Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Harmonizing European Defense Efforts

05/05/2012

The European Union is trying to bring the defense programs of its 27 member nations into synchronicity before the budget boom is lowered on military spending. This harmonization has been a goal for several years, but now it has assumed greater urgency in a time of both greater limitations and more diverse missions.

Eurocopter's Extensive Military Helicopter Presence in the Arab World is Showcased at Jordan's SOFEX Exhibition

05/05/2012

Eurocopter's dedication to meeting the operational requirements of governments, armed forces and special mission operators across the Arab world with its broad helicopter product line will be highlighted at Jordan's Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference (SOFEX).

Rodney Brossart, American Arrested Using Predator Drone, Had Rights Violated, Lawyer Says

05/05/2012

Bruce Quick, attorney for the first American arrested using an unmanned drone says his client was subject to "guerrilla-like police tactics." Quick tells U.S. News that Lakota, N.D., resident Rodney Brossart should not have been arrested and that authorities had no legal right to use the drone to aid in his capture. "The whole thing is full of constitutional violations," Quick told U.S. News. "The drone use is a secondary concern."

Second International Exhibition of Arms opens in Astana

05/04/2012

The second Kazakh international exhibition of arms and military-technical property KADEX-2012 opened in Astana on Thursday, the press service of the Kazakh Defence Ministry told Trend. The opening ceremony was attended by supreme commander of the armed forces of the country - President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev.

DND being pressed to reopen F-35 debate

05/04/2012

National Defence is touting F-35 fighter jets as a key tool against overseas threats for decades to come, stating the military can’t pick an aircraft based solely on Canada’s domestic needs. But government insiders, opposition critics and military experts are arguing that National Defence needs to reopen the debate over mandatory requirements for the new fighter jets.

Lockheed Martin to Assist Department of Defense in Fight Against Growing Threat: Cyber Crime

05/04/2012

Already one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s most-experienced providers of solutions for defeating military threats, Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) will now team with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) to thwart another type of enemy — cyber criminals.

Singapore Seeks F-15SG Pilot Training Worth $435 Million

05/03/2012

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified U.S. Congress April 30 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to the Government of Singapore of a possible sale of follow-on support and services for Singapore’s Continental United States (CONUS) detachment PEACE CARVIN V (F-15SG) based at Mountain Home Air Force Base (AFB) for a five-year period. The estimated cost is $435 million.

Drone Pilots: We Don’t Get No Respect

05/03/2012

At least that’s the word from Air Force Major Dave Blair – himself an MQ-1 Predator instructor pilot – in the latest issue of Air & Space Power Journal. As technology changes warfare, he argues, the military needs to change, too. The Air Force isn’t welcoming its growing workforce of remotely-piloted aircraft – RPA – personnel.

Air Force chief talks of shrinking budgets, post-Iraq exhaustion

05/03/2012

As it continues downsizing under tightening Defense Department budgets, the Air Force will give priority to operations and maintenance to make sure that “what remains will be ready and available to act,” its chief of staff said. Gen. Norton Schwartz also told an audience at the Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank, that Air Force operations and tactics are clearly better after two major conflicts and counterterrorism efforts.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Final, Historic F-22 Raptor To U.S. Air Force

05/03/2012

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] leadership delivered today the 195th and last F-22 Raptor to U.S. Air Force leadership in a ceremony at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics site here. With this delivery, the U.S. Air Force now possesses the world’s only 5th generation stealth fighter aircraft fleet in the world.

Turkish, U.S. Inspectors to Fly Over Russia

05/03/2012

A group of Turkish and U.S. inspectors will make a joint observation flight over Russia in line with the international Open Skies Treaty, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday. The inspection will be carried out on May 2-5 on board a Casa CN-235 transport aircraft. “The aircraft and equipment on its board have undergone the necessary international certification procedure that Russian representatives also took part in,” the ministry said in a statement.

Rolls-Royce awarded propulsion system order for F-35B

05/02/2012

Pratt & Whitney has awarded Rolls-Royce a $315 million contract to produce LiftSystem equipment for 17 F135-powered short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B combat aircraft. Announced on 1 May, the propulsion system order covers the delivery of LiftFans, roll posts and three-bearing swivel modules this year for 17 aircraft included in Lockheed Martin's fourth low-rate initial production (LRIP) deal for the Joint Strike Fighter.

ECA secures funds for NATO aggressor aircraft purchase

05/02/2012

NATO's ability to conduct multi-national combat training could be transformed if a 24-aircraft system being proposed by a Dutch-based company takes off. The integrated opposing force (IOPFOR) concept now being promoted by ECA Program would see a new fleet of privately-owned and operated lightweight fighters provide an aggressor training service for Alliance nations.

Royal Canadian Air Force still wants F-35 fighter jet, committee hears?

05/02/2012

Canada’s military is determined to purchase the F-35 fighter jet rather than a cheaper or more reliable alternative despite a recent flood of criticism and controversy surrounding the U.S. aircraft. That was the word from the head of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Lt.-Gen. Andre Deschamps, who was testifying Tuesday at a House of Commons committee along with a panel of defiant senior government officials who have come under fire for their handling of the program.

In Afghanistan, Obama pledges cooperation, vows to 'finish the job'

05/02/2012

President Barack Obama, speaking early Wednesday in Afghanistan at the tail end of a surprise visit there, discussed how the war will end and promised a steady drawdown of U.S. troops. Obama committed to pulling 23,000 troops out of the country by the end of summer and sticking to the 2014 deadline to turn security fully over to the Afghan government. He said that NATO will set a goal this month for Afghan forces to be in the lead for combat operations next year.

Map: US bases encircle Iran

05/02/2012

US military bases continue to form a strategic envelope around Iran, although the American withdrawal from Iraq at the end of 2011 may have changed the regional balance somewhat towards Iran's favour. While US forces are scaling back in many parts of the globe due to budget cuts - and have begun a gradual depature from Afghanistan to be completed by 2014 - their international presence remains vast.

Military helicopter crashes in northern Colombia, killing 13

05/02/2012

A Colombian Air Force helicopter crashed in the northern region of the country on late Monday afternoon, killing all thirteen people on board, defense officials said on Tuesday. The cause was not immediately known. The accident happened at around 4:30 p.m. local time when the Bell 212 helicopter, which was assigned to Air Combat Command Number 3, crashed into a horse stable at the 'Buenavista' ranch in Sabanagrande, a town in Colombia's Atlantico department.

IAF's Sukhois to take part in military exercise 'Shoorveer'

05/02/2012

Indian Air Force will chip in with its front-line Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft to provide air support to army troops practising their combat skills during the culmination stage of summer training exercise 'Shoorveer' in the deserts of Rajasthan later this week. "The IAF will fly Su-30 fighter aircraft and Mi-35 attack helicopters as part of 'Exercise With Troops' during the ongoing summer exercise.

Lockheed Martin to Deliver New C-130J Training Technology Under $156 Million Award

05/02/2012

The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] a $156 million contract to provide new training devices to accommodate the growing pipeline of C-130J aircrews and maintainers. Lockheed Martin will develop 24 new training devices and provide program management and engineering services under the U.S. Air Force’s C-130J Maintenance and Aircrew Training System II, referred to as JMATS II.

Lockheed Martin’s Shadow Hawk Munition Launched from Shadow UAS for the First Time

05/02/2012

Lockheed Martin successfully conducted the first launch of a Shadow Hawk precision-guided weapon recently from a Shadow 200 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), achieving a direct hit on the target. Shadow Hawk is an 11-pound class, 2.75-inch diameter, 27-inch long drop-glide weapon. It is terminally guided by a semi-active laser seeker, providing better than one meter precision.

Boeing Provides 1st Tactical Cross-domain Capabilities for Predator/Reaper RPV

05/02/2012

Boeing has completed the first delivery of its tactical cross-domain technology, eXMeritus HardwareWall, to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) for integration into the Ground Control Station (GCS) of the Predator/Reaper Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV). The delivery is part of a contract from GA-ASI that includes additional deliveries of HardwareWall and associated information assurance and engineering support.

Iran warns that positioning F-22s in UAE is a threat to regional security

05/01/2012

Iran's Defence Minister, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, has warned that the basing of the US F-22 Raptor strike aircraft in the United Arab Emirates is "detrimental to regional security."

US seeks to reassure Italy on costly F-35 fighter

05/01/2012

Pentagon chief Leon Panetta sought to reassure Italy's defense minister over the troubled F-35 fighter program in talks Monday, pledging to hold down costs of the radar-evading warplane, officials said. During Italian Defense Minister Giampaolo Di Paola's meeting with Panetta in Washington, the rising price tag for the plane came up "but both leaders expressed a commitment to the program," a US official told AFP.

Redstone Report: RSA delivers helicopters to Iraqi Army

05/01/2012

U.S. military operations are winding down in Iraq, which means the Iraqi Army needs new equipment to maintain security in the country. Redstone Arsenal's Foreign Military Sales group is expected to deliver a total of 30 armed reconnaissance helicopters to the Iraqi Army by the end of 2012. They routinely sell equipment to countries all over the world, but officials said this project is different.

UK military defends rooftop missile plans

05/01/2012

British military chiefs defended plans on Monday to put missile batteries on top of apartment blocks to help protect London from a 9/11-style attack during this summer's Olympic Games, after appalled residents said it could make them a target. With 88 days to go before the Games start, soldiers will start testing missile defenses this week at six sites around the Olympic park as part of a training exercise in the run-up to Britain's biggest peacetime security operation.