Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

In the Viper

12/04/2012

As a journalist covering the transition for the U.S. Air Force to the stealthy F-35 fighter, I thought it would be useful to understand more fully what the experience of today’s fighter pilots is from the cockpit. Aviation Week has a long history of publishing insightful, technical pilot reports. A pilot, I am not. So, my experience flying in the F-16D won’t be published in the pages of Aviation Week. But, I thought it worth sharing the details and my impressions with our web audience.

Work on Indo-Russian transport aircraft begins

12/04/2012

The Indo-Russian project to jointly design a transport aircraft for militaries of both nations kicked off in Moscow on Monday, where 30 engineers from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) began working with their Russian counterparts from the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) on the $600-million project. India and Russia are also collaborating in a $6-billion project to build an advanced fighter called the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft.

Another Saudi military aircraft crashed in less than 24 hours

12/04/2012

A Hawk aircraft of Saudi Air Forces crashed during a training mission on Monday, but its pilot survived after using a parachute, Saudi News Agency reported. The accident occurred in less than 24 hours after the crash of a F15 jet of Royal Saudi Air Forces, the reported said quoting an official source at Defense Ministry.

4 wounded after China fighter jet crashes in city

12/04/2012

A military fighter jet has reportedly crashed in China’s southern city of Shantou in the Guangdong province. The pilot failed to bring the Jian-7 fighter away from residential quarters and baled out, causing the plane to hit Shantou, where it allegedly injured four people. Teams of rescuers and police units have been dispatched to the crash site.

Iran claims seizure of U.S. drone over Persian Gulf

12/04/2012

A unit from Iran's navy has captured a U.S. drone flying over the Persian Gulf, according to Iranian state media reports Tuesday. The drone, which was collecting data, was captured immediately after entering Iranian airspace, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is cited as saying by the state-run news agency IRNA. The unmanned aerial device was a ScanEagle, Adm. Ali Fadavi, of the Revolutionary Guards, is quoted as saying.

F-35 Lightning II Program Surpasses 5,000 Flight Hours

12/04/2012

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II program surpassed 5,000 flight hours last month. This milestone was reached by the combined F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) aircraft flying at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and the training aircraft flying at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Super Galaxy Delivered

12/04/2012

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered the sixth production C-5M Super Galaxy to the Air Force, Friday, Nov. 30, at the Lockheed Martin facilities here. Aircraft 85-0001 is the ninth overall C-5M Super Galaxy for the Air Force and will undergo internal paint restoration at Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., before traveling to its permanent home at Dover Air Force Base, Del.

Lockheed Martin Receives JASSM® Contract for Integration

12/04/2012

Lockheed Martin received a $5.1 million Foreign Military Sale contract from the U.S. Air Force to support integration of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) onto the Finnish Air Force (FiAF) F-18C/D aircraft. The contract is for the first phase of a six-year effort of software development and aircraft integration support. Additional contract awards are expected for remaining phases of integration support, missile procurement and post-production support.

Boeing and JVC Add More Realism to Military Training Simulation

12/04/2012

This week at the 2012 Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) in Orlando, Boeing is demonstrating new technology with its Constant Resolution Visual System (CRVS) that allows the system to deliver almost four times the resolution of high definition for more realistic and effective military training.

AIR COMBAT COMMAND COMMANDER ENDS TIME AS F-22 PILOT CONFIDENT IN RAPTOR

12/03/2012

The U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command issued the following press release: After five months in the cockpit and numerous discussions with combat-ready pilots and maintainers, the commander of Air Combat Command is ending his tenure as an F-22 pilot, confident that the aircraft is safe to fly and on a path toward unrestricted worldwide operations. Gen. Mike Hostage recently completed his final flight in the F-22 during a tour of U.S. Air Forces Central Command bases.

IAF to hold biggest air show in Rajasthan

12/03/2012

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is planning to conduct the largest air show in Pokhran field firing range in February. The war exercise called ‘I Run Feast’ will showcase the strength of Indian Air Force war planes. President Pranab Mukharjee, defence minister AK Antony and chief minister Ashok Gehlot will witness the war exercise. Apart from the three chiefs of the armed forces and army personnel of over 50 friend countries are expected to attend the air show.

Europe’s combat drone makes first flight

12/03/2012

A prototype of a European combat drone, the Neuron, made its maiden flight Saturday from a base in the south of France, project leader Dassault Aviation announced. "It inaugurates the next generation of combat aircraft, whether piloted or not, with the ambition of preserving European autonomy in this field," the French defence ministry said in a statement.

Syrian forces pound Damascus with fighter jets

12/03/2012

Syrian forces pounded rebel-held suburbs around Damascus with fighter jets and rockets on Sunday, opposition activists said, killing and wounding dozens in an offensive to push rebels away from the airport and stop them closing in on the capital.

US Helicopter Contract Remains Says Russian Arms Firm

12/03/2012

Russia's state arms export corporation Rosoboronexport insisted on Monday it had not received any formal notification from the US regarding cancellation of a contract for delivery of Russian military helicopters to Afghanistan. That follows a vote in the Senate last Thursday to ban Rosoboronexport from any further US government contracts, in reponse to Russia continuing to supply weapons to the Assad regime in Syria.

Colombian army reportedly seizes surface-to-air missile from FARC

12/02/2012

Colombia's army has seized a surface-to-air missile from alleged Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas in the conflictive southwestern province of Cauca, a television network said. The SAM missile, whose discovery has not been officially confirmed by the Defense Ministry, was seized two weeks ago in the southwestern town of Morales, Caracol TV reported Friday, showing images of the weapon.

U.S. Navy Conducts First Successful Catapult Test Launch of X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System

12/02/2012

The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator successfully completed its inaugural land-based catapult launch here Nov. 29, marking the start of a new era for naval aviation.

Top guns, top geeks

12/02/2012

Captain G, a mild-mannered pilot trained to fly the world’s most advanced fighter plane, spends four out of five workdays in a low-ceilinged office space, surrounded by some of the smartest tech nerds in the IDF. His mission: To help make the F-15I, Israel’s most advanced fighter plane and the model reportedly purchased in order to thwart the distant threats from Iran, a more potent weapon.

Eastern Air Command gets new chief

12/02/2012

Air Marshal Ravi Kant Sharma has taken over as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Shillong-based Eastern Air Command. A qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot with experience in flying the Light Combat Aircraft, Sharma's appointment comes at a crucial juncture when assets in the Eastern Air Command are undergoing an upgrade.

Drones change 'Top Gun' culture of Air Force

12/02/2012

The rise of drone warfare has meant a dramatic cultural shift for the Air Force, whose leadership for decades has been dominated by officers who made their mark flying combat aircraft. Inside a plain beige trailer, a pair of aviators stare intently at a bank of computer screens. Air conditioners hum loudly in the background.

Drone crashes increase at civilian airports

12/02/2012

The U.S. Air Force drone, on a classified spy mission over the Indian Ocean, was destined for disaster from the start. An inexperienced military contractor, operating by remote control in shorts and a T-shirt from a trailer at Seychelles International Airport, committed blunder after blunder during a six-minute span April 4.

Syria rebels say captured missiles downed army aircraft

12/02/2012

Syrian rebels say a former army missile specialist in their ranks used captured shoulder-launched weapons to down two government aircraft in as many days last month. Rebel commanders said that the army helicopter shot down on November 27 and the fighter jet shot down the following day were both hit with Russian-made surface-to-air missiles captured from an army base west of Syria’s second city Aleppo in mid-November.

Joint Strike Fighter aims to be three aircraft in one

12/02/2012

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter got a boost last month when the Pentagon established the first operational squadron of the stealthy, supersonic jet under development by Lockheed Martin. The rollout in Yuma of the most technologically challenging of three versions in initial production — one for the Marine Corps that lands like a helicopter — may muffle criticism about the Defense Department’s largest and most costly weapons procurement.

'J-15' fighter jet is our own technology: China

12/01/2012

China has turned down the reports that their latest aircraft 'carrier-borne fighter jet J-15' has been copied from United States technology. Defence Ministry spokesperson Geng Yansheng said China had stuck to independent innovation and had the capacity to build and develop its own aircraft carrier.

U.S. Air Combat Command Chief Hints at 6th Gen Fighter

12/01/2012

Even as the F-35, America’s first 5th generation fighter, struggles to achieve liftoff, the U.S. Air Force is starting to plan on how to get the 6th generation of jets off the ground. What capabilities a 6th generation jet will possess remains unclear, but Gen. Mike Hostage, the head of Air Combat Command, dropped some hints at an event hosted this morning by the Center for Strategic and Informational Studies.

Dassault Aviation:The nEUROn makes its maiden flight

12/01/2012

Today, the nEUROn, Europe's unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) stealth technology demonstrator, successfully completed its maiden flight from the Dassault Aviation company's flight test base in Istres, in collaboration with the flight test personnel of the French defense procurement agency (DGA). The nEUROn was launched in 2005 by the customer, DGA, and involves France, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Greece and Switzerland. It defines a future for the aeronautic excellence of Europe.