Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Bell Helicopter CEO "bullish" despite US budget uncertainty

07/13/2012

Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc, expects substantial growth in its commercial business in 2012 and sees stable orders in its military business despite cuts in U.S. military spending. John Garrison, Bell's president and chief executive, said on Thursday he was upbeat about the outlook given strong commercial demand and continued work on three large U.S. military aircraft programs, which would provide stable orders.

FARC claims shooting down military aircraft in Colombia

07/13/2012

Guerrilla group FARC claimed it has shot down a Colombian Air Force Super Tucano aircraft over the southwestern Cauca department on Wednesday evening. According to Colombian radio station Caracol, the aircraft was shot down over the Jambolo municipality during a military offensive against FARC rebels in the area. Both of the two crew members are believed to have died in the crash.

Boeing Airplanes, Innovation and Technology Highlighted at Farnborough International Airshow

07/13/2012

Boeing's new aircraft and innovative technologies attracted customers, partners, government officials and media at the 2012 Farnborough International Airshow. The show saw the first flying display of the innovative 787 Dreamliner in Qatar Airways livery and the new Enduring Awareness Pavilion, a display of advanced command, control, communication, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.

Boeing Receives 1st 10 New Fuselages Designed for AH-64D Apache Block III

07/13/2012

The Boeing Company has received the first 10 new fuselages designed specifically for the AH-64D Apache Block III attack helicopter from long-time supplier Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). This milestone paves the way for delivery of the first Apache Block III aircraft with new fuselages next year.

Airbus Military begins final assembly of the first A400M for Turkey

07/13/2012

The Airbus Military A400M final assembly line in Seville (Spain) has begun working on the first A400M for the Turkish Air Force. The integration of the wings and central wing-box for this aircraft, known as MSN9, began in mid-May while the integration of the nose and the fuselage started by the end of June.

Low Cost Embraer Super Tucano Earns Big Bucks In Developing Countries

07/12/2012

Brazilian aircraft-maker Embraer has seen unprecedented success with its Super Tucano trainer plane which also doubles as an attack aircraft. In the last eight years, Embraer has sold 160 Super Tucano aircraft to 10 countries worth an estimated $2.25 billion making it the most successful aircraft of its type in the world today.

US to build rocket-boosted hypersonic aircraft by 2016

07/12/2012

The US agency responsible for developing military technology has announced plans to design and build a hypersonic rocket launch aircraft by 2016. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) claims the vehicle, developed as part of the Integrated Hypersonics program, will have the capacity to be "anywhere in the world in under an hour". This is down to the proposed onboard booster rocket, which will be employed for some extra speed - and flare.

Syrian air force conducts military drills

07/12/2012

The Syrian Air Force has conducted military exercises involving fighter and attack aircraft, state-run Sana news agency reported. The drills were conducted Tuesday. Sana said they simulated "real battle conditions", and continued a series of military exercises which began during last weekend.

Lockheed's F-35 fighter attracts foreign interest

07/12/2012

More than 25 countries have expressed interest in Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, including Singapore, which is still evaluating its options, and South Korea, which is due to pick a winner in its fighter competition by year's end, top Lockheed officials said on Wednesday.

Hawker Beechcraft T-6 Military Trainer Platform Reaches 2 Million Flight Hours

07/12/2012

Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) announced Jul. 9 that its worldwide fleet of Beechcraft T-6 military trainer aircraft exceeded 2 million flight hours in June.

U.S. Admiral Questions the Long Term Benefits of Stealth

07/12/2012

The U.S. Navy’s top commander has publicly questioned the long-term benefits of stealth technology like that employed in the F-35 jet fighter, suggesting drones and other alternatives are the way of the future. The comments from Admiral Jonathan Greenert stand in sharp contrast to repeated Conservative government and Defence Department assertions about the overwhelming need for stealth in whatever aircraft replaces Canada’s CF-18s.

Russia to Draft New Rules on International Airshow Participation

07/12/2012

Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation and the Defense Ministry will prepare a framework agreement regulating Russia’s participation in international airshows. The decision was made following a scandal over required paperwork and visa travel issues that prevented the Russian Knights aerobatic display team from participating in the ongoing Farnborough 2012 airshow near London.

Boeing P-8I Begins Flight Test Program

07/12/2012

Boeing's first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy began its official flight test program July 7, taking off from Boeing Field in Seattle at 9:15 a.m. and landing three hours and 49 minutes later after demonstrating flying qualities and handling characteristics. The flight went as planned with all test objectives met.

Airbus Military C295 certified for civic operations

07/12/2012

Airbus Military has obtained civil certification of the C295 transport in a move which responds to the evolving requirements of agencies and operators conducting humanitarian and other 'civic' operations. The new certification is awarded by Spain’s civil aviation authority AESA (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea) confirms the C295’s compliance with the enhanced regulatory environment in this sector of the market.

French Air Force Fighters Cunduct Final Combat Mission in Afghanistan

07/11/2012

On July 5, 2012, the French combat aircraft detachment, comprising a hundred airmen and three Mirage 2000D tactical fighters, conducted its last mission in Afghanistan before being withdrawn in the coming days. At 9:45 in the morning, the two Mirage 2000Ds flew on an escort mission in support of a coalition convoy in Farah province in western Afghanistan. The mission took place as planned, and the aircraft returned to base at around 14:00.

Embraer sells 8 Super Tucano turboprops at Farnborough Tuesday to bring show total to 15

07/11/2012

The Indonesian air force ordered eight A-29 Super Tucano high-performance military turboprop aircraft for light attack and tactical training from South American aircraft manufacturer Embraer S.A. in São José Dos Campos, Brazil. Embraer made the announcement Monday at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England.

Countries vying to be first non-U.S. buyer of V-22 Osprey

07/11/2012

Several countries are competing to become the first foreign buyer of the U.S. military's V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, which flies like a plane but takes off and lands like a helicopter, according to the Marine Corps colonel who runs the program. Colonel Greg Masiello said officials from more than 12 countries, including eight air chiefs, got demonstration flights at the Farnborough International Airshow this week.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Flight Test Progress Report

07/11/2012

Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] F-35 program accrued the highest number of test points in a single month during June, an accomplishment indicative of the program’s ongoing maturation. Additionally, for the 18th consecutive month the F-35 test program remained ahead of plan. As of June 30, the F-35 Lightning II 5th Generation multirole fighter had conducted 595 test flights in 2012 versus a plan of 445 and accrued 4,830 test points against a plan of 3,901.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Four F-35s To U.S. Air Force And Marine Corps

07/11/2012

With the delivery of four Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft since June 29, an important milestone was achieved as the Department of Defense now possesses more operational-coded F-35s than test aircraft. A total of nine F-35s have been delivered for the year, giving the DOD a total of 30 aircraft fleet-wide. Of these, 16 are operational aircraft and 14 are test planes.

Lockheed Martin Receives $23 Million Contract To Deliver Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods To Royal Air Force Of Oman

07/11/2012

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $23 million contract from the Royal Air Force of Oman (RAFO) to provide additional Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pods (ATP) for their F-16 fleet. In addition to the new Sniper pod deliveries, the contract also includes upgrades to the RAFO’s existing pods and support.

Embraer Selects Boeing to Provide Weapons Integration for A-29 Super Tucano

07/11/2012

Embraer and Boeing today at the Farnborough Airshow announced an agreement that further enhances the collaboration between the two companies and brings additional capabilities to Embraer's A-29 Super Tucano through new weapons integration developments to meet future customer requirements.

Boeing to Collaborate with Elbit Systems on Marketing and Sales of Hermes 450 and 900 Unmanned Airborne Systems

07/11/2012

The Boeing Company and Elbit Systems today at the Farnborough Airshow signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the marketing and sales of Elbit Systems' Hermes 450 and 900 unmanned airborne system (UAS) product lines in the United States and select international countries.

Boeing Offers Medium-sized Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

07/11/2012

Boeing today announced that it is offering a medium-sized Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) to the global market. MSA builds on technologies developed for Boeing's larger Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms to provide a highly capable, low-risk and cost-effective ISR solution.

Morocco orders AIM-9X sidewinders for F-16s

07/11/2012

Raytheon's AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder air-to-air missile has been ordered by Morocco for integration with its 24 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters.

U.K. boosts up-armed Typhoon for Mideast

07/10/2012

British Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled a major sales push for the Eurofighter Typhoon armed with new weapons systems, with the Persian Gulf states of the United Arab Emirates and Oman as key targets. The Typhoon is built by the German and Spanish arms of European aerospace giant EADS, BAE Systems, Britain's leading defense contractor, and Italy's Finmeccanica.