter," says HAL chairman RK Tyagi.