Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

China Flies New Stealth Fighter as Problems Plague U.S. Jets

05/17/2012

The second copy of China’s stealth fighter prototype has just flown at a research facility in the city of Chengdu. The first flight of the J-20 Mighty Dragon with the nose number 2002 doubles Beijing’s stealth test fleet at a time when America’s latest jet fighters are hobbled by cost overruns, labor disputes and lethal design flaws. But it’s far from certain how much, and how fast, the new Chinese jet will alter the military balance.

Russia's military aircraft industry: overview and outlook

05/17/2012

During the round table discussion regarding the current state and the process of re-equipment and the prospects of the Russian Air Force Konstantin Makienko, deputy director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, presented his report on the prospects of producing military aviation equipment for export and the use by the Russian Air Force.

Syria: the elephant in the room amid military exercise in Jordan

05/17/2012

With a photo of a raging lion over their shoulders, senior U.S. and Jordanian generals opened a massive military exercise dubbed "Eager Lion." The kickoff came with adamant statements that the 12,000 troops from 19 countries now in Jordan were here only for the training - and it all has nothing to do with the violence now raging across Jordan's northern border inside Syria.

Mi-28NE Havoc Helicopter to be Displayed at Moscow Expo

05/17/2012

The Mil Mi-28NE Havoc (Night Hunter) attack helicopter and 49 other military exhibits will be displayed by 14 Russian organizations at the 5th International Helicopter Industry Exhibition (HeliRussia 2012) in Moscow, the Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation reported. The exhibition will be held on May 17-19 at the Crocus Expo exhibition center in the Russian capital’s northwest. Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry is its organizer.

Russia ‘May Buy’ $50 Mln Worth of Israeli UAVs

05/17/2012

Russia may buy a large new consignment of unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel and 24 command and control systems worth around $50 million in the foreseeable future, a high ranking source in the Russian defense industry said on Wednesday. Israel Aerospace Industries previously delivered to Russia two Bird Eye-400, eight I-View Mk150 and two Searcher Mk.2 UAVs, totaling $53 million.

Russia to Sell Off 18 'Indian' Su-30 Fighters

05/17/2012

Russia is to put up for sale a batch of 18 Sukhoi Su-30 multirole fighter aircraft, rejected by India on concerns about their engines and returned to Russia in 2003, a defense official said on Wednesday. "The 18 Su-30s previously used by India and then returned, are in an aviation repair plant in Belarus and are on sale to potential buyers," said Alexander Fomin, deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation.

Turkey's Attack on Civilians Tied to U.S. Military Drone

05/16/2012

After winding along a narrow mountain ridge, a caravan of 38 men and mules paused on the Turkish-Iraqi border. Then they heard the propellers overhead. Minutes later, Turkish military aircraft dropped bombs that killed all but four of the men. Instead it killed civilians smuggling gasoline, a tragic blunder in Turkey's nearly three-decade campaign against the guerrillas. The strike in late December was meant to knock out Kurdish separatist fighters.

EADS North America Delivers Final CN235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft for Mexico Under U.S. Foreign Military Sales Agreement

05/16/2012

EADS North America has delivered the fourth and final Airbus Military CN235-300 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to be supplied to the Mexican Navy under a U.S. Coast Guard managed foreign military sales agreement. The Coast Guard employs the CN235-300 in the HC-144A Ocean Sentry configuration for a range of missions, including search and rescue, disaster relief and drug interdiction.

EU 'navy' launches strike on pirates

05/16/2012

A European naval force operating off east Africa bombarded Somalia for the first time today. European Union Naval Force (EUNF) said maritime aircraft and helicopters took part in attacks along the coastline of the Galmudug region. No casualties were reported in the raid but pirate commander Bile Hussein said Handulle village was hit and speed boats, fuel depots and an arms store were destroyed.

The Unanswered Questions About America's Escalating Fight in Yemen

05/16/2012

America's Third War is escalating quickly in the skies over Yemen. Despite previous rebuffs from the White House, last month the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and the CIA--which both run parallel drone campaigns in Yemen--were granted broad authority to conduct "signature strikes" against anonymous suspected militants, who are determined to support al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) based on the observed "patterns of suspicious behavior" from multiple intelligence sources.

Malaysia, Thailand military exercise to include other agencies, Asean members

05/16/2012

Military exercise conducted by Malaysia and Thailand will be expanded to include other enforcement agencies and Asean members. Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Zulkifeli Mohd Zin said the move would enhance the cooperation on resolving common border issues. "Besides matters of common border security, one of the main theme of the joint exercise would be on coordination of humanitarian and disaster management," he told reporters at the 28th High Level Committee Thailand-Malaysia meeting here.

India received $4.2bn in aerospace offsets since 2005

05/16/2012

India has received $4.2 billion in offset contracts from defence aerospace programmes since the introduction of its 30% defence offset programme in 2005. Boeing was the largest contributor with $1.7 billion, defence minister AK Antony said in response to a question in Parliament. New Delhi received offsets worth $4.3 billion from 17 contracts in total and the aerospace sector was the biggest contributor with 15 contracts.

Drones: calculation replaces euphoria

05/16/2012

Unmanned aircraft have become an integral part of modern armies. Almost every day we receive information about drone attacks. Not only Al-Qaeda gunmen, but also civilians end up as their victims. The wide use of drones by the US military in the «war against terror» gave birth to the term «Obama’s drone policy». However, the combat capabilities of unmanned aircraft are costly. NATO’s plan of creating a united group of reconnaissance drones could cost three billion Euros within 20 years.

House Panel Proposes Adding $874 Million for Weapons

05/16/2012

The House panel that controls military expenditures proposed a net increase of $874 million for weapons over the Pentagon’s budget plans for the year starting Oct. 1. The largest amounts that the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee added in producing a $102.4 billion procurement request were $562.4 million to buy 11 additional Boeing Co. (BA) (BA) F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets and $447 million to buy seven more Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) (LMT) C-130J transport planes.

A Dozen Lockheed Martin F-35s Now Call Eglin AFB Home

05/16/2012

The twelfth Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II destined for the training fleet at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., was ferried today. U.S. Marine Corps pilot Lt. Col. Fred Schenk piloted the aircraft, known as BF-11, which departed Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas at 10:02 a.m. CDT for an approximate 90-minute flight to Florida’s Emerald Coast.

Iran Expands Fleet of Home-Made Fighter Jets

05/15/2012

Speaking to FNA in Iran's Northeastern province of Khorassan Razavi, Vahidi said that the new aircraft can play a key role in protecting the countries' airspace. The minister announced that production the new fighter jets and their delivery to the Air Force is done exactly on the drawn timetable.

Government reveals it has balanced the defence budget – but at what cost to Britain?

05/15/2012

Britain will no longer be able to fight and project power overseas in ways that military commanders had hoped to do, it was admitted yesterday, as the Government outlined plans to eliminate a £38bn hole in the defence budget. Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, said the MoD had now scaled back spending across a range of defence equipment projects and could balance his department's books over the next 10 years.

UK to Move Back to F-35B STOVL Fighter

05/15/2012

The British government has changed its mind again on some of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets that it intends to purchase. Unlike Canada, the British aren't considering delaying orders or reducing the number of jets they ordered this time around. Rather, the British government is now announcing that it will switch back to the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing version of the fighter rather than the F-35C carrier-based version.

Putin boost to Indo-Russian defence ties

05/15/2012

As an architect of strategic partnership between India and Russia, President Vladimir Putin has been the driving force behind closer military-technical cooperation between the two countries. Ever since he became the Russian president after the transfer of power by Boris Yeltsin over a decade ago, bilateral defence ties have steadily climbed new heights.

Aerospace & Defense Stock Outlook - May 2012 - Industry Outlook

05/15/2012

The U.S. is the world's largest aerospace and defense market, and also home to the world's largest military budget. The growth of the Aerospace and Defense industry depends largely on the spending outlook of government departments, with the U.S. defense budget being the primary driver. The industry largely depends on U.S. government contracts.

Ghana commissions new military aircraft

05/15/2012

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Monday commissioned a CASA C-295, a new multi-purpose military aircraft, and four buses into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF). The twin-turboprop transport aircraft, manufactured by Air Bus Military of Spain, for which the Deustche Bank Socied Anonima of Spain arranged funding, can be used for surveillance and reconnaissance as well as search and rescue missions, medical evacuations, and peace support operations.

Global Strike Commander Previews B-52 Upgrades

05/15/2012

During a recent visit to Edwards Air force base, Calif., the commander of Air Force Global Strike Command spent time with B-52 Stratofortress combined test force officials to preview the combat capability enhancements made to the B-52H. Modernizing and sustaining the nation's long-range strike aviation capability is a top priority for the command, Lt. Gen. Jim Kowalski, said.

Is China About to Get Its Military Jet Engine Program Off the Ground?

05/15/2012

Tensions in the South China Sea—most recently with the Philippines—and Beijing’s unease about Washington’s renewed strategic focus on Asia are likely to strengthen calls from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for more modern fighters and strike aircraft. Russia has historically supplied the high performance military jet engines that power these craft.

F-35 to replace most US combat aircraft by 2020

05/15/2012

The Pentagon plans to have the F-35 fighter jet replace most of the combat aircraft fleet of the US Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps by the end of the decade. The single-engine fighter is considered a fifth-generation aircraft because of its advanced software and stealthy attributes aimed at evading radar in hostile territory.

Flight academy camp teaches teens math, science

05/14/2012

The panicked voice came into Ambition's air traffic control room — one of the aircraft carrier's young pilots was in trouble. "Dude, my nose is down," the pilot shouted as he struggled to regain control over his X12 experimental Triad aircraft.