Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

McCain Sneaks Across Turkey-Syria Border to Meet Rebels

05/28/2013

John McCain slipped across the Syrian border and met with rebels, according to the Daily Beast. He met with Gen. Salem Idris, the leader of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army, and with dozens of other leaders, CBS reports. He was in Syria for several hours and brought two security guards with him.

Heron Down

05/28/2013

On May 11th Israel crashed a Heron UAV with engine trouble into the sea, before it could crash in a populated area. The next day all Heron 1s were grounded until it could be determined what the problem was and if it was common to all Heron 1s. About a hundred Heron 1s are in service or on order. The largest user is India, followed by Israel. The 1.2 ton Heron UAV can stay in the air for 30 hours or more and has a payload of 250 kg (550 pounds).

US Navy looks to 3D printing to turn its city-sized aircraft carriers into mobile factories

05/28/2013

I always think of that scene in Apollo 13: “We need to make this… fit into this… using this.” It’s a frustration that’s central to the whole film: how could we be able to send human beings all the way to the Moon and still be foiled by something as simple as the shape of a valve? More to the point, how could we send a rover all the way to Mars, and still worry about something as banal as a broken wheel or a bent rod?

Budget cuts leave Air Force pilots twisting in the wind

05/28/2013

The “World Famous Rocketeers” were flying high two months ago. The Air Force fighter squadron had returned safely with its F-15E Strike Eagles and aircraft crews from a six-month Middle East deployment, and in March the entire wing passed a readiness evaluation with an unusually high rating.

Confidential report lists U.S. weapons system designs compromised by Chinese cyberspies

05/28/2013

Designs for many of the nation’s most sensitive advanced weapons systems have been compromised by Chinese hackers, according to a report prepared for the Pentagon and to officials from government and the defense industry. Among more than two dozen major weapons systems whose designs were breached were programs critical to U.S. missile defenses and combat aircraft and ships.

Russia’s Aerospace Forces Hold Snap Alert Drill

05/28/2013

Russia's Defense Minister ordered a snap combat readiness check of the nation's Aerospace Defense and long range and military transport aviation units on Monday, General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov said. The alert exercise, part of a series of random checks of the Russian Armed Forces which began in February, also involved Air Force and Air Defense Forces units from the Western Military District, Gerasimov said during a teleconference.

US surveillance drones for Andamans?

05/28/2013

In last year's National Defense Authorization Act, the US Congress instructed the Pentagon to commission an independent assessment of the overseas basing presence of US military forces. Last month, a team from RAND released the conclusions of that report.

Dorr: Grounding combat squadrons is not the answer for sequestration

05/28/2013

When the Air Force grounded 17 combat squadrons in response to the harsh budget mandate known as the sequester, was it expecting an outcry that never came? Did someone on the Air Staff think public outrage would force Congress to act? That’s exactly what happened when the Federal Aviation Administration reacted to the sequester by threatening to shutter control towers at 149 airports — something it never really intended to do.

Americans and Their Military, Drifting Apart

05/28/2013

After fighting two wars in nearly 12 years, the United States military is at a turning point. So are the American people. The armed forces must rethink their mission. Though the nation has entered an era of fiscal constraint, and though President Obama last week effectively declared an end to the “global war on terror” that began on Sept. 11, 2001.

AK Antony to inaugurate Su-30 squadron at Thanjavur air base

05/28/2013

Defence Minister AK Antony on Monday will inaugurate an airbase here to house squadron of IAFs lethal Su-30 MKI combat aircraft, making it the first fighter squadron in south India that will help maintain vigil over the Indian Ocean region.

Baltic States Prepare for International Saber Strike Exercise

05/28/2013

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are preparing to take part in a large-scale international exercise, Saber Strike, to take place in early June, the Estonian TV reported on Sunday. Saber Strike is a USAREUR-led theater security cooperation exercise to be conducted in the Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on June 3-14.

Time Running Out for Taiwan if Russia Releases S-400 SAM

05/26/2013

Taiwan faces tough choices over future defense decisions as China’s air defense network continues to grow beyond its shores. At present, China’s land-based mobile air defense missile systems, HQ-9 and S-300, can reach only a small sliver of northwestern Taiwan. Though a clear advantage during a war over control of the middle line of the Taiwan Strait, it is not complete air dominance of the island itself.

South Korea Buys Local Jet Fighters

05/26/2013

South Korea has ordered another 40 of the locally made FA-50 fighter-bombers for $25.5 million each. Two years ago the South Korean Air Force ordered the first twenty (for $30 million each), and the first of these is to arrive in three months with the last of that first order arriving within three years.

Indian Naval manpower to be doubled in 15 years

05/26/2013

Expanding its combat assets by inducting several new platforms including nuclear submarines, fighter planes and aircraft carriers, the Navy has decided to almost double the size of its manpower in next 15 years. The Navy has also decided to give B.Tech degrees to its officers to handle the high end technology being inducted into the force and the first batch of its officers with these degrees will pass out from the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Kerala tomorrow.

To end Washington’s perpetual war on terror will require peace partners that are not yet evident

05/26/2013

U.S. President Barack Obama promised on Thursday to end the perpetual war on terror that began on Sept. 11, 2001. To achieve that will require luck, great statesmanship, a soft touch that has not been a U.S. strength lately and a rejigging of the budget to put more money and effort into diplomacy, foreign aid and the training of foreign armies and less into the combat wings of the military and the CIA.

Estonia Completes Military Drills with NATO Allies

05/26/2013

Estonia completed on Saturday large-scale military drills, which began on May 9 and involved some 5,000 military personnel, including from NATO allies, the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces said. The Spring Storm (Kevadtorm) drills have been held annually in different parts of Estonia since 2003. This year they were held in northern and central Estonia and involved for the first time units from the UK, Belgium and Poland as well as the Estonian navy.

Stansted Airport: RAF fighter jets scrambled after 'threat' on flight from Pakistan to Manchester

05/25/2013

Two RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled as the flight from Pakistan, with 297 passengers on board, was diverted to Stansted airport. A British man was arrested today on the tarmac over an alleged bomb threat on a flight bound for Manchester. Two RAF Typhoon fighters were scrambled as the flight from Pakistan, with 297 passengers on board, was diverted to Stansted airport in Essex after two men reportedly tried to enter the pilot’s cabin.

Russian Navy To Upgrade Il-38 Patrol Fleet

05/25/2013

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has issued a contract for the modernization of the Navy’s fleet of Ilyushin Il-38 maritime patrol aircraft. The Novella mission system will be installed in an unspecified but “large” number of aircraft serving in the Northern Fleet, making them Il-38Ns. Of the 59 aircraft produced between 1967 and 1972, some 18 are currently in operation.

F-35 ITF works toward night, weather certification

05/25/2013

The F-35 Integrated Test Force is wrapping up a series of night flights, which are testing the aircraft's capability when flying in instrument meteorological conditions. It is a necessary step in delivering a core competency to the warfighter - the ability to fly the jet safely when there are no external visibility references for the pilot.

Russia’s partnership with India remains exceptionally important — Komardin

05/25/2013

Ahead of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the beginning of Russia’s military and technical cooperation with foreign countries, Deputy General Director of Rosoboronexport Viktor Komardin speaks about India’s role in this cooperation and export of defence products to other countries.

Donley: Sequestration Hits Air Force Readiness, Modernization

05/25/2013

Sequestration has hit the Air Force particularly hard, impacting its force structure, readiness and modernization, senior Air Force leaders said here today. Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the chief of staff, said Congress must provide a solid budget number so the Air Force can ground its planning in reality. The Air Force understands it must do its part to work through the debt and deficit reduction problem, Welsh said.

Syrian rebels launch pre-peace power grab

05/25/2013

It's a rule of thumb in Middle East conflicts that whenever peace talks are announced, each side steps up the fighting so it can grab as much territory as possible before the cease-fire lines are drawn. This struggle for position is happening now in Syria, in the run-up to planned negotiations in Geneva next month that will be co-sponsored by the United States and Russia.

Airbus A330 Tanker Finally Gets British Ticket

05/25/2013

After a year-long delay, the Airbus Military A330MRTT has gained its “release to service” as a tanker in the UK, allowing the Royal Air Force (RAF) to start operational refueling. The service had been obliged to extend the service life of its aging VC10 and TriStar tankers in the meantime. The recent deployment of RAF Eurofighter Typhoons to Malaysia relied on Italian Air Force Boeing KC-767s to refuel the aircraft en route.

Russian Military Orders 6 Be-200 Amphibious Planes

05/25/2013

The Russian Defense Ministry has signed a contract with the Beriev Aircraft Company for the purchase of six Beriev Be-200 amphibious planes, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said on Friday. “The contract is worth 8.4 billion rubles [$268 million],” UAC said in a statement. “The first two planes will be basic Be-200ChS models, while the following four will be the Be-200PS version without firefighting equipment,” the statement said.

New Triton Drone Makes First Flight: Will Keep Tabs On China, North Korea

05/24/2013

The U.S. Navy's long awaited MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone took its first flight yesterday in Palmdale, California. A Navy press release, delivered yesterday, points out that with 360-degree scanning capability and an Automatic Identification System — meaning it can classify different types of ships by itself — the MQ-4C will be the main Naval spying drone at sea from 2015 onwards.