Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

How Putin's Russia props up Assad's military

09/11/2013

For the last 60 years Russia has been Syria's main weapons supplier, selling it everything from fighter jets to tanks and a formidable array of air defence systems. Syria's current arsenal would present significant problems to any attacking western attacking force. Its air defence missiles, in particular, would make establishing a no-fly zone extremely tricky, and any manned air attack would probably result in western casualties. This is certainly not Libya.

EGYPTIAN TANKS, HELICOPTERS PUSH THROUGH SINAI

09/11/2013

Egyptian troops and tanks backed by helicopter gunships swept through villages in the northern Sinai Peninsula near the border with the Palestinian Gaza Strip on Monday, the third day of a major offensive against Islamic extremists, a military official said. So far, some 20 suspected militants have been killed and 20 captured in the operation, he added.

Lockheed Martin Joins Bell’s Valor Team

09/11/2013

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, and Lockheed Martin will work as a team on the Bell V-280 Valor, making Lockheed Martin the first of Bell Helicopter’s V-280 program tier one team members. Additional team members will be announced in the coming months. The Bell V-280 Valor was recently selected by the U.S. Army to enter into negotiations for the Joint Multi-Role (JMR) Technology Demonstrator (TD) program, with contracts expected to be awarded by September 2013.

China Flies Bombers and Drone Near Japanese Skies

09/11/2013

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces were on a high state of alert on September 9 ahead of the first anniversary of Japan’s controversial purchase of islets in the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu archipelago, particularly after a pair of Chinese bombers flew near Okinawa the previous day.

What Are The Air Force's Big Five Programs For The Future?

09/11/2013

If there is one message that comes through loud and clear from the debate of military options in Syria, it is that the public does not want “boots on the ground” in the Middle East — or for that matter, just about anywhere else. So the future of U.S. military action belongs to air power, whether it be land-based or sea-based.

French/U.S. Air Forces hone aerial combat skills

09/11/2013

In the skies above Djibouti, members of the U.S. and French Air Forces joined together in an unlikely training scenario, pitting helicopters against fighter aircraft in a simulated hostile rescue situation.

Military jets to support training

09/11/2013

AIRCRAFT from RAAF Base Williamtown will be training near Bulahdelah for two weeks from Friday. Pilatus PC-9/A, Hawk 127 and F/A-18A/B Hornet aircraft will participate in the training on Friday, and then from Monday to Thursday next week between 9am and 4pm.

Lockheed Martin Adds Integrated Missile Defense Command & Control Option to Dragon Family of ISR Configurations

09/11/2013

Ever increasing threats and the need to have constant situational awareness of one’s surroundings prompted Lockheed Martin to add an integrated air & missile defense option to its Dragon series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance configurations. Lockheed Martin’s Dragon ISR configurations offer a unique approach for customers to tailor their mission requirements to meet their specific budget, sensor, communications and platform needs.

US, Russia, Syria to Discuss Chemical Weapons Plan – Reports

09/11/2013

The top diplomats from the United States, Russia and Syria will meet this week to discuss Syria’s chemical weapons, media reports cited unnamed US officials as saying Tuesday. The meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem is slated to be held in Geneva on Thursday, Reuters reported US officials as saying.

Russia to Sell China Su-35 Multirole Fighter Jets

09/10/2013

Russia and China are moving closer to concluding an agreement whereby Moscow would sell Beijing advanced 4++ generation multirole fighter jets, a senior official from Russia’s state-run defense industry told media outlets over the weekend.

Sources: Boeing, Saab in Talks to Partner on Trainer Bid

09/10/2013

Boeing and Saab are discussing a partnership on the US Air Force’s trainer replacement program, multiple industry sources have told Defense News. If the arrangement goes forward, it opens the door for each to capture a long-delayed, highly prized Air Force contract to replace its aging T-38 trainers. The service intends to purchase 350 new trainers, likely pushing the contract award into the billions of dollars.

SAAF says Gripens being rotated, not stored

09/10/2013

Some of the South African Air Force’s fleet of 26 Saab Gripen fighter jets will not be placed in storage but will rather be flown on a rotational basis, according to an Air Force official. Earlier this year it was reported that 12 Gripens had been placed in storage as there was not enough money, nor pilots, to fly them.

Turkish Generals Visit Border After Attack by Syrian Warplanes

09/10/2013

The commander of Turkey’s Land Forces inspected troops at the border with Syria, hours after combat aircraft attacked nearby Syrian communities, the state-run Anatolia news agency said.

China and Pakistan Begin Biannual Air Exercise Shaheen 2

09/10/2013

China and Pakistan last week began a three-week air exercise titled Shaheen 2 (Falcon 2) in Hetian Prefecture of China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The exercise, which lasts until Sept. 22, is the second in a series of such exercises, the first of which was held in Pakistan in March 2011.

Lockheed Martin Completes First LRASM Air-Launch Flight Test

09/10/2013

Lockheed Martin recently completed a successful first flight test of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) in support of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) program.

Bell Helicopter and Lockheed Martin Team on V-280 Valor

09/10/2013

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will work as a team on the Bell V-280 Valor™, making Lockheed Martin the first of Bell Helicopter’s V-280 program tier one team members. Additional team members will be announced in the coming months.

UN Chief Backs Russian Push for Syrian Chemical Weapons Transfer

09/10/2013

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday backed a proposal from Moscow for Syria to place its stocks of chemical weapons under international control, in a bid to avert US-led military strikes on the war-torn Middle Eastern country.

Chinese bombers prompt Japan to scramble fighter jets

09/09/2013

Japan’s Defense Ministry said Sunday two Chinese H-6 bombers flew round trip from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean without violating Japanese airspace the same day after overflying waters between Okinawa islands.

British jets in Cyprus scrambled to chase after Syrian planes that crossed into international airspace

09/09/2013

Two RAF jets were scrambled from their base in Cyprus to urgently investigate Syrian planes that had crossed into international airspace, it has emerged. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that unidentified planes legally crossed into Cypriot skies from the east of the country last Monday. But it is understood the behaviour of the aircraft raised suspicions at RAF Akrotiri, less than 200 miles from Syria, prompting the rapid response.

'Huey' still relevant - DND official

09/09/2013

Despite flying for 53 years, the Bell UH-1 "Huey" helicopter will still be effective for another 20 years, according to DND undersecretary for finance, munitions, installation and material Fernando Manalo. Manalo also said that the "Huey", which the Philippines has around 21 flyable models at present, is the best aircraft for peacekeeping and disaster relief missions due to its reputation as easy aircraft to fly and maintain.

95 Air Force planes ‘beyond repair’

09/09/2013

A total of 95 air assets of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) can no longer be used, outnumbering the aircraft still in operation. Air Force Vice Commander Maj. Gen. Raul Dimatatac said out of the 265 air assets they have, 95 are “beyond economic repair” while 71 are operational. The rest are recoverable or serviceable, which means that they have to undergo repairs to be of use.

Airmen help build Afghan air force

09/09/2013

With most — if not all — NATO troops slated to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, air advisers are helping to build a small cadre of Afghan pilots to take on the mission of moving wounded security forces.

What is Syrian Arab Army military capability?

09/09/2013

Despite two years of conflict and significant defections among the rank and file, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) remains a capable military. Before the civil war, the SAA claimed to field 220,000 men under arms and, perhaps, up to 350,000 reservists. Today, active personnel stood at a little over 125,000, of whom no more than 80,000 were considered by the regime to be loyal. Another 250,000 paramilitary personnel, including the dreaded “Shabihah” militias, were also available.

Syria: MPs could get another vote on military intervention, says William Hague

09/09/2013

MPs could be given another chance to vote on military intervention in Syria, William Hague has said, as it emerged two RAF jets scrambled to intercept "suspicious" Syrian aircraft over Cyprus. The Foreign Secretary said a second vote would only be possible if the Government secured support from Labour.

Russian Military Inspectors to Fly Over France

09/09/2013

Russian military inspectors will begin monitoring flights over France starting on Monday under the international Open Skies Treaty, a Russian Defense Ministry official said. Experts from Russia will be conducting flights on board of an Antonov An-30B aircraft between September 9 and 13, said Ruslan Shishin, acting head of the ministry’s National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center.