Military Aviation News Archive

After three months on ground, combat aircraft Tejas resumes test flight

11/27/2012

The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which has remained grounded for more than three months, finally resumed flight-testing last week. Seven flights of the Tejas have taken place since then without mishap.

Kazakh air force fleet replenished with AN-72 military aircraft

11/27/2012

The Kazakh military aircraft fleet has been replenished, the country's Defence Ministry press service reported. 'The Kazakh Air Force military transport aircraft fleet has been replenished by an Antonov family - AN-72cargo jet. The aircraft has been repaired and reequipped at the 325 Aircraft Repair Plant in the city of Taganrog, Russia and was delivered to one of the Kazakh army air bases on Monday', the statement said.

Global military MRO spend to hit $41bn in 2013

11/27/2012

Experts estimate that the global military aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) arket is valued at $41.66bn in 2013, as the provision of MRO services becomes increasingly important to support both old and new fixed wing aircraft platforms.

Syrian jets bomb rebel bases near Turkey border

11/27/2012

Syrian warplanes bombed two rebel bases near the Turkish border on Monday sending hundreds of people fleeing across the frontier. The attacks on the Free Syrian Army positions (FSA) in Atima and nearby Bab al-Hawa came a day before NATO and Ankara were due to start assessing where to station surface-to-air missiles on the Turkish side of the 900-km (560-mile) boundary.

China Mourns Top Manager of J-15 Fighter Jet Program

11/27/2012

China gave high praise on Monday to the head of the Shenyang Aircraft Corp. (SAC), who died while witnessing the first successful deck landing of the new carrier-based Shenyang J-15 fighter jet, Xinhua reported. Luo Yuang, 51, had a sudden heart attack aboard China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, around noon on Sunday, Xinhua said citing the obituary issued by the SAC.

'Egyptians to purchase Turkish-made drones'

11/26/2012

Egypt plans to buy 10 Turkish-made drones, according to a report this week by Istanbul’s Sabah newspaper. The decision to purchase the ANKA Medium Altitude Long Endurance unmanned aerial vehicles was made last week, during Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Cairo, and followed a 10-week negotiation, Sabah said.

Syrian rebels capture air base near Damascus

11/26/2012

Syrian rebels captured a helicopter base just outside Damascus Sunday in what an activist called a "blow to the morale of the regime" near President Bashar Assad's seat of power, while the bombardment of a village near the capital killed at least eight children.

Syrian Opposition Coalition: Why the US is Still Wary of the Syrian Opposition

11/26/2012

Amid the Syrian conflagration and the increasing warfare between the regime and its opponents, a breakthrough of some sort seems improbable given the political and military stalemate that is the status quo. Throughout the protracted conflict, the Assad regime has largely benefited from the opposition’s divide and constant feud.

China's first aircraft carrier moves "one step closer to combat readiness" with first fighter jet landing

11/26/2012

China has become the latest country to possess naval air power after it demonstrated a successful landing of a fighter jet on its first aircraft carrier. Chinese state media confirmed on Sunday that a J-15 fighter jet had performed a successful landing on the Liaoning, a former Soviet aircraft carrier now operating under Chinese flag after extensive refurbishments.

HAL To Sell 10% of Market Share

11/26/2012

India’s monopoly military aircraft manufacturer — Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) — plans to offload 10 percent of its 100 percent government-owned equity in the market to garner resources for expansion and better management.

With a deal on new fighters seemingly halted, Taiwan is increasing the capabilities of its existing fighter aircraft.

11/26/2012

Taiwan's plans to upgrade its 145 Lockheed Martin F-16 combat aircraft and its on-again off-again pursuit of 66 new-build F-16C/Ds have taken a couple of interesting turns in recent months – turns entirely related to the U.S. Air Force's (USAF) own upgrade of about 300 of its newer F-16s.

Eight Injured as Russian Biplane Crash Lands in West Siberia

11/26/2012

Eight people were injured after a small Russian plane caught fire while crash landing in West Siberia, the regional emergencies center reported on Sunday. The incident occurred at about 12:10 p.m. local time (7:20 a.m. GMT) on Sunday when an Antonov An-2 biplane made an emergency landing after a takeoff on the former runway of Yugorsk-2 urban settlement in the Sovetsky district of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area.

US Inspectors To Conduct Surveillance Flight Over Russia

11/26/2012

Inspectors from the United States will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty starting on Monday, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said. “In the period from November 26 to November 30, as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, US representatives will conduct a surveillance flight on board a US [Boeing] OC-135B observation aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation,” the spokesman said.

Despite advantage, Syrian rebels cope with regime's air force blows

11/25/2012

Syrian opposition fighters have long decried their lack of anti-aircraft weapons and called on the international community to arm them with something that can counter the the Syrian regime's military’s jets and helicopters. Such support has yet to come – and there are few indicators that it will arrive anytime soon.

Turkey, Pakistan Seek Better Ties

11/25/2012

Turkey is trying to broaden defense industry links with Pakistan, but Pakistan’s poor financial situation is hampering efforts. That opens the door to a possible deal with China, experts said, which carries its own set of issues. “Pakistan is one of our closest partners in defense, and they are already buying a lot of equipment from us,” said a senior official responsible for foreign relations at Turkey’s Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM).

Indian Air Force fighter aircraft crashes in western state, pilot safe

11/25/2012

An Indian Air Force combat aircraft crashed in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Saturday, defense sources said. However, the pilot of the MiG 21 Bison aircraft managed to eject safely as it crashed in the fields near Naliya air base in Kutch in Gujarat, the sources said, adding that the mishap happened when the plane was on a routine sortie. A probe has been ordered into the incident, they said.

First U.K. pilots begin training to fly F-35

11/24/2012

Last week, the first two United Kingdom pilots started training to fly the F-35. They join an elite rank. Only 30 pilots in the world have been or are in the process of training to fly the new stealth fighter jet, which is still in testing phases. “It’s an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Royal Air Force squadron leader Franki Buchler, one of the two pilots. “I feel very privileged and lucky. I hope I do the aircraft and the Air Force justice.”

PRATT & WHITNEY CONGRATULATES U.S. MARINE CORPS FOR WORLD'S FIRST F-35B LIGHTNING II OPERATIONAL SQU

11/24/2012

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION - Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), joined today with other industry partners to celebrate and offer congratulations to the United States Marine Corps for the official stand-up and re-designation of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, the world's first operational squadron to fly the F-35B Lightning II aircraft.

China's Aircraft Carrier Hit A Huge Milestone

11/24/2012

Amid the recent political shift within Chinese politics, the effort at modernizing and advancing its military has remained unchanged. Minnie Chan of the South China Morning Post reports that to demonstrate this unwavering effort, China today confirmed the first successful carrier landings of its J-15 fighter aboard its first aircraft carrier the Liaoning.

Plane crash sees fleet of L-159 fighter jets grounded

11/24/2012

The Czech military has grounded its fleet of L-159 fighter jets after one of the planes crashed on its way back from a training session near Kolín in central Bohemia on Thursday. The pilot did not survive the crash. It is the second fatal accident involving the Czech-made military aircraft since they were first introduced in 2003.

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.