Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing EA-18G Growlers Complete 1st Combat Deployment

07/13/2011

Boeing EA-18G Growlers operated by U.S. Navy electronic attack squadron VAQ-132 safely returned to their home base at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., on July 9, after completing an eight-month deployment that included combat operations in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) areas of responsibility.

Fighter jet maker Dassault using Microsoft Surface 2.0

07/12/2011

The new version of the Microsoft Surface tabletop computer made an unexpected appearance at the recent Paris Air Show, as Dassault Aviation showed a trio of Surface applications that work in conjunction with its Rafale military aircraft.

World of Warcraft: USA vs. China

07/12/2011

When the top commanders of the world’s two largest standing armies get together, you’d expect their tete-a-tete to show some results. But so far, we’re not getting much more than schoolyard nitter-natter.

S. Korean, U.S. air forces to hold aerial refueling drills

07/12/2011

South Korean and U.S. Air Forces have recently reached an agreement to stage an aerial refueling exercise on a regular basis here, using a U.S. in-flight tanker, a military source said Monday. The first joint refueling exercise in which the U.S. is to mobilize its KC-135 tanker currently based in Okinawa, Japan, is expected to take place in the latter half of this year, the source said.

Do humans have a role in the robot wars of the future?

07/12/2011

After thousands of years of intra-species fighting we have to face the possibility that the institution of war may no longer need us.

Boeing, US Air Force Reserve Welcome C-17s to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

07/12/2011

Boeing on July 9 joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to commemorate the base's transition to the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter. Wright-Patterson, home of the 445th Airlift Wing, previously flew the C-5A Galaxy and is the latest Air Force Reserve Command unit to transition to a fleet of C-17 aircraft.

F-22 deliveries halt as grounding continues

07/11/2011

Deliveries of F-22 Raptors to the Air Force have been halted due to the continuing suspension of flight operations for the stealthy fifth-generation air superiority fighter. Even though manufacturer Lockheed Martin continues to build the aircraft at its Marietta, Ga., factory, the company is unable to do required flight testing for each aircraft as it leaves final assembly. Nor can government test pilots from the Pentagon’s Defense Contract Management Agency fly their acceptance flights for new

USAF requests information on F-16 AESA upgrade

07/11/2011

The US Air Force has taken the first public step towards upgrading hundreds of Lockheed Martin F-16s with active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars. The Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) published a six-page request for information in late June, asking suppliers for information about options for upgrading between 300 and 600 later-model F-16s from 2017.

US to announce F-16 upgrade deal with Taiwan

07/11/2011

The US-based Chinese-language Duowei News says the United States will announce in September a deal to upgrade Taiwan's aging F-16 A/B fighter jets.

With U.S. military aid cut, Pakistan eyes China

07/11/2011

Pakistan's increasingly "close and effective defense ties" established with China during the past decade will allow Islamabad to "fill the gap" arising from the prospect of reduced military aid from the United States, a senior Pakistani official said on Sunday after reports emerged of cuts of up to $800 million in U.S. aid.

U.S. fighter jets intercept aircraft near Obama's weekend getaway

07/10/2011

Two F-15 fighter jets have intercepted a small aircraft near Camp David in Maryland, where President Barack Obama is spending the night with his family, according to the U.S. military. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said the civilian aircraft was out of radio communication just after noon on Saturday. Fighter jets intercepted the plane and directed it out of restricted airspace near Camp David. The plane landed without incident.

China Urges Japan to Stop 'Risky Actions' in East China Sea

07/10/2011

China urged Japan to stop "risky actions" in the East China Sea, the Ministry of National Defense said on its website. Flights of Chinese military aircraft over waters under China's "management" is "completely" in accordance with international law, the ministry said

NFTC project director calls it quits, Tejas programme is likely to suffer

07/10/2011

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas programme which has seen several delays since the project was conceived 27 years ago, has suffered another setback as Air Commodore Rohit Varma, project director of the National Flight Test Centre (NFTC) which oversees all flight test-related activities of aircraft, quit his post on Friday.

'Hands-free' landing is a step toward unmanned naval flight

07/10/2011

Are the days of "Top Gun" coming to an end? Not yet. But the Navy moved a step closer to a new era of unmanned carrier-based aerial combat last weekend. Aboard the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower off the Virginia coast Saturday, an F/A-18D Hornet, modified to emulate an unmanned aircraft, made its first carrier touchdown without a pilot's guiding hands.

UK hardsells the Eurofighter

07/10/2011

Having used it for aerial operations in Libya, the UK says India could do no better than invest in the Eurofighter. In New Delhi to talk defence relations and pitch for the Eurofighter over the French Rafale (the only two aircraft left in the race for IAF's 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft bid), British defence secretary Liam Fox told TOI in an exclusive interview that UK has been "extraordinarily impressed by its capability and availability" in the Libya operations.

U.S. House approves $649 bln for defense in 2012

07/10/2011

A $649 billion defense spending bill for next year easily passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday after four days of debate in which war-weary lawmakers sought to curb President Barack Obama's combat operations in Afghanistan and Libya.

UK Military Aviation Authority boss outlines safety reforms

07/10/2011

This September will bring the fifth anniversary of one of the darkest moments in the modern history of the UK Royal Air Force, when 14 servicemen lost their lives as a British Aerospace Nimrod MR2 surveillance aircraft exploded in mid-air over Afghanistan.

British defence secretary explores business ties with India

07/10/2011

In the backdrop of the Eurofighter Typhoon combat plane being shortlisted in a $10.4-billion Indian tender, British Defence Secretary Liam Fox was here on a daylong visit Friday looking to expand defence business ties with India.

Nato alliance fears as Italy cuts back on Libya role

07/08/2011

TALY will pull back its role in the Libya campaign, the country's defence minister said yesterday, bringing an aircraft carrier and hundreds of sailors home, in new evidence that a Nato alliance is starting to fray after nearly 100 days of bombing.

Flying over China's sea areas by Chinese military aircraft accords with international law

07/08/2011

Chinese defense ministry said Thursday that flying over China's sea areas by Chinese military aircraft accords with the international law.The Japanese defense ministry reportedly alleged that two Chinese military aircraft on July 4th were, at one time, flying over the seas area some 60 kilometers away from the airspace of the Diaoyu Islands, but did not enter the "Japanese territorial airspace." The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force reportedly sent F-15 fighters to intercept them.

Chinese firms developing armed drones; eyes Pakistan for sales

07/08/2011

China has ramped up its research in drone technology and is in the process of building armed, jet-propelled unmanned planes, which it plans to sell to countries like Pakistan.

Sikorsky Delivers 300th UH-60M BLACK HAWK Helicopter to U.S. Army

07/08/2011

"The war-fighter has provided outstanding reviews of the UH-60M BLACK HAWK helicopter's performance in theater," said Lt. Col. Heyward Wright, Product Manager, representing Col. Thomas Todd of the U.S. Army's Utility Helicopters Project Office. "In my estimation, the UH-60M aircraft sets the standard for a successful utility platform in a combat environment."

F-35 Jet Blast Deflector Testing Underway at Lakehurst

07/08/2011

F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft CF-2 is performing Jet Blast Deflector (JBD) tests at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. The JBD, located behind the catapults aboard aircraft carriers, deflects high energy exhaust from the engine to prevent damage and injury to other aircraft and personnel located in close proximity.

Russia charges Chinese man with contraband of military equipment

07/08/2011

Customs authorities in Russia's Far East have launched a criminal case against a Chinese citizen who attempted to smuggle spare parts for Russian MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters last year, a customs' spokesperson said on Friday.

Hide and Seek

07/07/2011

In the wake of the raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden, many have been wondering whether a “stealth” helicopter was involved and have been asking the question: how does one make a helicopter stealthy?