Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

$34.37 Billion Fighter Aircraft Market Continues to Grow

09/28/2012

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates worldwide military spending will reach $1.7 trillion in 2012, an increase of over 12% from 2011. The United States represents over 40% of all global military spending, with planned investments of over $700 billion, followed by China, Russia, the UK, and France.

Indonesia replacing counter-insurgency fighters with Brazilian Tucanos

09/28/2012

The Super Tucano, a reliable fighter known for its counter-insurgency abilities and low price, will replace the Indonesian Air Force’s grounded fleet of ageing OV-10 Broncos. The Indonesian government bought two packages of eight planes each from Brazilian plane-maker Embraer for 143 million dollars per package, Air Force deputy chief of staff Air Marshall Dede Rusamsi said.

Raytheon, U.S. Air Force conduct operational flight tests of MALD-J Decoy jammer

09/28/2012

U.S. Air Force and Raytheon Company (NYSE:RTN) engineers began operational testing of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J), which adds radar-jamming capability to the modular, air-launched, and programmable MALD flight vehicle platform.

India Developing New AESA Radar for Light Combat Aircraft

09/28/2012

India will mount a homemade active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar on the Light Combat Aircraft Mark-2, Indian Air Force sources said. However the LCA is nearly 15 years behind schedule, and the Mark-2 prototype is not expected to fly until 2013. India’s Defence Research and Development Organization is developing the AESA radar for the LCA-Mark-2, sources said. They did not reveal to what extent it will indigenous, but said overseas help will be sought for the radar’s completion.

Air Force insiders foresaw F-22 problems

09/28/2012

Years before F-22 pilots began getting dizzy in the cockpit, before one struggled to breathe as he tried to pull out of a fatal crash, before two more went on television to say the plane was so unsafe they refused to fly it, a small circle of Air Force experts knew something was wrong with the prized stealth fighter jet.

An-70 Aircraft Conducts Test Flight After 2-year Delay

09/28/2012

An upgraded Antonov An-70 propfan tactical transport aircraft carried out a test flight on Thursday after a two-year delay, the company's president Dmytro Kyva announced. He said the 32-minute flight at Ukraine's Aviasvit-XXI international airshow had been a success, and called this "the main event of the airshow."

Russian Aerobatics Team 'The Swifts' Coming Apart

09/28/2012

Two reserve pilots from the Russian aerobatic team The Swifts stepped down following a recent scandal that cost their commander's job, a source in the group told RIA Novosti on Thursday. One of the pilots resigned in protest of the commander’s discharge, which followed extortion allegations, the source said, while the other quit because the pilots were recently given odd jobs such as guard duty.

Eglin F-35 Fleet At 20 And Growing

09/28/2012

The 20th Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II was delivered today to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to support F-35 pilot and maintainer training taking place on the Emerald Coast. BF-15, piloted by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Mike Rountree, left Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base at 10:39 a.m. CDT en route for a 90 minute ferry flight to Eglin.

Airbus SAS : Deputy Chief of RMAF gives A400M thumbs up

09/27/2012

Deputy Chief of the Royal Malaysian Air Force, Lieutenant General Datuk Roslan Saad, has given the Airbus Military A400M his thumbs up following his test flight of the new generation airlifter in Toulouse, France, recently. "It was an enormous pleasure to fly the aircraft that it is going to be at the heart of the RMAF´s transport capabilities in future.

Mexico Seeks to Buy Two C-130J-30 Transport Aircraft

09/27/2012

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress September 21 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Mexico for two C-130J-30 aircraft and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $412 million.

‘War Eagles’ take P-8A on first detachment

09/27/2012

The newest addition to the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance community, the P-8A Poseidon, took flight for its very first detachment by a fleet squadron during a visit to the Boeing facilities in Seattle, Wash. Sept. 14.

US Military Wants Space Planes, Reusable Rockets

09/27/2012

Shrinking space budgets don't stop the U.S. military from dreaming about space planes or rockets capable of flying back and landing on their own. Reusable launch vehicles capable of soaring into space and returning by flying through Earth's atmosphere like airplanes could potentially save millions on expensive launches that typically cost thousands of dollars per pound — especially if they fly frequently.

Britain's military drones spending tops £2bn

09/27/2012

The UK has spent more than £2bn on buying and developing military drones over the past five years and is poised to commit an extra £2bn for another new unmanned aircraft, according to a report. The figures show how the Ministry of Defence has poured money into buying and researching a variety of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) as armed forces chiefs recognise their potential value in modern warfare.

India's eighth Sukhoi SU-30 combat jet squadron by December

09/27/2012

India will raise its eighth squadron of Sukhoi SU-30 MKI frontline combat planes in December this year and it will be based at Sirsa in Haryana, just 150 km from the border with Pakistan and which had acted as a forward airbase during the 1971 war.

EADS North America Begins Voluntary Flight Demonstration of Armed Aerial Scout Combat Helicopters for U.S. Army

09/27/2012

EADS North America has begun its voluntary flight demonstration (VFD) for the Army's Armed Aerial Scout helicopter program, flying two aircraft at a high-altitude test site for a series of demonstrations that will showcase the superior performance of the company's AAS-72X+ offering.

Air Force Chief Bans Highway Stunts

09/27/2012

Russian Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Viktor Bondarev on Wednesday banned all training exercises over motorways at super low altitudes. The reaction comes after video footage was posted on the Internet earlier this month showing a Su-24 warplane flying just a few meters above the M21 highway in southern Russia and then an Mi-8 helicopter gunship doing the same in the Russian Urals region.

Russian Air Force to Get New Cruise Missile in 2013

09/27/2012

The Russian Air Force will accept into service in 2013 the new Raduga Kh-101 cruise missile, capable of delivering precision strikes with a conventional warhead at long-distance, an Air Force source told Izvestia on Wednesday. The new missile, currently being flight-tested, will be able to hit targets with an accuracy of just 30 feet (10 meters) at ranges of up to 6,000 miles (10,000 km), giving Long-Range Aviation its first precision-strike long-range weapon, the paper says.

Finland’s most secret military plane

09/26/2012

The Finnish Air Force is currently outfitting a top-secret surveillance aircraft with a capability of eavesdropping on communications by the armies of neighbouring countries. The new plane is being tested by the Finnish Intelligence Research Establishment, which is not commenting on anything related to the project.

USAF Seeks Afterlife for F-15s

09/26/2012

The U.S. Air Force is pushing to more than double the life of its stalwart F-15 Eagles with a series of upgrades. "About two and a half years ago, the U.S. Air Force wanted fatigue tests on C models," says Brad Jones, F-15 mission systems director for Boeing, which makes the aircraft. As the F-15 fleet aircraft approached their life expectancies for total flight hours, the Air Force wanted see how far the service could delay fleet retirements, Jones said during a recent briefing with reporters.

Saitek Releases Pro Flight X-65F Combat Control System

09/26/2012

Pro Flight X65F Control System is the latest Saitek X series controller which enables flight simulators to "force sense" – the stick responds to pressure but does not move, just like in the real world modern fighter jets. Pro Flight X65F Control System enables simulators to rule the sky. The product is custom-made from high grade metal castings and is therefore built to withstand many combat engagements.

Alenia delivers sections for first Tranche 3 Eurofighter

09/26/2012

Alenia Aermacchi has shipped the rear fuselage and left wing for the first Tranche 3A example of the Eurofighter combat aircraft to industrial partner BAE Systems' Warton final assembly site in Lancashire, the UK. Pictured before leaving the Italian company's Caselle plant near Turin in late September, the parts will be mated with UK Royal Air Force Typhoon BS116.

F-22s Scrambled to Intercept Aircraft During Obama NYC Visit

09/26/2012

Two F-22 Raptor fighter jets intercepted two other planes that had entered restricted airspace over the United Nations General Assembly in separate incidents today, the military said. The two unidentified planes entered temporarily restricted airspace over the international diplomatic headquarters where President Obama spoke and were later intercepted over central New Jersey, according to the North Atlantic Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Second Sukhoi Su-30SM Fighter Jet Joins Flight Tests

09/26/2012

A second Sukhoi Su-30SM advanced multirole fighter successfully carried out its maiden test flight on Monday, the manufacturer said. The first Su-30SM made its first flight on September 21 as part of a comprehensive testing program for the aircraft that has been upgraded for the Russian Air Force.

Russia to Base MiG-31 Interceptors in Arctic

09/26/2012

The Russian Defense Ministry is to base MiG-31 long-range interceptors at the Rogachyovo Arctic base on the island of Novaya Zemlya by the end of the year to defend against attack from the north, Izvestia reported on Tuesday quoting military sources.

Lockheed Martin’s DAGR Missile Demonstrates Ground Launch Capability In Guided Flight Tests

09/26/2012

Lockheed Martin recently conducted two separate DAGR® missile flight tests, successfully firing the missiles from a prototype pedestal launcher and hitting a stationary target. The tests, which took place at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., demonstrated DAGR’s capability as a ground-based weapon. In each flight test, an inert DAGR missile locked onto the laser spot illuminating the target before launch.