Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

U.S. Expands Its Drone War Into Somalia

07/02/2011

The clandestine American military campaign to combat Al Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen is expanding to fight the Islamist militancy in Somalia, as new evidence indicates that insurgents in the two countries are forging closer ties and possibly plotting attacks against the United States, American officials say.

Boeing Supports US Air Force Launch of Miniature Air Launched Decoy

07/02/2011

Boeing earlier this month supported the U.S. Air Force in the first powered launch of a Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J) from a B-52. The successful test, in which the electronic jammer was launched from a B-52 Stratofortress, took place over the Gulf of Mexico at the Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., test range. Boeing designed the avionics software onboard the B-52 that controls and launches the Raytheon-built MALD-J.

Future C-5M Breaks Ribbon on New Bay

07/02/2011

The aircraft 0035 breaks the ribbon as the first aircraft to be modernized in the southwest bay. The new southwest bay portion of the L-10 hangar at the Lockheed Martin facilities is the third of four bays to be opened as the program approaches the full rate production of 11 C-5Ms per year.

Russian defense minister denies plans to build aircraft carriers

07/02/2011

The Russian military has no concrete plans to build aircraft carriers in the next 10 years, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said. "We have no plans to build aircraft carriers," the minister told the Russian media on Friday.

Iraq seeks US support for multiple aircraft systems worth $675m

07/02/2011

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the US Congress yesterday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Iraq for follow-on support and maintenance of multiple aircraft systems and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $675 million.

ON ANOTHER PLANE

06/30/2011

The competition for the 126 medium multirole combat aircraft deal has sprung a surprise. The two American aircraft, the F-16 and the F-18, have been eliminated after technical evaluation by the Indian air force, belying the expectations of the government of the United States of America, American companies and most Indian analysts.

Australia plots biggest post-war military sale

06/30/2011

Australia said Wednesday that it would undertake its biggest disposal of military equipment since World War II to fund a major upgrade, with combat aircraft, helicopters and ships all up for grabs.

It’s time for Britain to merge its Army, Navy and Air Force

06/30/2011

fter decades of chronic under-funding, they will conclude, it was inevitable that a small country such as Britain could no longer afford the luxury of maintaining independent command structures for its Army, Navy and Air Force. With defence spending slashed from 5 per cent of GDP at the end of the Cold War to just 2 per cent by 2011, the individual Services had already been reduced to such a parlous state that they could barely carry out even the most basic military tasks.

First Moroccan F-16 pilots to complete training in Arizona

06/30/2011

In July, the Kingdom of Morocco, a strategic partner for U.S. forces in North Africa, will become the 25th country to own and operate F-16s. The pilots tapped to fly them are scheduled to finish training here in time to bring them home, July 30.

IAF to get 5th generation fighter planes

06/29/2011

The induction of 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) will enhance the capability of the Indian Air Force which will be procuring the 5th generation fighters by 2017 and by 2027. The country will then have 42 to 45 squadrons as compared to present 34 squadrons, said Chief of Air Staff, Indian Air force, Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik. He was speaking to the media here on Tuesday.

Behind The Eritrean Regime’s Panicked Reaction

06/29/2011

According to the Eritrean regime, the United States has pressured Pakistan to abort a pending aircraft lease and management deal it was negotiating with Eritrea.Citing an un-named “senior Foreign Ministry official”, the Eritrean state media claimed that “Washington is resorting to such illegal acts as part of its hostile attempts of stiffening anti-Eritrea sanctions.” The senior foreign ministry official is reported to have explained that the United States is arguing that the “planes could be u

RAF Tornado ground attack jets clock up one million flying hours

06/29/2011

The Royal Air Force's (RAF) ground attack Tornados currently serving in Afghanistan and Libya have clocked up a staggering one million flying hours over the course of their service. Number 617 Squadron, 'The Dambusters', took the aircraft through the landmark in Afghanistan last week.

Today's laser weapons buzz may mean military deployment will be sooner than we think

06/29/2011

There's suddenly a lot of buzz in our industry about laser weapons development. Several different technological advances and upcoming laser weapons tests has me thinking that the first field deployments of laser weapons may be sooner than we think.

News from Bell

06/29/2011

ell Helicopter has announced its OH-58 Block II demonstrator successfully proved hover out of ground effect performance that exceeds the maximum gross aircraft weight of 5,500 lbs at 6k95 during test flights conducted in Colorado.

Bagdogra IAF meet to discuss China threat

06/29/2011

A two-day commanders' conference of the Eastern Air Command (EAC) will begin at Air Force Station Bagdogra from Wednesday. Air chief marshal PV Naik, IAF chief of air staff, and other officers from Delhi Air headquarters will hold meetings with officers from this part of the country at this conference, which is being hosted by Air marshal KK Nohwar, AOC-in-C, EAC.

The battle to sell fighter aircraft

06/28/2011

"Incredible India" is the title of a ubiquitous advertising campaign that promises surprises around every corner, and the motto certainly applies to the country's ongoing fighter jet competition.

Who’s to blame for Czech L-39 fighter engine failure?

06/28/2011

Czech Defense Ministry partly blames LOM Praha for crash; the state-owned firm says Ukrainian-made engine has structural defect.

PAF to receive P14 billion for modernization

06/28/2011

About P14 billion of the P40 billion allotted by Malacañang to upgrade military capability will go to the Philippine Air Force, PAF chief Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena said over the weekend.

Indo-US jet trainer - the Indus moment

06/28/2011

A US-India basic trainer would replace some 450 T-38s currently flying in the US Air Force. Add to that an assured market of at least 200 trainer aircraft in India and there is an excellent business case for partnering India in developing the T-38’s successor.

From Tippu Sultan to AK Antony, a French connection

06/28/2011

At the expansive exhibition area at the Le Bourget airport where the Paris Air Show has just concluded, Indian visitors could not but cast a long gaze at the gleaming new French fighter aircraft Rafale, one of the final two short listed for India's $11 billion medium multi-role combat aircraft deal.

Massive Cost Estimate For Fighter Program Is Misleading

06/28/2011

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the most expensive weapons program the U.S. Department of Defense is currently funding. The reason it’s so costly is that the Clinton Administration decided in 1993 to replace a slew of cold-war combat aircraft operated by three different military services with a single family of planes. The new planes were supposed to be agile, stealthy and versatile — a single-engine airframe produced in three variants that could be sold by the thousands both at home and abroad

UAE looks to purchase five UH-60M Blackhawk helicopters

06/28/2011

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the US Congress last week of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Arab Emirates of five UH-60M Blackhawk VIP helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $217 million.

FORMATION AIRDROP PROVIDES NEEDED SUPPLIES, SAVES LIVE

06/27/2011

"We flew a two-ship formation airdrop of C-130s supporting Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force in southern Afghanistan," said the 774th EAS Commander Lt. Col. Rich Adams from Anchorage, Alaska. "We supported them by carrying food, fuel, ammunition and water to support forward operating bases in southern Afghanistan."

nternational procurement network members indicted for supplying Iran with US military aircraft components

06/25/2011

Seven individuals and five corporate entities based in the United States, France, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Iran have been indicted in the Middle District of Georgia for their alleged roles with illegally exporting military components for fighter jets and attack helicopters from the United States to Iran.

US grounds fleet of F-22 fighter jets, indefinitely

06/25/2011

The US Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of F-22 fighters, the most sophisticated combat aircraft in the world, after problems emerged with the plane's oxygen supply, officials said Friday. The radar-evading F-22 Raptors have been barred from flying since May 3 and Air Force officials could not say when the planes would return to the air.