Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russian air force undergoes biggest drill in twenty years

06/09/2013

On May 27, several thousand Russian soldiers were woken at 5:00 in the morning by a surprise alarm. The Russian Ministry of Defense staged its biggest drills in more than twenty years to test the air forces. The aggressor squadrons launched an offensive at all altitudes and from all directions. They also employed jamming systems to impede target engagement by anti-aircraft radars.

Pilot Report Proves A400M’s Capabilities

06/08/2013

Three decades in the making, the multinational Airbus Military A400M Atlas is the first new military airlifter to be developed in Europe since the Transall C-160 twin-turboprop in the early 1960s. The completion of basic development and impending first delivery means Europe has its own heavy-lift transport and customers have an alternative to U.S. and Russian aircraft.

India commissions its first Pilatus aircraft

06/08/2013

The Indian air force inducted the first 12 of 75 Swiss-manufactured Pilatus PC-7 Mk-II basic training aircraft at a ceremony at the Dundigal Air Force Academy near Hyderabad. Minister of State for Defense Jitendra Singh unveiled the tandem-seat turboprop aircraft that is capable of aerobatics as well as tactical and night flying, The Hindu reported. "The induction of PC Mk-II is a very important landmark in our nation's quest for modernizing its armed forces," Singh said.

Poland urgently needs strong deterrence forces

06/08/2013

During his visit this week to the aircraft base F-16 in Lask near Lodz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland needed a deterrent force so that potential enemies do not even think about attacking Poland. Air Force is one of the most important elements of the new military-political doctrine of the country.

MiG Awaits MiG-35 Order from Russian MoD

06/08/2013

Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) is expected to be the launch customer for the MiG-35 multi-role fighter. Sergei Korotkov, Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG (RAC MiG) general director, said the company and the MoD are negotiating an initial order for 24 aircraft, with an option that would increase the number to about 40.

On Final Approach to Fighter Fiscal Sanity

06/08/2013

Each year the Defense Department’s comptroller, the Pentagon’s chief financial officer, publishes a report: Program Acquisition Costs by Weapon System. The public and Congress have a right to expect these annual reports to be complete and accurate. These reports have identified spending amounts for research and development and for procurement, plus annual production authorizations, for the F-35, since the public origins of the program in 1994.

Despite safety fears, US Navy says jets will train on Iwo Jima until Japan finds better site

06/08/2013

Iwo Jima is a training site like no other. The rugged volcanic crag was one of the most iconic battlegrounds of World War II, and is so isolated and barren it has almost never been inhabited by anyone other than military troops. But from the perspective of U.S. Navy fighter pilots who regularly train on the island's one functioning airstrip, it is unique in another way.

Russia Tests ‘Missile Defense Killer’

06/08/2013

The US missile defense system is no match for the new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that Russia tested this week, a senior Russian official said Friday. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the defense industry, hailed Thursday’s tests as a success and dubbed the new ICBM a “missile defense killer.”

Russia, Ukraine to Hold Joint Naval Drills on June 19-25

06/08/2013

Some 15 warships and auxiliary vessels will take part in Russian-Ukrainian anti-piracy exercises in the Black Sea on June 19-25, a Russian Black Sea Fleet spokesman has said. The Fairway of Peace 2013 drills will focus on joint missions to counter piracy and terrorism threats in the region.

MiG-29 Fraudster Gets Suspended Sentence

06/08/2013

A Moscow court has given a four-year suspended sentence to the last defendant in the criminal case over deliveries of low-quality equipment for MiG-29 fighters that were rejected by Algeria in 2007, Russia's business daily Kommersant said Friday. The Moscow city court announced the sentencing for Mikael Kazaryan at a closed session on Thursday. The suspended sentence is a result of a plea bargain between the defendant and the prosecutors.

Today is the 69th D-Day anniversary, June 6, 1944

06/07/2013

Sixty-nine years ago today, the deadliest war the world had ever seen underwent a pivotal event that changed World War II completely. Today, the Invasion at Normandy, also known as D-Day, remains the largest seaborne invasion in history, involving nearly three million troops crossing the English Channel from England to Normandy in occupied France.

Bell tilt-rotor shortlisted for JMR-TD

06/07/2013

The U.S. Army has shortlisted Bell Helicopter's V-280 tilt-rotor aircraft design for its Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator program. The V-280 is Bell's third-generation, tilt-rotor concept. It reportedly will have a cruising speed of 320 mph, a range of 2,400 miles and a combat range of 580 to 920 miles.

New Pakistan PM calls for end to US drone strikes

06/07/2013

Pakistan's new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called Wednesday for an end to US drone strikes in the country's northwest, as he took office for an unprecedented third term. Some 13 years after he was deposed in a coup and sent into exile, the 63-year-old was formally chosen by a vote in the National Assembly and later took the oath of office from President Asif Ali Zardari.

Insight: Russia's Syria diplomacy, a game of smoke and mirrors

06/07/2013

Sitting at a long table in Russia's Foreign Ministry, Syrian opposition leaders outlined a plan to protect Moscow's interests if the Kremlin agreed to the removal of its longstanding ally, President Bashar al-Assad. Throughout the meeting last July, one of many since the start of Syria's civil war, Russian officials sat stony-faced. When the Syrians had finished, there was a long silence.

Paris Air Show 2013 – A Military Preview

06/07/2013

The 50th Paris Airshow presents a weeklong celebration for aviation enthusiasts. As the most important annual aerospcace business event, it attracts thousands of companies and trade visitors. On the military side, the airshow takes a lower key, reflecting reduced spending in Europe and the United States. Nevertheless, the Russian impact is growing, demonstrating Moscow’s claim for a leading position in world defense exports.

T-1 Jayhawk modifications take electronic warfare training airborne

06/07/2013

he 451st Flying Training Squadron completed the final step of a long journey when a T-1A Jayhawk modified for electronic warfare training took flight on a training sortie June 4. This is the first time in Air Force history an undergraduate aviation program has formally incorporated the fundamentals of electronic warfare in flight into their combat systems officer training syllabus.

F-35A completes 1st in-flight missile launch

06/07/2013

An F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range, June 5. It was the first launch where the F-35 and AIM-120 demonstrated a successful launch-to-eject communications sequence and fired the rocket motor after launch -- paving the way for targeted launches in support of the Block 2B fleet release capability later this year.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Modernized Laser Range Finder for The U.S. Army’s Apache Helicopter

06/07/2013

Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] recently delivered the first Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) Laser Range Finder Designator (LRFD) to the U.S. Army for the AH-64D/E Apache helicopter. “The new laser is the first component to be fielded in the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly,” said Lt. Col. Steve Van Riper, U.S. Army product manager of Apache Sensors.

Exercise Saber Strike 2013 demonstrates international cooperation

06/06/2013

The exercise spans multiple locations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and involves approximately 2,000 personnel from 14 countries. To mark the occasion, participants held opening ceremonies at major training areas across the three countries. Lithuania, the host nation for this year’s exercise, held its ceremony at the Pabrade Training Area, with the Chief of Lithuanian Land Forces and exercise co-director, Maj. Gen. Almantas Leika presiding.

Syrian rebels lose strategic town in boost for Assad

06/06/2013

Syrian government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies seized control of the border town of Qusair on Wednesday, a severe setback to rebel fighters battling to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Two weeks of heavy fighting reduced much of the town to piles of concrete, whole blocks flattened by shelling, with glass and rubble littering the roads as tired, delighted Syrian soldiers gathered at the bullet-riddled clock tower.

European militaries scramble to obtain drones

06/06/2013

The use of unmanned aircraft, so called “drones,” has become a hallmark of 21st century military operations. Such aircraft have become infamous for their use by the United States to hunt terrorists in the mountains of Pakistan and elsewhere, but the US is far from the only user of the technology. Almost every state in Europe has procured some type of drone technology over the past ten years; most notable among them are Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and France.

Seoul to start bidding for fighter jet next week

06/06/2013

South Korea is set to start the bidding process next week to pick a contractor to provide 60 advanced fighter jets for the country, an official at the state procurement agency said Tuesday. Jets competing for the US$7.5 billion contract are Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle; Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth jet; and the European Aerospace Defense and Space Company (EADS)'s Eurofighter Tranche 3 Typhoon.

No Fly Zone Over Syria Difficult to Establish

06/06/2013

The suffering from the Syrian civil war is accelerating. António Guterres, United Nations high commissioner, reported to the U.N. Security Council last April that each time he makes a report, it is much worse than the previous report. He said that in December, refugees were fleeing Syria at a rate of about 3,000 per day. Since February, 8,000 persons on average have crossed Syria’s borders every day. Syria is becoming a monumental humanitarian crisis with no sign of abatement.

Tejas set to get clearance by 2014-end

06/06/2013

India’s indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas appears to have got a new lease of life, with Defence Minister A. K. Antony stating that final operational clearance would be in place by the end of next year. The LCA programme is meant to boost the country’s aviation industry. Tejas was mooted way back in 1983, at a cost of Rs 560 crore, to replace the Indian Air Force's ageing MiG-21s.

Moving Towards the “Unmanned War”

06/06/2013

On Tuesday May 14th, the US military succeeded in launching a drone from an aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia, marking a historical first. The aircraft, an "X-47B" produced by Northrop Grumman, is considered to be the first unmanned aircraft that is able to be launched from a ship. The prototype had a successful flight of around 65 minutes, and ultimately landed at a base in Maryland.