Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Hawaii's F-22 Raptors are combat ready

04/09/2013

Two Hawaii-based F-22 Raptor fighter squadrons are ready for combat. Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam is home to 20 F-22 Raptors. The Hawaii Air National Guard began the transition from F-15 Eagle aircraft to the F-22s in July 2010. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser says the two fighter squadrons have been cleared to be able to deploy all of their aircraft. The move is a step up from last November when the two fighter squadrons attained initial operational capability status.

This is the concept fighter Boeing wants to make real by 2030

04/09/2013

The F-22 Raptor is what's called a fifth-generation fighter, making it the most advanced combat aircraft as of, well, right now. But around here, we don't care about right now, we're all about what's next. And this concept from Boeing of the F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter jet could be exactly that. We've seen some hints on Boeing's vision for the future of strike aircraft.

MiG Fighter Aircraft Complete 50 years in India

04/09/2013

April 21 2013 marks a momentous day for MiG fighter aircraft in India as it completes 50 years of its relationship with the Indian Air Force (IAF). Built in 1956, the world’s most common fighter aircraft emerged from the shadows in 1962 when India announced that it would be buying the newly developed Russian jets.

US Navy Awards Boeing High Altitude Anti-Submarine Weapon Contract

04/09/2013

A new precision-guided weapon that Boeing will provide to the U.S. Navy will fundamentally change anti-submarine warfare by incorporating technologies never before used on an anti-submarine weapon. Through a recently awarded $19.2 million contract, Boeing will design and build the High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC).

Russia Touts Possible Missile Deal with Brazil

04/09/2013

Russia and Brazil will discuss the possibility of the joint development of an advanced surface-to-air missile system, Parana, at the LAAD 2013 defense exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Russian state-owned defense firm Rosoboronexport said on Monday. Brazil is showing keen interest in Russian-made missile defense systems, a Rosoboronexport spokesman said, adding that negotiations were also underway concerning licensed manufacturing.

North Korea close to 'freak out' as 3,000 Britons are to be evacuated from South Korea

04/08/2013

Senior sources said Foreign Office ministers have seen the plans, as tensions in the Korean peninsula reach their highest pitch in five decades. Last night a former US government official put the seriousness of the North Korean threat for the Pentagon as eight out of 10, “where one is strategic patience and 10 is political freak out”. Britain has already sent a team of plain-clothes operators to South Korea from Joint Forces Headquarters in Northwood to make ground preparations for a mass ev

2 suspected Chinese fighter jets intrude on Philippine airspace

04/08/2013

SUSPECTED Chinese fighter jets, reportedly Russian-made multirole SukhoiS, again intruded into Philippine airspace particularly over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in Palawan in the middle of last week, the Navy said. The KIG has been constituted into a municipality under the province of Palawan. The intrusion happened a day before the opening of the 2013 Philippines-US Exercise Balikatan, where some 8,000 Filipino and American soldiers are participating. The exercise is going in Luzon.

General public should hold correct view on military training accidents

04/08/2013

A Su-27 fighter of the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) crashed during the flight training on March 31, 2013, and two pilots were killed. In this regard, a military expert, who was interviewed, explained three main reasons for airplane crash and expressed that this crash of the Su-27 fighter was not due to the aging of the fighter.

PLA's EWA forms all-time all-territory combat capability

04/08/2013

A 24-hour continuous flight training conducted by various types of early warning aircraft (EWA) of an aviation division under the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army concluded successfully on the morning of April 3, 2013. Lv Jianqiang, commander of the aviation division, told PLA Daily that the training results show that PLA's airborne early warning combat force has formed all-time all-territory early warning combat capabilities.

Rotary Combat: U.K. Invests, Germany Cuts, France Debates

04/08/2013

Europe is becoming a hive of activity when it comes to helicopters, as armed forces take deliveries, switch types between services, make upgrades and place a few new orders as lessons are learned from Afghanistan. At the same time, in Germany, and possibly France, officials are also taking the knife to orders as budget cuts kick in.

Unmanned Navy planes near big milestones in May

04/08/2013

The Navy plans to carry out the first catapult takeoff of its new X-47B unmanned plane from an aircraft carrier next month and other shipboard tests despite mandatory budget cuts this year, according to the admiral who runs the programs. Rear Admiral Mathias Winter, program executive officer for unmanned aviation and strike weapons, said Northrop Grumman Corp's X-47B program and other unmanned aircraft programs should survive the fiscal 2013 budget cuts largely intact.

France ‘to buy US drones’

04/08/2013

Paris is reportedly mulling the purchase of the US-made surveillance Reaper drones in a bid to grow its military capabilities, according to a French defence ministry source. In the midst of France’s Operation Serval in Mali, Paris is considering buying US-made unarmed surveillance drones to boost its military capabilities, a source from the defence ministry told AFP on Friday.

Differences crop up in fighter aircraft deal

04/08/2013

Serious differences have cropped up in the contract negotiations between the Defence Ministry and French firm Dassault Aviation selected for the 126 fighter aircraft deal threatening to delay the country's largest one-time military acquisition. Dassault has made it clear that it was "technically and practically not feasible to stick to the present obligations", as it is wary of encountering the fate of British telecom company Vodafone, which is facing problems over taxation issues.

US Delays Missile Test “to Avoid Misperception” - Media

04/08/2013

The United States has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test planned for next week, media reported. The test of the Minuteman 3, scheduled to be carried out in California, was postponed, possibly until some time in May, out of concerns that North Korea might misinterpret it, the BBC reported Sunday citing a senior US defense official.

Breaking the sound barrier, ejecting at low level and pushing new aircraft to the limits - it's all in a day's work for the military's elite test pilots

04/07/2013

We’re a couple of thousand feet above fields and trees when Simon Sparkes decides to make this flight in a Gazelle helicopter a little more interesting. Left to its own devices, even though it is flying straight and level, the craft will pull to the left because of the torque caused by its tail rotor. If not corrected, the helicopter could end up out of control. To compensate, the aircraft’s computer, called the Stability Augmentation System, automatically makes the corrections required.

S. Korea Weighs Fighter Jet Purchase Options

04/07/2013

The Republic of Korea has spent years deciding what its next-generation fighter jet replacement will look like. Now, as tension mounts on the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. government has revealed what the sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle might look like. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which handles foreign military sales for the U.S. Defense Department, notified Congress of the potential sales March 29.

RNO’s Sea Lion exercise to continue till April 10

04/07/2013

Sea Lion, the annual maritime exercise carried out by the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO), continues with the participation of its several fleet vessels, the Royal Army of Oman’s Sultan of Oman artillery and a number of aircraft of the Royal Air Force of Oman. The exercise began on March 30 and will continue till April 10. On Monday, the exercise involved shooting of air targets with live ammunition.

NATO under pressure as allies cut defense costs

04/07/2013

As defense budgets are slashed in dire financial times, governments increasingly rely on alliances and cooperation with their partners. Instead of going solo, militaries pool resources to increase efficiency. The financial crisis has put pressure on governments all over the world to drastically cut down expenses. What started five years ago now has started to affect defense budgets.

UN adopts treaty to regulate global arms trade

04/07/2013

The UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the first UN treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar international arms trade, a goal sought for more than a decade to try to keep illicit weapons out of the hands of terrorists, insurgent fighters and organized crime. The resolution adopting the landmark treaty was approved by a vote of 154 to 3 with 23 abstentions. As the numbers appeared on the electronic board, loud cheers filled the assembly chamber.

Delegation opposes effort to reduce hours at Bangor Air Traffic Control

04/07/2013

Maine’s entire congressional delegation have sent letters to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta expressing their strong opposition to the FAA’s possible elimination of the overnight shift at the Bangor International Airport (BGR) Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT).

Government, Dassault at loggerheads over HAL role in combat Aircraft deal

04/07/2013

The Indian government’s biggest defence acquisition of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) from French defence major Dassault Aviation could be delayed as the both parties are yet to decide the role of state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Sources said that the French company ‘wants separate contracts’ for aircraft (Rafale) made by the company and another for units built by the Bangalore-based public sector aviation company.

Russian Military Inspectors to Fly Over Romania, Hungary

04/07/2013

Russian military inspectors will make surveillance flights over the territories of Romania and Hungary under the international Open Skies Treaty within a period starting Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry has reported. Russian experts will conduct the inspection flights on board an Antonov An-30B (Clank) aircraft between April 7 and 13, the ministry said in a statement.

Russian Strategic Bomber Burned Beyond Recovery – Paper

04/07/2013

An iconic Russian Cold War bomber, which had been reported to suffer a minor malfunction, actually burned beyond recovery for unclear reasons, Kommersant daily said Saturday. A Tu-95MC “Bear-H” turboprop missile carrier aborted takeoff after the crew discovered smoke in the service compartment in mid-February. The Defense Ministry only reported at the time that the fire was soon extinguished and that no one was hurt in the incident.

Questions Remain Over Navy’s F-35 Interest

04/06/2013

Ten months after Chief Naval Officer Adm. Jonathan Greenert put a scare into the Joint Strike Fighter program with an editorial he wrote in a naval magazine, questions remain over the Navy's variant of the fifth generation fighter. Greenert questioned the need for a naval stealth aircraft when considering the advances made in radar technology. He outlined those concerns in a piece he wrote for Proceedings magazine.

Progress slow in developing fighter jets, Major General Zhu Heping says

04/06/2013

A weak foundation in building sophisticated machinery and a lack of innovation are major obstacles for the People's Liberation Army in upgrading its latest domestically produced jet fighters, military experts say. Major General Zhu Heping - vice-president of the Air Force Command Academy and the grandson of the father of the Red Army, Zhu De - talked about the constraints facing the PLA in an interview with the South China Morning Post.