Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

India, Algeria, Vietnam still biggest buyers of Russian arms

12/18/2012

Russian arms exports reached a record $14 billion in 2012, President Vladimir Putin said, and India, Algeria and Vietnam remain the biggest buyers, Kommersant reported on Tuesday. However, the leading buyers were joined by Iraq, which entered into a contract to buy 42 Pantsir-S1 air defense systems and 30 Mi-28NE combat helicopters worth a total of $4.2 billion, or about 30% of all contracts, the paper reported.

US Navy pulls two aircraft carriers from Syria shores

12/18/2012

Two aircraft carriers stationed off the Syrian coast were sent back to the US this week in a move that the Obama administration thought would ease tensions, but angered Turkish officials who hoped for significant US military presence in the region. The USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier and the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group and its 2,500 marines were recalled after being stationed on the Syrian coast, allegedly in preparation of potential military invasion.

Embraer selects Cobham Passenger Audio Systems for KC-390 military transport aircraft

12/18/2012

Officials at Embraer Defense and Security in Brazil needed an audio system for the Embraer KC-390 military transport aircraft to ensure broadcast announcements are heard throughout the aircraft’s cockpit and cabin. They found their solution at Cobham. Cobham won a contract to provide the Passenger Address System (PAS) for the KC-390.

India To Mandate Anti-Collision Tech on Military Planes

12/18/2012

The Indian Air Force will install anti-collision technology in all aircraft procured from now on, according to Defence Minister A.K. Antony. “The type of equipment will depend on the role and operational employability of the aircraft,” Antony wrote in a Dec. 17 letter to Parliament.

Fighter jets: Government will get best value for tax dollars

12/18/2012

The men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces need the tools to do their jobs. These tools are expensive, and buying them is often a complex process involving numerous federal departments. We must ensure that public money is well spent, military needs are met, and jobs are delivered for Canadian workers.

Russia to Start Testing New Helicopter Gunship Engine

12/18/2012

Russia’s leading aircraft engine maker OAO Klimov will soon start testing an advanced engine for attack helicopters, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Monday. The VK-2500 is produced under a special federal program to develop the country’s defense sector and allied industries, he said, adding that it is built using exclusively Russian-manufactured components. “We are completely moving away from imported components,” Rogozin said.

Russian Arms Sales at $14 Bln in 2012

12/18/2012

Russia’s overseas arms sales exceeded $14 billion this year, outperforming forecasts by more than $500 million, President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. The country’s defense industry also sealed export contracts worth another $15 billion in 2012, Putin said in Moscow.

The Woes of an American Drone Operator

12/17/2012

A soldier sets out to graduate at the top of his class. He succeeds, and he becomes a drone pilot working with a special unit of the United States Air Force in New Mexico. He kills dozens of people. But then, one day, he realizes that he can’t do it anymore. For more than five years, Brandon Bryant worked in an oblong, windowless container about the size of a trailer, where the air-conditioning was kept at 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit) and, for security reasons, the door couldn’t be

And Then There Were Four T-50s In The Air

12/17/2012

The Russian answer to the American F-22, the T-50 (or PAK-FA) now has four prototypes in operation. The fourth one made its first flight on December 12th. The T-50 flew for the first time in January 2010. Six more prototypes are on order and, if all goes well the first 60 production models will be ordered in 2015 and be delivered by the end of the decade.

AFB still gripped in crisis

12/17/2012

Budget problems in the SANDF, massive retrenchment in a specialized staff component of the SAAF and the continued electricity crisis at Air Force Base (AFB) Makhado are causing concerns, also regarding overall combat readiness.A delay in the repair of the extensively damaged high-voltage electricity supply at AFB Makhado is adding to the severe budget problems of the SAND/SAAF.

Should Canada Skip the F-35 And Wait for A Sixth Generation Fighter Aircraft?

12/17/2012

As noted in a recent article in the Citizen and in other publications the U.S. military is laying plans for what it is calling a “sixth generation” aircraft to replace the F-35 as early as 2030. The U.S. Navy and Air Force are examining such a plane. At a recent meeting at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Gen. Mike Hostage, chief of the U.S. air force’s combat command, provided more details on the plane his organization wants to buy.

Report: Israel's spy planes employed in attack on Syria's nuclear reactor

12/17/2012

A surveillance squadron that acts as the "eyes and ears" for long-range strategic missions is among the Israeli Air Force's inner sanctums, accessible to few and guarded by many. The Gulfstream G550, a business jet mainly designed to accommodate corporate executives and private businessmen and heavily reconfigured to carry cutting-edge electronic-intelligence gathering technology, has participated in the IAF's bombing of a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007.

Britain's drone air force decimated by pilot error: Twelve crashes in combat zone reduce capacity to just 14 - at a cost of £30million

12/16/2012

Nearly half of Britain’s top-secret military drones deployed in Afghanistan have crashed – many because of pilot error. The alarming loss rate has raised concerns about British forces’ capability to wage a successful war against the Taliban. The Mail on Sunday has discovered that since drones were fully deployed in Afghanistan in 2007, 12 have been lost, costing the British taxpayer more than £30?million.

Norway Not Worried About Any Canadian Decision Not To Purchase F-35 – That Would Only Have A Marginal Effect on F-35 Costs

12/16/2012

Norway is solidly behind the purchase of the F-35 and doesn’t seem too worried if Canada doesn’t follow through with any acquisition of the plane. The Norwegians issued a statement a few days ago noting that the recent Canadian F-35 audit figures of more than $45 billion were the presentation of total acquisition costs over the lifetime of the aircraft.

Canada to consider buying other combat aircraft than American-made F-35 fighter

12/16/2012

Canada is considering buying fighter jets other than U.S.-made F-35's because of escalating costs associated with Lockheed Martin's (LMT) troubled Joint Strike Fighter program, the country's defense minister said Wednesday. Defense Minister Peter MacKay said the government needs to ensure a balance between military and taxpayer interests.

Crashes raise concern about Pakistani air force

12/16/2012

Over a dozen Pakistani air force planes have crashed in roughly the past 18 months, raising concerns about the health of an aging fleet that officials are struggling to upgrade because of a lack of funds. A significant number of the air force's combat aircraft are nearly half a century old and have been called on in recent years to help the army fight a domestic Taliban insurgency that has killed thousands of people.

Peru May Purchase 24 Combat Helicopters from Russia

12/16/2012

Peru intends to buy a consignment of 24 combat helicopters and eyes Russia as one of its potential suppliers along with France and the United States, Peruvian Defense Minister Pedro Cateriano said. “The purchase of 24 helicopters is currently under the consideration and we have three proposals…, we are considering proposals from France, the United States and Russia,” Cateriano said.

North Korea: Can it really be a serious military threat?

12/15/2012

South Korea's defence minister has claimed that Pyongyang is getting ready to test a third nuclear device. This week, the North launched another long-range rocket, and satellite images reveal that North Korea has been testing long-range rocket engines. However, even if Pyongyang does carry out tests in 2013, how much of a threat will North Korea pose to its neighbours? Will the latest rocket launch make a qualititative change to the capability of the North Korean People's Army (NKPA)?

Technology enabling US to build improved missile defense systems

12/15/2012

Short-range missiles fired by Hamas at Israel’s major cities last month and the potential long-range threat of the rocket North Korea launched this week are suddenly sharpening interest in capitals around the world over a new generation of missile defense systems that can defend against hostile neighbors.

Pentagon, Lockheed finalize contract for fifth lot of F-35 fighters

12/15/2012

The Defense Department said on Friday it has finalized a contract for the purchase of a fifth batch of radar-evading F-35 fighter aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corp., a deal worth $3.8 billion for 32 of the advanced planes. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the costliest weapons program in U.S. history.

Manufacturing Details Stall Franco-Indian MMCRA Negotiations

12/15/2012

More than 10 months after India chose the French Rafale to meet its $15 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) requirement, contract negotiations are mired in issues related to offsets, the transfer of technology and the role of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL). The Press Trust of India quoted industry sources as saying that Dassault has requested from the Indian Ministry of Defence the freedom to decide the proportion of work to be done by HAL, versus private Indian companies.

X-47B unmanned stealth fighter tested aboard the USS Truman

12/15/2012

Northrop Grumman has delivered two X-47B Unmanned Combat Aircraft Systems (UCAS) to the US Navy, which has begun three weeks of tests aboard the USS Truman – the first aircraft carrier to host test operations for an unmanned aircraft. The X-47B is based on the Pegasus X-47A (originally designed in 2001) but features improved landing gear and folding wings for work aboard carriers.

China’s Communist Party Chief Acts to Bolster Military

12/15/2012

Xi Jinping, the new Communist Party chief and civilian commander of the Chinese military, is moving quickly to make strengthening the country’s armed forces a centerpiece of what he calls the “Chinese dream” of national rejuvenation.

Czech military to resume flying L-159 planes after crash

12/15/2012

The Czech military will on Monday resume flying the L-159 subsonic aircraft after one of the planes crashed in November, killing the pilot, a military spokeswoman said Friday. Jana Ruzickova said the investigation of the fatal crash ruled out any technical defect. But the cause of the accident has not been announced yet. The pilot crashed into the ground when routinely training night piloting in Radovesnice, central Bohemia.

AIA: U.S. Military Aircraft Sales In Decline

12/15/2012

Sales of U.S. military aircraft will fall by 2.4 percent this year to $58.2 billion, the lowest level since 2006, according to a preliminary estimate of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). Sales are expected to decline by another 10 percent next year as budget cuts force the Pentagon to reduce procurement spending, the association said in its year-end review and forecast, released earlier this month.