Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

DRG awarded fighter training contract

01/10/2012

Oklahoma City-based defense contractor DRG has been awarded the Air Combat Command Fighter F-15C, F-15E, F-16 and F-22A Contract Aircrew Training contract with the U.S. Air Force. The five-year prime contract is in excess of $50 million. The company will hire at least an additional 45 employees. By March 1, the company will have nearly 600 employees.

Lockheed Martin Awarded $24 Million to Upgrade U.S. Air Force C-130 Training Devices

01/10/2012

The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $24 million contract to upgrade weapons systems trainers used in the C-130 Aircrew Training System (ATS) II. The C-130 ATS II program provides a comprehensive academic and simulation training program for C-130 aircrews worldwide. The visual system and imagery databases in the weapons systems simulators will be updated to provide the most advanced and realistic training. The improvements are scheduled to take place through 2014.

Russian Military Fleet Arrives in Syria - Report

01/09/2012

The group of Russian military ships that set sail for violence-grippled Syria has reached its destination on Sunday, report agencies. The fleet, reported to include carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, has arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, quoting official agency SANA. SANA has reported that the ships will stay in Tartus for six days as a sign of support for the Syrian people.

Chinese Troops in Seychelles: An Analysis

01/09/2012

The republic of Seychelles has come in news with the stationing of the Chinese troops in Mahe. The archipelago nation is located at a strategic location as it lies in the path of major shipping lines. This has raised a pertinent question as to what has provoked China to station troops in Seychelles. Is piracy the only reason for this or there are other ulterior motives behind the stationing of the troops?

U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy F-35 unable to get aboard ship

01/09/2012

The U.S. Navy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) known as the F-35C is at serious risk of never being able to land aboard an aircraft carrier. This also poses a risk to the U.K. aircraft carrier program which is supposed to use the F-35C at the end of the decade.

Anti-G suit questioned in crash that killed Nellis pilot

01/09/2012

Air Force investigators who probed the June 28 crash of an F-16C fighter jet that killed Capt. Eric Ziegler should have focused more on the life-support garment he was wearing when he blacked out over the Nellis training range moments before the crash, according to a lawyer for a company that makes the anti-G suits.

Seoul Orders 20 FA-50 Attack Aircraft In a $600 Million Deal

01/08/2012

With the New Year barely underway, South Korea is once again demonstrating a determination to build a formidable military force capable of dealing with potential enemies. The government has signed a $600 million deal with Korea Aerospace Industries (KIA) for 20 FA-50 fighter/attack aircraft based on the highly regarded T-50 advanced jet trainer.

UK concern over future of US F-35 fighter jets

01/08/2012

British Defence Minister Philip Hammond has voiced concern about possible cuts or delays in the US F-35 fighter program as London plans to equip a future aircraft carrier with the stealthy aircraft. In a visit to the US capital, Hammond said he wanted to hear from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the potential effect of a new US military strategy and budget plan on the future of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Military reveals revolutionary pilotless cargo drone that can deliver supplies to territories plagued by roadside bombs

01/08/2012

The U.S. military is testing a revolutionary new drone for its arsenal, a pilotless helicopter intended to fly cargo missions to remote outposts where frequent roadside bombs threaten access by road convoys. Surveillance drones for monitoring enemy activity and armed versions for launching airstrikes have become a trademark of America's wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East.

China gets a 'giant' to reach out to inaccessible highlands

01/07/2012

Asia's largest helicopter, built by China and weighing about 13 tonnes, on Thursday received the stamp of approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of the country. The move means that the massive helicopter - AC313 - is officially approved to enter the market, according to the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkey Formally Decides to Buy US Made F-35 Fighter Aircraft

01/07/2012

Turkey has officially decided to purchase Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fignter jets. As a member of the international F-35 consortium, this was the country’s first official expression of commitment in buying the aircraft. The top decisive body of Turkish defense has also chosen Bell Helicopter as the next generation light copter for police

Seoul downplays impact of new U.S. military strategy on Korean security

01/07/2012

Washington’s new strategy for a “leaner” military that goes in line with its belt-tightening efforts is drawing keen attention here as it could affect the troop level and their operations in a contingency on the Korean Peninsula. Its moves to abandon a long-held strategy to have the ability to fight and win two wars at once have also caused concerns that the U.S. may not be able to mobilize massive ground troops in the event of a war here should it engage in another.

Defense in an Age of Austerity

01/07/2012

Among the possible cuts to defense spending, are those to the F-35 program, which has suffered extreme cost overruns. Alternative jets continue to be effective and diminishing the size of the F-35 program could help control costs without compromising American air superiority.

ITT Exelis moves ahead with AIDEWS airborne electronic warfare systems development and tests

01/07/2012

Electronic combat experts at the ITT Exelis Electronic Systems division in Clifton, N.J., have installed and tested an advanced self-defense airborne electronic warfare system on an international F-16 jet fighter aircraft. The company did not name the specific country for which its engineers performed the tests. The ITT Exelis ALQ-211 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare System (AIDEWS) completed several F-16 sorties against several different kinds of radar threats, company officials

US cuts may raise cost of new fighter planes

01/07/2012

Australia plans to buy as many as 100 of the revolutionary F-35 Lightning II aircraft, and over the past decade estimates of its likely cost have grown from about $50 million each to close to $120m. The US has assured Australia's ambassador to Washington, Kim Beazley, its latest defence cuts will not affect its promised continued focus on the Asia-Pacific and increased presence in Australia.

Boeing Marks Delivery of 1st C-130 AMP Aircraft Modified by Warner Robins Air Logistics Center

01/07/2012

Boeing and Warner Robins Air Logistics Center on Jan. 3 marked delivery of the first C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) aircraft modified by Warner Robins. The aircraft is the fourth to be delivered to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.; the first three were modified by Boeing. The C-130 AMP cockpit upgrade simplifies and standardizes the multiple C-130 configurations operated by the U.S. Air Force.

New Air Force Stealth Bomber Backed by Obama in Defense Plan

01/06/2012

President Barack Obama's military strategy calls for development of a new long-range stealth bomber even as the Pentagon seeks about $490 billion in reductions in the next decade. The bomber is part of the administration's goal to have weapons that are able to reach areas far from bases and where "our access and freedom to operate are challenged," according to Obama's updated defense strategy released today.

Czechs deny plans to buy old German Eurofighters to replace Gripens

01/06/2012

The Czech Republic and several other Eastern European countries have all expressed interest in buying “almost new” Eurofighter military aircraft from Germany, Financial Times Deutschland, the local version of the UK business daily, reported on Thursday, with Berlin looking to offload eight planes, which, if new, would cost some €60 million to €80 million each.

China Takes Aim at U.S. Naval Might

01/06/2012

Now China is engaged in a major military buildup. Part of its plan is to force U.S. carriers to stay farther away from its shores, Chinese military analysts say. So the U.S. is adjusting its own game plan. Without either nation saying so, both are quietly engaged in a tit-for-tat military-technology race.

Pakistan to get new F-16s from US

01/06/2012

The US today said the last batch of new F-16 jets purchased by Pakistan is scheduled to start arriving in the country later this month and contended that there had been no stoppage in its programme to supply the combat aircraft to Islamabad. A statement issued by the US Embassy described reports in a section of the media about a stoppage in the US-Pakistan F-16 programme as "not accurate".

MCAS prepping for new fighter squadron

01/06/2012

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma began building for the future in 2011, in preparation for the arrival of the new vertical takeoff F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, which will begin arriving in phases starting in September 2012. It was also another busy year for deployments, with all four of the air station's squadrons either deployed to Afghanistan or serving overseas with various Marine Expeditionary Units. In all, about 900 Marines were deployed last year.

U.S. to cut armed forces – Obama

01/06/2012

The U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled on Thursday a new defense strategy that seeks to cut the country’s armed forces as a part of major cuts to the U.S. defense budget by almost $500 billion, RIA Novosti reported. "Our military will be leaner but the world must know – the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with Armed Forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats," Obama told a press conference at the Pentagon.

IAF Mirages to get new MICA missiles in $1.23 bn deal

01/06/2012

IAF has 51 Mirage aircraft acquired from France beginning 1985, and the Government cleared a $ 2.4 deal in July 2011 with the French firms Dassault and Thales to modernize them with newer generation avionics, Electronic Warfare (EW) suites, and advanced beyond visual range (BVR) capability. The weapons package was separate, and has been cleared now.

Lockheed reveals bold technology plans with 6th-gen fighter concept

01/05/2012

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division has revealed a conceptual next-generation fighter design that offers the first hints of an ambitious, long-term technology strategy for the new class of tactical aircraft that will emerge after 2030. The concept - published in a 2012 calendar distributed to journalists - indicates the company will continue to seek new breakthroughs in performance despite the risk-averse culture of today's weapons buyers in the US military.

Bulgaria Scraps Fighter Jets Buy for Culture's Sake

01/05/2012

Bulgaria will not purchase new military aircraft in times of crisis and unless the problems in the education and culture sectors are solved. The statement was made Wednesday by Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov. Speaking in the Black Sea city of Burgas, where he inspected and officially opened the renovated building of the city's theater, Borisov said there are a number of theater buildings in the country, which have not been repaired in the last 60 years.