Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing Delivers Canada's 1st CH-147F Chinook Helicopter

06/28/2013

Boeing delivered the first of 15 new CH-147F Chinook helicopters to the Royal Canadian Air Force on June 21, making Canada the operator of one of the most capable Chinook variants delivered to the global market. The aircraft’s features include a modernized airframe with a long-range fuel system, upgraded electrical system, fully integrated Common Avionics Architecture System cockpit, and Digital Automatic Flight Control System.

IAF long wait for state-of-the-art fighter may soon be over with induction of Sukhoi Su-30

06/27/2013

This is what it will look like from the cockpit of an enemy fighter giving chase to a Sukhoi Su-30: travelling at twice the speed of sound (about 2,400 km an hour), it suddenly rears its head and is vertical to the ground. For a split second, it hangs in the air - like a cobra about to strike. And in that time the enemy, also in a supersonic fighter, has gone past him. The Su-30 does a loop. Now it's the enemy's turn to run.

Exercise Trident Fury 2013

06/27/2013

The land, sea and skies of West Vancouver Island were the playground for one of the largest military exercises in Canada this year. Exercise Trident Fury, held May 3 to 19, is a biennial joint and often multinational naval exercise hosted and organized by Maritime Forces Pacific in Esquimalt, B.C.

Marines' Sequester Bill: 8,000 Troops, Ground Vehicles, Combat Aircraft

06/27/2013

To absorb its share of a $500 billion spending cut that will hit the Defense Department over the next decade, the Marine Corps would shed 8,000 troops and forgo purchases of new armored vehicles, trucks, tactical aircraft and helicopters. The Marine Corps is prepared to shoulder its portion of the sequester, said Commandant Gen. James F. Amos.

Third F-35 for the UK Arrives at Eglin Air Force Base

06/27/2013

The third Lockheed Martin F-35B Short Takeoff/Vertical Landing (STOVL) Lightning II for the United Kingdom arrived at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., yesterday where it will be used for pilot and maintainer training. U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Roger Hardy piloted the aircraft known as BK-3 (ZM137) on its 90-minute ferry flight from the Lockheed Martin F-35 production facility at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base.

Israel Receives First C-130J Super Hercules: ‘Shimshon’

06/27/2013

Lockheed Martin delivered the State of Israel’s first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter during a ceremony today at its Aeronautics Company’s production facility here. This is first of three C-130Js currently on order for the Israeli Air Force (IAF), which has operated legacy C-130s since 1971.

Boeing Begins Assembly of 1st KC-46A Tanker Aircraft

06/27/2013

Boeing workers in Everett today loaded the first wing spar for the first U.S. Air Force KC-46A aerial refueling tanker, starting production of that aircraft and achieving another milestone toward delivering 179 tankers during the next 14 years. The KC-46A is based on the commercial 767-200ER, a proven airframe in service as an airliner, freighter and tanker. Boeing has delivered more than 1,050 767s worldwide.

Kyrgyz Leader Finalizes US Airbase Closure

06/27/2013

The president of the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed a bill ordering the closure of a US airbase that serves as the main transit hub for NATO forces in Afghanistan. According to the bill, US forces must abandon the base at Manas International Airport, near the capital Bishkek, by July 2014. The Kyrgyz parliament overwhelmingly approved the legislation last week.

China to Bolster Defense Ties With Post-Soviet States

06/27/2013

Beijing is committed to boosting its defense collaboration with member states of a post-Soviet security group that includes Russia, China’s defense minister said Wednesday. Joint military exercises as part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which also includes Kyrgyzstan and neighboring Central Asian states, are a “real necessity” for ensuring regional peace and stability and “enhancing political and strategic confidence.”

Russia to Open Airbase in Belarus Within Months

06/27/2013

Russia is opening an airbase in northwestern Belarus, near the Polish and Lithuanian borders, within just a few months, a Russian Air Force general said Wednesday. The airbase, modern Russia’s first on Belarusian soil, will consolidate bilateral defense collaboration as part of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, Russian Air Force chief Lieutenant General Viktor Bondarev told reporters.

Australia seeks Triton superdrones to keep a watch on Indian Ocean

06/26/2013

Rising Indian Ocean rivalries as China seeks to safeguard key energy lifelines loom behind an Australian push for a $3 billion fleet of maritime superdrones, which will likely boost intelligence sharing with the United States. With elections looming and pressure for budget savings, the purchase of up to seven MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft has emerged as rare point of bipartisan agreement between Australia's Labor government and conservative opponents.

Israeli F-4s Actually Fought North Korean MiGs During the Yom Kippur War

06/26/2013

Even if the McDonnell Douglas F-4 was developed as interceptor in response to the need of the U.S. Navy to protect their aircraft carrier, the ultimate version of the Phantom II was the USAF F-4E, a multi role fighter which was also sold to several air forces around the world. One of the countries to receive the F-4E was Israel that bought the first examples in 1969 and later made the Phantom the mainstay of its Air Power bringing the F-4 in all the major Arab-Israeli conflicts.

Azerbaijan celebrates Armed Forces Day

06/26/2013

Azerbaijan celebrates the Day of the Armed Forces on June 26. The Azerbaijani armed forces are highly disciplined, powerful, equipped with modern military machinery, always ready to defend the country and capable of resolving any problem. The Azerbaijani army is professional and the most powerful army in the South Caucasus region.

Italian minister defends F-35 jet purchase on eve of tense vote

06/26/2013

Italy's cash-strapped government plans to go ahead with purchasing 90 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, Defense Minister Mario Mauro said on Tuesday, ahead of a vote that risks splitting the ruling coalition. The lower house of parliament is due to vote on Wednesday on a motion, presented last month by opposition groups and some members of Prime Minister Enrico Letta's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), that calls on Italy to drop the fighter investment.

Sequester Already Taking Toll on Military

06/26/2013

The news media have, by and large, stopped writing about sequestration and Congress has stopped agitating about it. So it stands to reason that it’s not that big of a deal, right? Surely the doomsayers who predicted grave consequences from willy-nilly cutting $1 trillion from the budget over the next decade–including more than $500 billion in defense cuts–have been proven wrong. Not quite. In fact, sequestration is already taking a serious toll on our military readiness.

Tejas in race against time as Antony sets December 2014 delivery deadline

06/26/2013

It will be a race against time for the developers of the Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, as Defence Minister A.K. Antony has set a December 2014 deadline for the final delivery of the homemade fighter. But, going by the amount of work remaining on the aircraft, it will be a rush for the scientists to get the final operational clearance within the allocated time.

Editorial: Don't Reinvent the Wheel

06/26/2013

Over two decades, hundreds of millions of euros spent on European UAV technologies have failed to deliver capabilities sought by regional militaries. Some, like Britain’s Herti, or Harfang, the Franco-German adaptation of Israel’s Heron, have yielded modest capabilities. Others, like EADS’ Talarion, have been long in gestation at tremendous cost but with scant prospects for adoption.

Asia driving 'explosion' in global arms trade: study

06/26/2013

Asian powers are outpacing the United States to become the biggest spenders on defense by 2021 and are fuelling an "explosion" in the global arms trade, a study showed. The global arms trade jumped by 30 percent to $73.5 billion between 2008-2012 in spite of the economic downturn, driven by surging exports from China and demand from countries like India, and is set to more than double by 2020, defense and security consultancy IHS Jane's said on Tuesday.

Lockheed Martin Wins U.S. Army Helicopter Maintenance Program

06/26/2013

Lockheed Martin received an aircraft maintenance and logistics contract with an initial funding value of $5 million from the U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., to provide field and sustainment-level maintenance for U.S. Army helicopters. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will lead the Army’s Regional Aviation Sustainment Maintenance Central Operations at Fort Campbell, Ky., home of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

The Multi-Billion Dollar Dogfight

06/25/2013

The deal making has officially concluded; the order books are now closed. This year’s Paris Air Show, ended June 23, witnessed a robust roster of sales to airlines that are optimistic about economic growth and willing to spend billions of dollars for new aircraft. The biennial gathering, the world’s largest and most prestigious showcase for commercial and military aircraft, marked its 50th anniversary this year.

PAF Bronco crashes in Palawan; 2 pilots missing

06/25/2013

Search and rescue teams yesterday found debris of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) OV-10 Bronco plane with two pilots that crashed Sunday night in the vicinity of Antonio Bautista Air Base in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. Col. Miguel Okol, PAF spokesman, said that parts of the light attack aircraft with tail No. R630 were found after the aircraft went missing following takeoff at around 6:37 p.m. Sunday to conduct night flying proficiency training mission.

Su-35 wows at Le Bourget Paris Air Show

06/25/2013

Western media called the demonstration flights of the newest Russian Su-35S fighter at the Paris Air Show 2013 the high point of the event. Making its foreign debut, the new combat machine wowed the public with a series of aerobatic maneuvers that no other aircraft can perform — proving yet again that Sukhoi-made fighters are among the best in the world.

Rafales to touch Indian sky in 2016

06/25/2013

With the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Dassault Aviation ironing out differences over the medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA), the supply of the Rafale aircraft is expected to begin in 2016-17.

Hollande seeks Rafale jet deal with Qatar

06/25/2013

French President Francois Hollande has sought to press the gas-rich Persian Gulf emirate of Qatar to buy 24- to 36 Dassault Rafale combat jets during a weekend visit amid a defense build-up by the region's Arab monarchies to counter Iran.

Avoid further time slippage: Antony on Light Combat Aircraft project

06/25/2013

Worried over the long delay in the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) project, defence minister A K Antony on Monday asked DRDO and HAL to avoid further time slippage and stick to the schedule of achieving final clearance for the indigenous plane by the end of next year.