Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Joint Strike Fighter already making an NC impact

01/26/2013

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter promises a military future for Cherry Point air station as it replaces older Marine Corps aircraft, but it already has a growing impact for North Carolina’s civilian economy. Tom Burbage, of JSF developer and manufacturer Lockheed-Martin, said in an interview Friday in New Bern that Fleet Readiness Center East has a “field team (that) is doing modifications on one of the operations of the aircraft at Yuma (Ariz.) as we speak.”

Fighter Fiasco

01/26/2013

After two and a half years of political dogfighting on and off Parliament Hill, the federal government rebooted its procurement of new fighter jets on Dec. 12, potentially opening the door to aircraft other than its preferred Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. A week earlier, rumours had exploded that the proposed acquisition of the conventional “A” variant of the F-35 had been scrapped.

New CG Aircraft Operating at Air Station Cape Cod

01/26/2013

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod’s new fixed wing aircraft, the HC-144 Ocean Sentry, is fully operational and replaced the HU-25 Falcon on Jan. 24, 2013. The HU-25 Falcon has been the primary fixed-wing aircraft for more than 30 years providing search and rescue, law enforcement, medical transportation and other services to the Northeast. The HU-25 Falcon will be officially retired from Air Station Cape Cod later this year.

MacDill changes rules after cargo plane's mistaken landing

01/26/2013

MacDill Air Force Base has changed procedures in its air traffic control tower after an Air Force cargo plane carrying the commander of military operations in the Middle East and South Asia landed at the wrong airport last July. Though an Air Force investigation took the flight crew to task, Marine Gen. James Mattis and everyone else on board made it off safely.

Sukhoi Delivers 5 Su-34 Bombers to Russian Air Force

01/26/2013

The Novosibirsk aircraft plant, part of the Sukhoi holding, delivered five multirole Su-34 strike aircraft to the Russian Air Force on Friday, the manufacturer said. The jets will make a nonstop ferry flight from Novosibirsk to an air base in Voronezh, southwest Russia, a distance of over 3,000 kilometers (1,800 miles).

Tunisia’s First C-130J Sees Daylight

01/25/2013

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has completed painting the first of two Tunisian Air Force C-130J-30 Super Hercules. Tunisia currently operates a fleet of C-130Hs and C-130Bs, first purchased in the mid-1980s. The new C-130Js will support Tunisian operations across the mission spectrum, including relief efforts around the world, firefighting and traditional airlift sorties. The first aircraft is due for delivery later this year.

Wheels up for Red Flag

01/25/2013

The fighters from Sweden flew into town a few days ago, landing at Nellis Air Force Base after a 15-hour journey across the Atlantic, the American heartland and, finally, darting down from above the Rockies. With the help of state-of-the-art U.S. Air Force KC-10 air tankers, each of the eight Saab JAS-39 Gripen (pronounced "Gree-pen") fighter jets refueled a dozen times to make it to Nellis for this week's Red Flag air combat training exercise.

Russia, China Working On Deal Despite Property Rights Trouble

01/25/2013

“Once bitten, twice shy” appears to mean nothing to Moscow in doing business with Beijing. Russia was badly burned by China a decade ago after an agreement to build the Sukhoi Su-27/J-11A in China ended up being reverse-engineered by Shenyang Aircraft Corp. as the J-11B fighter. China’s decision to ignore intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the Su-27 deal ended further production of the fighter in 2004.

F-35 fallout blamed for collapse of another military procurement program

01/25/2013

The fallout from the Conservative government’s F-35 purchase is being blamed for yet another military equipment project going off the rails. Public Works and Government Services Canada rejected all the bids from companies for a project to outfit soldiers with a futuristic system of sensors that would better allow them to communicate and find their way on the battlefield.

Paint It Black

01/25/2013

The Russian Air Force has decided to go back to pattern type camouflage paint jobs on its combat aircraft. The recently resigned defense minister had ordered all combat aircraft to be painted one of several shades of gray. This saved money because the aircraft did not have to be repainted to a different camouflage pattern if it was transferred to another part of the country.

China may test Y-7 variant as carrier-based AEW aircraft

01/25/2013

China is unlikely to use the KJ-2000 or KJ-200 as airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft on its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, due to weight, size, and other factors. The Liaoning needs a type of medium-sized AEW aircraft that do not occupy much space, military expert Du Wenlong said in an interview with China Central Television on January 19.

French planes destroy Islamist bases in Mali

01/25/2013

French warplanes destroyed two Islamist bases in northern Mali as a leading Al-Qaeda-linked group in the region split Thursday, with the breakaway group saying it wanted talks to end the French-led offensive against the militants. The bombing raids overnight targeted Ansongo, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the town of Gao and extremist bases in the nearby village of the Seyna Sonrai, a Malian military source said on condition of anonymity.

Tokyo Scrambling More Jets Against China

01/25/2013

Japan scrambled fighter jets against Chinese planes far more frequently in the last quarter of 2012, underscoring growing concerns that the territorial dispute between the two nations is escalating into more dangerous tensions in the sky. The increase shows Tokyo is responding aggressively to Chinese planes entering areas inside and outside of what Japan considers its airspace over the East China Sea.

RAF jets intercept Russian war planes 29 times in 3 years

01/25/2013

Typhoon fighter jets have been scrambled to intercept Russian military planes almost 30 times in the past three years, the Government said tonight. RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft were launched eight times last year, 10 times in 2011 and 11 times in 2010 after Russian military aircraft approached or entered the Nato air policing airspace which the United Kingdom patrols.

Four companies interested in Czech military aircraft

01/25/2013

Four private companies are interested in the purchase of eight unused L-159 fighters from the Czech military, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes Wednesday. A special Defence Ministry commission will secretly assess and evaluate their bids Wednesday, LN writes. The Czech Aero Vodochody aviation technology maker can be expected to have the biggest chances, it adds.

Ottawa extends military plane’s use in Mali conflict

01/25/2013

Canada is extending its air support for the military intervention to drive al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate and its allies from Mali. The Canadian government will contribute its heavy-lift C-17 transport plane for more than three additional weeks, Defence Minister Peter MacKay and Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced Thursday.

Russian maneuvers off the Syrian coast

01/24/2013

Throughout January of this year, the Russian navy has been running drills in the Mediterranean Sea, and not just with one or two fleets, as before. This time, all four fleets are out at once: the Northern, Baltic, Black Sea, and Pacific. Even before the New Year, it was known that Russian ships from Severomorsk, Baltiisk, Sevastopol, and Vladivostok were bound for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Prince Harry back in UK after Afghan deployment

01/24/2013

Prince Harry returned to Britain earlier today after a 20-week deployment in Afghanistan, landing on a military plane in light snow at the Brize Norton military airbase northwest of London. He had already been in the spotlight for comments made public several days ago in which he asserted that he had targeted Taleban fighters from the cockpit of his Apache attack helicopter.

Indian skies, foreign thrills at Aero India

01/24/2013

For the first time since the beginning of the bi-annual Aero India, the Indian Air Force’s daredevil Surya Kirans will be sorely missed over Bengaluru’s skies. This February, when the ninth edition of India’s aviation show gets off the ground at the Yelahanka Air Force Station, it won’t be the now-familiar red-painted Kiran Mk II trainers that will perform the show’s most scintillating manouvres, but the little-known Russian Knights.

Truman Strike Group underway with COMPTUEX

01/24/2013

Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Strike Group (HSTSG) began its composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) after departing Naval Station Norfolk Jan. 14.??COMPTUEX is a series of training scenarios designed to certify HSTSG as a deployment-ready fighting force capable of completing operations in overseas theaters.

Panetta Said to Be Ending U.S. Combat Ban for Women

01/24/2013

The U.S. Defense Department plans to lift its ban on women serving in direct combat roles, opening hundreds of thousands of military jobs to them for the first time. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made the decision on the recommendation of the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a defense official, who asked not to be identified in advance of a planned announcement.

China buys Russian bombers

01/24/2013

China is to purchase Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers through a contract with the Russian Federation for 36 aircraft. The agreement calls for 12 bombers to be delivered first and the other 24 coming in a second tranche.

Canada considering 2nd plane to support mission in Mali

01/24/2013

Canada is considering deploying a second aircraft to support the mission in Mali, CBC News has learned, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicated he'd like to see a "broad consensus" across Canada about any help for the country. The mission could last for months, sources tell the CBC's James Cudmore. But, they caution, the most pressing moments for the nascent international force in Mali are during these early days of the operation — and that's where Canada's efforts will likely be focused.

Second F-35A Reaches 500 Flight Hour Milestone

01/24/2013

The second Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, known as AF-1, joined the 500 flight hour club recently during its 272nd flight. It joins AF-2 which passed the milestone June 26, 2012. The conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) fighter began flight operations when it made its inaugural flight Nov. 14, 2009.

Boeing Delivers Indian Air Force's 1st C-17 to Flight Test

01/24/2013

Boeing on Jan. 22 delivered - on schedule -- the first of 10 C-17 Globemaster III airlifters for the Indian Air Force (IAF). India's first C-17 will now enter a U.S. Air Force flight test program at Edwards Air Force Base in Palmdale, Calif. Boeing is on track to deliver four more C-17s to the IAF this year and five in 2014. "The C-17 met the stipulated airlift requirements of the Indian Air Force when it flew field evaluation trials in India during June 2010," said Air Commodore Sanjay Nimesh.