Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

China’s Lijian UCAV “Sharp Sword” spotted taxiing

05/19/2013

China’s first jet-powered stealth unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), the Lijian or “Sharp Sword,” was recently spotted undergoing taxiing tests in China, AIN reports. The Lijian prototype rolled off the assembly line late last year after three years’ joint development by Hongdu Aviation Industry and Shenyang Aircraft , subsidiaries of the state-owned China Aviation Industry (Avic).

Libyan air force jets on air surveillance along southern, eastern borders

05/19/2013

Determined to stamp out arms and drug trafficking as well as stop illegal immigrants from entering the country, Libyan air force jets have continued to conduct air surveillance along the nation's southern and eastern borders, Yusuf al-Takouss, spokesman for the Air Force, told journalists Friday. 'The Mig 21 combat planes and other types of aircraft involved in the campaign took off from the military airport in Sheba (south) to monitor border movements,' he said .

Navy’s X-47B performs first touch-and-go landing on an aircraft carrier

05/19/2013

The Navy’s unmanned X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator (UCAS-D) made it’s first touch-and-go landings on an aircraft carrier on the USS George H.W. Bush on Friday. Don Blottenberger, UCAS-D Deputy Program manager, commented, “This landing, rubber hitting deck, is extremely fulfilling for the team and is the culmination of years of relative navigation development. Now, we are set to demonstrate the final pieces of the demonstration.”

Rafale Fades Some More

05/19/2013

France has again cut the number of Rafale jet fighters it will buy, from 234 to 225. Originally, France planned to buy 294 Rafales but only 200 have actually been ordered so far and about 120 delivered. Four have been lost due to accidents. Seven years ago the French Air Force activated its first squadron of Rafale fighters.

Russia Seeks New Arms Deals on Growing Latin American Market

05/19/2013

Russia will actively seek new deals on the Latin American arms market, which it expects to reach a value of $50 billion in the next ten years, the head of a Russian Technologies (Rostec) high-tech state corporation delegation said on Saturday.

Russian Military Inspectors to Make 2 Flights Over US

05/19/2013

A group of Russian military observers will carry out two inspection missions over the United States under the Open Skies Treaty between May 19 and June 3, the Russian Defense Ministry said. The Russian inspectors, accompanied by U.S. officials, will be flying on board a Tupolev Tu-154 LK-1 plane from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and the Travis Air Force Base in California.

Airbus Targets A400M Military Airlifter Sales Push at Paris Show

05/18/2013

Airbus SAS plans to use next month’s Paris air show to bolster export prospects for its A400 military cargo plane as it rushes to meet a mid-year deadline to deliver the first model to the French air force. “Le Bourget is going to be a break-out point for exports,” Domingo Urena-Raso, the Airbus Military chief executive officer, said in an interview, referring to the airport north of Paris where the aerospace industry will gather starting June 17.

France Expects 1st Batch of Reapers Soon

05/18/2013

France expects the US will soon approve the speedy shipment of two Reaper surveillance drones after sending a formal request in early May, American and French sources said. French acquisition of the first batch of unarmed General Atomics Reapers seals a long-running, politically charged debate on what type of aircraft the Air Force will use to fill a capability gap in medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft.

New Zealand Describes Defense Goals for 2013-2016

05/18/2013

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence only just finished awarding a $120-million contract to buy 10 SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite anti-submarine/anti-surface warfare helicopters from Kaman Corporation a week ago, but already the MoD is busy planning out its next series of acquisitions.

Pentagon Asks Congress to Move $9.6 Billion to Priority Projects

05/18/2013

The Pentagon is seeking congressional approval to shift about $9.6 billion in this year’s defense budget to priority projects, mostly to pay for greater-than-expected Afghanistan war and transportation costs.The largest single request is to move $1.3 billion into Army operations and maintenance “to support funding shortfalls for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan operations,” according to budget documents sent to Congress today.

Fiscal Fight Takes Toll on Military Readiness

05/18/2013

During fiscal year 2013, the Defense Department was funded by temporary measures, or continuing resolutions, that put a huge crimp on operations and maintenance spending. The stopgap measure set O&M budgets at the same level as 2012, and created a funding crunch for the military services as the cost of operations increased and appropriations were delayed.

Last A-10s in Europe depart

05/18/2013

The last four A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft from the 81st Fighter Squadron left Spangdahlem May 17, 2013. Twenty-one aircraft relocated to the United States over the past few months due to the deliberate and comprehensive restructure planned by the U.S. Air Force that has lead to the inactivation of the 81st in June. The loss of A-10s is a significant event for the United States here in Europe.

On this day: American Starfighter aircraft breaks record flying twice the speed of sound

05/18/2013

The world airspeed record was smashed on this day in 1958 after a U.S. Starfighter aircraft hit an astonishing 1,404mph – marking a golden age in aircraft feats. The supersonic jet stunned the world – and especially America’s Cold War rivals – by becoming the first combat aircraft to travel at twice the speed of sound. It flew 196mph quicker than the previous fastest airspeed, set by a McDonnell F-101A Voodoo just six months earlier.

Canada must rule its Arctic waves

05/17/2013

In the heady world of military procurement, the difference between an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and an F-18E/F Super Hornet is a matter of degree of performance: both could arguably do the job Canada needs in the air. But for ships, the matter is far more conclusive: you either build the ships you have to have, or you do not.

Soldiers, Boko Haram In Fierce Battle

05/17/2013

Nigerian soldiers have begun an offensive against Boko Haram Islamists, raiding camps in a remote northeastern park, while more than 2,000 troops have been deployed to retake territory seized by the insurgents, a military source told AFP Thursday. “Our men raided some terrorist camps in the Sambisa Game Reserve,” in Borno State, said the senior officer who requested anonymity.

US sending troops to Italy in case of Libya unrest

05/17/2013

The United States is sending a force of 200 Marines supported by two aircraft to Italy as a precaution against unrest in Libya. The force would deploy in case of an attack similar to the one on the US consulate in Benghazi last year. On Wednesday Italy’s Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said that the Marines were being transferred to Sigonella air base in Sicily. "It is taking place in accordance with bilateral agreements," Bonino told a joint session of the House and Senate foreign commissions.

China Seeks A Nimitz Moment

05/17/2013

In China, government controlled media recently carried comments by a senior admiral in which the construction of a second carrier (as rumored, in a yard near Shanghai) was denied, but it was confirmed that a second, larger carrier was in the planning stage. It would make sense that as much experience as possible be gained from the first carrier (the Liaoning) first before finalizing the design of the second one.

L-159s could be heading for Poland

05/17/2013

The Czech Republic is hoping to sell its L-159 Alca fighter aircraft to Poland, just months after an expected deal with Iraq apparently fell through. Prime Minister Petr Necas announced May 13 the Czech Republic was taking part in a tender that could result in the sale of the aircraft to Poland.

Australia to stock up on US drones

05/17/2013

Five years after it walked away from a US Navy program to provide unmanned surveillance aircraft for Australia, the government has asked the US for renewed access to the technology. Giant American defence company Northrop Grumman has developed the MQ-4C Triton drone for large-scale maritime patrol tasks. It is the latest version of the Global Hawk that the Howard Government was involved with during the late 1990s.

Hagel: It Was Furlough or Deepen Readiness Crisis

05/17/2013

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered the furlough of 680,000 civilian employees for one day a week, from early July through September, to avoid taking deeper cuts in training and maintenance, which could have degraded readiness to the point of threatening "core missions," he said.The Department of Defense furlough plan will cut work hours and pay of most civilian employees by 20 percent for up to 11 weeks to save $1.8 billion.

F-35A Successfully Completes High Angle Of Attack Testing

05/17/2013

he latest in a series of Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A high angle of attack (AOA) testing was recently completed. The testing accomplished high AOA beyond both the positive and negative maximum command limits, including intentionally putting the aircraft out of control in several configurations. This included initially flying in the stealth clean wing configuration.

Russia to Deliver 12 More Mi-17 Helicopters to Afghanistan

05/17/2013

Russia will deliver 12 Mil Mi-17V5 military transport helicopters to the Afghanistan Armed Forces by the end of 2013, state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Thursday. The helicopters were options in a $367.5 million deal Rosoboronexport signed with the Pentagon in May 2011 for delivery of 21 Mi-17V5s. According to US officials, the deal could be worth up to $900 million including spares and servicing.

The Killer Robot War Is Coming

05/16/2013

Drones are everywhere. They are blasting suspected al-Qaida militants in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. They are menacing China. They are being shot down in Israel. They are hovering outside of homes in America and spying on their residents. And they are forcing us to rethink some basic legal principles—for good reason, because drones are making the old ones obsolete.

More Mercenary Su-25s Slip Into Africa

05/16/2013

Back in February the African country of Niger received its first jet combat aircraft in the form of two Su-25s. These were received from Ukraine, which has a lot of Cold War surplus weapons, and refurbished these two ground attack aircraft. It is believed that Ukraine also supplied pilots and ground crews, at least until some Niger personnel could be trained to do the work.

Pentagon urges safety valve for F-35 to help jet survive attack

05/16/2013

The Pentagon’s top weapons buyer is backing calls to restore a valve on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet that improves the fighter’s chances to survive a hit from a high-explosive round. Adding an improved valve “would result in the aircraft being fully compliant” with its operational requirements, Frank Kendall, the undersecretary for acquisition, wrote a lawmaker last month in a previously undisclosed letter.