Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Kuwait enhances fighter force

11/13/2012

While continuing to search for a new fighter to replace its ageing F/A-18C/D Hornets, Kuwait is pressing ahead with plans to upgrade 39 aircraft. Jon Lake reports. Unlike most Hornet operators, the Kuwait Air Force (Al Quwwat Aj Jawwaiya Al Kuwaitiya) did little to upgrade its aircraft after delivery of 32 F/A-18Cs and eight F/A-18Ds from October 1991.

South Korean Combat Trainers For Peru

11/13/2012

South Korea has sold twenty of their new KT-1 turboprop flight trainers to Peru in a $200 million deal. Actually, ten of these aircraft will be the KA-1 combat version. Four of the twenty aircraft will be built in South Korea and the other 16 assembled in Peru from South Korean made components. The advanced features, and low price, of the KT-1 version make it a very attractive package.

IN FOCUS: M-346, C-27J drive merged Alenia Aermacchi

11/13/2012

Two stalwarts of Italy's century-old aerospace industry were united on 1 January 2012, when the interests of Alenia Aeronautica and Alenia Aermacchi were merged, creating a new entity with almost 12,000 employees. Now operating under the unified name Alenia Aermacchi, the company produces a range of military trainers - including the M-346 Master - and the C-27J Spartan tactical transport.

Kyrgyz-US Military in Anti-Terror Drills

11/13/2012

Kyrgyz and US servicemen are rehearsing joint emergency and anti-terror operations in the country’s Batken region, Kyrgyzstan’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. There are several scenarios for action in a hypothetical emergency situation including the provision of first aid and evacuation, the ministry press service said.

Russia to Make Open Skies Turkey Flight

11/13/2012

Russian military inspectors will begin a survey flight this week above Turkey under the international Open Skies Treaty, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. A group of Russian experts will conduct the survey flight over the Turkish territory in an Anotonov An-30B aircraft during the period from November 12 and November 16, a spokesman said.

Lockheed Martin Continues To Deliver CBP P-3’s Ahead Of Schedule

11/13/2012

Lockheed Martin delivered the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s sixth Mid-Life Upgraded P-3 Orion on Friday, Nov. 9, about 40 days ahead of schedule. This upgrade was completed in 11 months. “This airplane will join the CBP fleet that has been instrumental, through third quarter this year, in interdicting more than 82,000 pounds of cocaine from crossing U.S. borders,” said Ray Burick, Lockheed Martin vice president of P-3 Programs and Greenville Operations.

Saudi Arabia wants to buy US military aircraft in a multi-billion deal

11/12/2012

US Defence Security Cooperation Agency unveiled that Saudi Arabia has ordered 20 heavy cargo aircraft and five refuelling planes for USD6.7 billion, Arabian Business reported. The deal, pending the Congress approval, also includes the cost of training, logistical support, parts and associated equipment for the aircraft, according to a statement.

India in talks with Russia to upgrade Sukhoi combat jet fleet

11/12/2012

India has opened talks with Russia to upgrade its fleet of Sukhoi Su-30s with a new radar and avionics to make the fighters more lethal than what they already are. The upgrades are likely to begin in 2015. However, a debate is currently in progress between the two nations on India getting full access to all software and equipment design of the new systems that will be integrated on the upgraded Sukhois, a senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officer told IANS.

Selex sets sights on new markets

11/11/2012

The re-election of Barack Obama as president of the United States has underpinned the drive of one of Scotland’s largest engineering firms to seek contracts with air forces in emerging markets. Radar and laser sensor specialists Selex Galileo, owned by Italian aerospace conglomerate Finmeccanica, sees its future in military hot spots such as Turkey and India as growth in the West slows, and Obama pledges to focus on priorities other than defence.

U.S. Navy Continues Testing of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles For Aircraft Carriers

11/11/2012

Navy representatives recently participated in tests for the Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) that will drive recommendations for digital messaging implementation and unmanned aircraft integration into the carrier environment.

Iraq Denies Cancellation of $4.2 Bln Arms Deal with Russia

11/11/2012

Iraq’s acting Defense Minister Sadun Al-Dulaymi has denied reports that Bagdad is annulling a $4.2 billion arms deal with Russia over concerns about possible corruption, Al-Jazeera reported on Saturday. “The deal is going ahead,” Al-Dulaymi said at a press conference in Baghdad. He also denied there was corruption in the deal adding that the Iraqi government simply failed to submit a report on the arms deal to the anti-corruption committee in due time.

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier set for sea trials of take-offs and landings

11/10/2012

A 19-day sea trial of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, starting tomorrow is expected to include take-offs and landings by fighter jets. Earlier reports and photographs that were published by the People's Liberation Army Daily and the website of the Ministry of National Defence showed the ship had successfully completed touch-and-go tests involving a carrier-based fighter aircraft, which military experts said was probably an indigenous J-15, last month.

Air Force Planes Show Signs of Deterioration

11/10/2012

“Geriatric” and “Decrepit” are terms used to describe America’s aging Air Force. An alarming number of planes are nearly a half-century old, have been rendered obsolete, have far surpassed their original service hours, and are continuing to show signs of deterioration.

Pentagon Plans to Sell $6.7 Billion in Aircraft to Saudi Arabia

11/10/2012

The Pentagon has announced plans to sell $6.7 billion in military aircraft and other equipment to Saudi Arabia. The sale would include 20 C-130 cargo planes and five refueling aircraft. The Pentagon says Saudi Arabia requested the planes. Officials say the sale would contribute to U.S. national security by helping improve the security of a friendly country. They call Saudi Arabia an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.

US stations first permanent military unit in Poland

11/10/2012

The United States launched its first permanent military presence on Polish soil on Friday, an air force detachment to service warplanes, in a move long sought by its NATO ally Warsaw. President Barack Obama announced plans to station air force personnel at Lask air base near Lodz, central Poland, during a visit last year after Warsaw pressed for what it sees as a security guarantee in the face of a more assertive Russia.

China aviation giant hopeful of aid for engine research

11/10/2012

Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country's dominant military and commercial aviation contractor, is hopeful the government will back a multi-billion dollar plan to build a high-performance engine, its chief said on Friday.

Algerian military plane crashes in France, four dead

11/10/2012

An Algerian military transport plane flying home from Paris crashed in southeast France on Friday, killing four of the six people aboard, police and fire brigade sources said. They said the other two people were missing after the plane crashed in a mountainous, uninhabited area near the city of Avignon.

Sweden Needs 60 To 80 Gripen Fighters To Meet Its Defence Needs, Says The Country’s Top Officer

11/10/2012

“Sweden needs 60-80 fighter aircraft to meet the technical and operational threat scenario, “says Armed Forces Supreme Commander Sverker Goranson. The government has asked for a parliamentary mandate to buy 40-60 planes. The armed forces could not provide details of what initiatives are needed and what they would cost if the number of Super-Jas, the so-called E-model of the JAS 39 Gripen, was to reach 60.

Pentagon: Iran fighter jets fired on US drone

11/09/2012

Two Iranian Su-25 fighter jets fired on an unarmed U.S. Air Force Predator drone in the Persian Gulf on November 1, the Pentagon disclosed on Thursday. The incident, reported first by CNN, raised fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes. The drone was on routine maritime surveillance in international airspace east of Kuwait, 16 miles off the coast of Iran, U.S. officials said. The Predator was not hit.

A400M delivery schedule holds firm, as reliability tests near resumption

11/09/2012

Airbus Military remains on track to deliver the first production example of its A400M Atlas transport to the French air force during the second quarter of next year, according to a financial update released by parent company EADS on 7 November.

Turkey scrambles fighter jets as fighting threatens to engulf Syrian border

11/09/2012

Two Turkish F-16 fighter jets were scrambled after a Syrian army helicopter approached the border town of Azmarin and fired down onto rebel lines. The helicopter left shortly after the Turkish planes arrived, but according to one official, two Syrian jets were seen in the distance immediately afterwards.

Embraer To Showcase Super Tucano Aircraft, UAS At Indo Defense 2012

11/09/2012

Embraer will present a full range of solutions for the defense industry at the Indo Defence Expo and Forum. This includes state-of-the art radar technologies, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), advanced information and communications systems as well as military aircraft such as the KC-390 medium lift military transport jet that is currently in development, the company’s range of VIP transportation jets, and the A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft.

Washington fares well in Boeing defense cost cuts

11/09/2012

Washington state will fare relatively well in Boeing’s new drive to cut costs in its Defense, Space and Security unit due to the increased relative importance of converting commercial jetliners to military use and the strength of unmanned aircraft development in Washington.

Nordic countries to share warplanes

11/09/2012

Following an agreement between Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, which was signed by the defence minister, Nick Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne), the five countries will in the future operate a joint fleet of military transport planes. However, their are no concrete plans at present to do the same with fighter jets.

Chilean Air Force trains with Texas Air Guard

11/09/2012

About 50 members of the Chilean Air Force participated in a training exercise with the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing here, Oct. 24-26, 2012, as part of the National Guard’s State Partnership Program. The three-day exercise teamed aviators and aircraft maintenance crews from each organization, said Maj. Bryan Carlson, an instructor pilot with the 149th Fighter Wing.