Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

LIMA: Conformal tanks add fuel to Super Hornet campaign

03/27/2013

Boeing is displaying a mock-up of a proposed conformal fuel tank fit (CFT) for its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet combat aircraft at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition in Malaysia. A US Navy F-model aircraft is on static display at the show with two above-wing CFT shapes installed. Boeing ground crew added the "strap-on" mock-ups following the aircraft's arrival from the USA.

Budget cuts cancel Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB

03/27/2013

Broad government budget cuts have claimed this year's Aviation Nation show at Nellis Air Force Base. The military aircraft exhibition that opened the airfield to the public was slated to happen Nov. 9-10.

Darpa’s Next Drone Could Be a Datalink Between Planes and Ships

03/27/2013

The Pentagon’s far-out research scientists aren’t just trying to build a drone that can operate off the deck of a small warship. They’re starting to describe their new-mark flying robot as a device that bridges the communication systems between ships and aircraft. And if they can pull it off, Darpa will be giving the U.S. military a capability it badly needs for one of its major initiatives.

Russia Is Selling More And More Weapons To Asia

03/27/2013

After trying to buy the Sukhoi SU-35 fighter jet since the 1990s, China is finally getting 24 of them along with four submarines from Moscow, Forbes reports. The Russians finally warmed up to the deal (which was trimmed from an order for 48), marking the first big military equipment purchase between the two nations in over a decade.

China's military steps up drone deployment

03/27/2013

China's military is expanding its unmanned aerial vehicle forces with a new Predator-like armed drone and a new unmanned combat aircraft amid growing tensions with neighbors in Asia, according to United States intelligence officials.

India-China: The real military equation

03/27/2013

Leave aside economic growth parameters and astounding leaps in infrastructure that only increase the disparity between India and China with every passing day, the story is repeated about the increasing gap between the military capabilities of the two countries. China's expenditure on defence is three times ours - if we accept disclosed figures - and could actually be more.

Peru mulls replacing aged air force jets

03/27/2013

Peru is in talks with Spain and warplane suppliers as part of a low-budget plan to replace aging air force aircraft with second-hand Eurofighters and comparable fighters. Cost is a major issue for Peruvian President Ollanta Humala, who is looking at competitively priced fighter jets that will fit the national budget. Peru's cut-price fighter jet competition contrasts with Brazil's multibillion-dollar FX-2 replacement jet fighter program.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Singapore’s Next-Generation Fighter? – Analysis

03/27/2013

Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen expressed the desire to replace a number of ageing air force fighter aircraft during the latest parliamentary budget debate. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) seems to be in the leading position to be Singapore’s next-generation fighter.

French defence cuts 'could harm British military partnership'

03/27/2013

French government plans for severe defence cuts could jeopardise its military entente cordiale with Britain, “kill” its conventional army and render interventions such as that in Mali impossible, Gallic defence officials have warned.

Next generation of fighter jets to be in Norfolk

03/27/2013

Scotland will lose out to Norfolk on being home to the next generation of fighter jets, ministers will announce. There had been hopes that the new Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSF), which will be the heart of the RAF’s future capabilities, might be based at Lossiemouth in Moray, but they will fly from RAF Marham. In a written statement yesterday, it was announced a third RAF installation will be closed in Scotland in the next three years with the loss of 30 jobs.

Interest in 'eye-in-sky' programmes

03/26/2013

When the curtains go up at this year's edition of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (Lima '13) today, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will likely be reflecting on one thing in particular. Events in Lahad Datu must surely underscore the value of having a show such as Lima, as well as the Defence Services Asia exhibition, in the region.

RAF Marham to be the base for the next generation of fast jet strike aircraft

03/26/2013

Defence secretary, Philip Hammond, flew to the Norfolk base to announce the decision to personnel this morning. The announcement safeguards Marham’s future until 2040 - along with 5,000 jobs and the millions it contributes to the region’s economy each year. Mr. Hammond said Marham had always been the first choice to be home for the Lightning II.

Sikorsky - Colombian Army Takes Delivery of Five S-70i BLACK HAWK Helicopters

03/26/2013

The Colombian Army has formally inducted five new Sikorsky S-70i multi-mission helicopters into its fleet of BLACK HAWK aircraft. Colombia is the first South American country to buy the S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter variant from Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.. 'We are honored by the trust the Colombian Armed Forces continue to place in Sikorsky, and in the BLACK HAWK aircraft as the country's utility helicopter of choice.

Elbit details C-Music business opportunities

03/26/2013

Work to install Elbit Systems C-Music directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) equipment on several Italian air force types is to begin soon, under the terms of a $15 million contract awarded to industry partner Elettronica in 2011. Dan Slasky, vice-president of airborne electro-optics and laser systems at Elbit's Elop division.

Hormuz Transits: Never Dull, Never Routine, Always Tense

03/26/2013

THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ — This is definitely a place, not just a patch in the sea. The land can close in on both sides — Iran to the north, Oman or the United Arab Emirates to the south. The waterway is crowded with ships, among them the world’s largest oil tankers, big container ships, small dhows and merchantmen, tiny fast smuggling craft darting across traffic, gray warships lurking in the haze.

Jordan Has An Airline Running Guns To Syria With The Help Of The CIA

03/26/2013

Jordanian International Air Cargo is a front for the Kingdom of Jordan’s Air Force, the New York Times and Foreign Policy reports. Not only that, but JIAC has been running military aid to Syrian rebel fights in its military-style, Russian-made Ilyushin 76 cargo planes, via Croatia. In total, the Times says, there have been more than 160 flights of these planes, for a total of 3,500 tons of military equipment.

IN FOCUS: Canada's mixed defence procurement record

03/26/2013

During the past 10 years, Canada has embarked on a series of ambitious modernisation programmes for its military aircraft fleet. But Ottawa's track record on executing such programmes has been mixed. While some procurement efforts have proven quite successful, others have hit severe turbulence.

Y-20 Heavy Transporter Has Entered A New Phase

03/26/2013

China's first domestically-developed heavy transport aircraft, the Y-20, successfully took off for its first test flight on January 26. Now, Y-20's trial flight has entered a new phase. Our reporter Li Dong has the details. Different from the previous yellow-green paint, the new Y-20 has been repainted a dark gray, signifying that the aircraft's trials have entered a new phase.

No Budget Cut Relief for AF's Aging Fleet

03/26/2013

In the era of stealth jets and smart phones, the average Air Force aircraft has been flying since the Reagan administration. Some, like the B-52, have been around considerably longer. As a young Air Force lieutenant, Ovidio Pugnale of Beavercreek first flew aboard the nuclear-armed bomber in November 1960.

China 'buys fighter jets and submarines from Russia'

03/26/2013

China has agreed to buy 24 fighter jets and four submarines from Russia, Chinese state media report. It is reported to be the first time in a decade that China has made a large-scale military purchase from Russia. Two of the submarines will be built in Russia and two in China. The deal, signed just before last weekend's visit to Moscow by the Chinese President, Xi Jinping, comes as both sides increase military co-operation.

New Cold War Takes Shape in Arabian Gulf

03/25/2013

Something that looks very much like a new Cold War is forming up here in the Arabian Gulf region. The hot ground war of Iraq is over, and its counterpart in Afghanistan is drawing down, perhaps even faster than planned. In their place, a new standoff centered on the maritime environment already is at work, signifying intentions by the U.S. and its allies to remain active participants in the region.

US Sec. of State tells Iraq to close airspace for Iranian planes ‘with Assad aid’

03/25/2013

Iraq shouldn't allow Iran to use its airspace to provide aid to the Syrian government, US Secretary of State, John Kerry, warned during his unannounced visit to Baghdad. "I made it very clear that for those of us, who are engaged in an effort to see President Assad step down... anything that supports President Assad is problematic," Kerry said after holding private talks with Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki.

China Flexes Muscles With New Missile Tests

03/25/2013

China has demonstrated its military might by testing new rockets capable of hitting aircraft carriers up to 1,250 miles from the shore, as the US announced it is stepping up its military presence in Asia. Amidst increasingly belligerent language from Beijing, new satellite photos published in the Taiwan media show huge craters in a mock-up of an aircraft carrier deck in the Gobi desert, believed to be created in tests of the new DF-21D anti-ship missile.

Are aircraft carriers about to become an endangered species in the United States?

03/25/2013

Budget pressures at the Pentagon have renewed a debate about the value of the US Navy’s giant aircraft carriers, with critics arguing the warships are fast becoming costly relics in a new era of warfare. With the Pentagon facing $500 billion in cuts over the next decade, a Navy officer has dared to question the most treasured vessels in his service’s fleet, saying the super carriers are increasingly vulnerable to new weapons and too expensive to operate.

Russian Military Inspectors to Fly Over Croatia, Slovenia

03/25/2013

Russian military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territories of Croatia and Slovenia countries under the international Open Skies Treaty beginning on Monday, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry said. Russian experts will conduct the inspection flights on board an Antonov An-30B (Clank) aircraft between March 25 and 30, the spokesman said.