Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Bulgarian Military Jet Crashes Without Casualties, Ministry Says

04/27/2012

A Bulgarian military aircraft MiG-29 crashed during a training flight near the southern city of Plovdiv without casualties. The plane caught fire shortly after takeoff from the Graf Ignatievo air force base, the Defense Ministry in Sofia said in a statement today. Its two pilots were instructed to direct the aircraft toward an unpopulated area and eject. The MiG-29 fell between the villages of Tsarimir and Goliam Chardak and there are no civilian casualties, the ministry said.

Two charged with trying to smuggle U.S. aircraft to China

04/27/2012

The 41-year-old Taiwanese woman, having already arranged to smuggle a kilo of 93.7 percent pure crystal methamphetamine into the United States, was ready to move on to something bigger, authorities say. "I got a message for you: A guy want(s) to buy a plane," Huan Ling Chang allegedly said in September during a phone conversation being secretly recorded by the FBI. "It’s, uh, early warning aircraft," she added a beat later, authorities say.

F-16s and MiGs Engage Over Bulgaria

04/27/2012

U.S. pilots from the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons based out of Aviano Air Base, Italy, have been given a rare opportunity to train and share experiences with Bulgarian air force MiG-21 and MiG-29 pilots during their deployment to Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, in support of Thracian Star 2012.

UAE-based F-22s A Signal To Iran

04/27/2012

As tensions between Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv continue to mount over Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons technologies, the U.S. has quietly begun a deployment of its premier stealthy fighter, the twin-engine F-22, to the United Arab Emirates. Multiple Lockheed Martin aircraft will operate out of Al Dhafra Air Base there, industry sources say. This is the same base from which U.S. U-2s and Global Hawk UAVs have been launched since shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

US wants Brazil as defense partner

04/27/2012

The US is ready to transfer military technology to Brazil to be able to count the South American country as a strategic ally, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said here Wednesday. Panetta, in a speech before military officers at Brazil's Superior War College in Rio de Janeiro, committed himself to exerting every effort to facilitate the technology transfer to the giant South American nation.

Eurocopter and Kazakhstan: Partnership and capabilities on display at the KADEX-2012 military exhibition

04/27/2012

Eurocopter’s participation at the KADEX-2012 exhibition will underscore its helicopter product line capabilities to meet Kazakhstan’s military, government and public protection mission requirements, while also spotlighting the company’s commitment to industrial partnerships in the country.

Smart Defence – The Norwegian Perspective

04/27/2012

What is really new with Smart Defence?Doing things in a smart way was not something we started last year! The Nordic Defence Cooperation, our long-standing work with other Allies in the European Participating Air Forces F-16 cooperation and our participation in the development of common NATO capabilities were Smart Defence long before this term was introduced.

The Drones in our Future

04/27/2012

The backyard of my house in the piney woods of southern Chesterfield County is shaped like a half moon surrounded by very tall and skinny loblollies and gum trees. It faces north and can be a good place for aircraft watching. I live maybe 20 miles as the crow flies from Ft. Pickett, a Virginia National Guard base that is used by military and law enforcement agencies such as Navy SEALs, the Marines, Air Force and Army Special Forces, Canadians, Secret Service, the FBI and Virginia State Police.

Boeing and World Class Aviation Academy Open International Chinook Training Facility

04/27/2012

he Boeing Company and its Dutch partner the Rotary Wing Training Center (RWTC) officially opened a state-of-the-art CH-47 Chinook helicopter maintenance training facility near Royal Netherlands Air Force base Gilze-Rijen on April 25. The RWTC is a subsidiary of the Netherlands' World Class Aviation Academy (WCAA).

Ruslan operates series of An-124 flights to Uganda

04/26/2012

Ruslan International, which manages Volga Dnepr’s and Antonov Airlines’ combined Antonov An-124 fleets, has completed a series 15 cargo flights to Entebbe, Uganda, on behalf of the Japanese peacekeeping contingent of the United Nations Mission in Sudan. The flights contained power generators, non-combat vehicles, communication equipment and other supplies for the Japan Ground Self Defense Force.

BAE Systems to Upgrade Electronic Warfare Capabilities on Saudi Arabian Fighter Jets

04/26/2012

BAE Systems today announced a $367M contract to deliver 70 Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS)/Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) to upgrade F-15S fighter jets in support of the Royal Saudi Air Force. “BAE Systems looks forward to providing the Royal Saudi Air Force with this superior electronic capability,” said John Nyilis, product line director at BAE Systems.

The End Of An Era: The Transition From The Prowler To The Growler

04/26/2012

I grew up knowing the Navy’s EA-6B Prowler very well — my father flew them for about 20 years. The aircraft was made tough, but all planes need to be replaced sooner or later. Recently, the Navy has started the transition from the EA-6B Prowler to the FA-18 based EA-18G Growler. Reader Alex Jossi had the opportunity to do some photography of the new Growler and was willing to write up a story on the aircraft. Here is his story in his own words.

Brazil to get tech transfer if it buys US jets: Panetta

04/26/2012

Brazil will get US advanced technology transfer if it buys Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet to upgrade its air force, visiting US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said here Wednesday. The F/A-18 Super Hornet is up against the Rafale fighter, made by French firm Dassault Aviation, and Swedish manufacturer Saab's Gripen for Brazil's contract for 36 multi-role combat aircraft valued at between $4 billion and $7 billion.

LCA naval variant’s first flight on Friday

04/26/2012

The flight is slated for 10 am. But it will fly with some unresolved problems. The maiden flight, however, does not mean the team LCA has overcome all the technical glitches that had forced it to miss several deadlines in the past. The Centre for Military Airworthiness & Certification (CEMILAC), sometime last week, gave its clearance for High Speed Taxi Trial (HSTT) and flight.

Ukraine on Brink of Missile Deal with India - Media

04/26/2012

Ukraine is close to signing one of its biggest ever defense deals for air-to-air missiles with India, according to Russian media reports. Nezavisimaya Gazeta says the deal for R-27 missiles, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, is in the final stages and is waiting for approval from the Ukrainian leadership. The Vympel R-27 (AA-10 Alamo) missile is a medium-to-long-range air-to-air missile developed by the Soviet Union. It is similar to U.S. AIM-7 Sparrow.

Rep. Levin: Pentagon move could aid Selfridge jobs

04/25/2012

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin says he's hopeful that a Pentagon decision to add 24 C-130 air transport planes will offset sharp job cuts planned at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta recommended Tuesday that the military budget the Air National Guard planes and the 2,200 personnel needed to support them.

Northrop, Bell in deal for unmanned copters

04/25/2012

Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter have received a Navy contract to produce the first of a possible fleet of unmanned helicopters. Northrop announced Tuesday that it has a $262 million contract to convert eight Bell commercial helicopters into unmanned aircraft for military use.

Air National Guard Lobbies Successfully Against Budget Cuts

04/25/2012

In combat zones, National Guard units generally take their orders from active duty commanders. Not so in Washington. For two months, the Air National Guard, with the help of governors from every state, has been battling the active duty Air Force over proposed budget cuts that would have trimmed the Guard’s force by more than 5,000 people and more than 200 aircraft.

Sudan market bombing a "declaration of war" - South

04/25/2012

Sudanese war planes bombed a market in the capital of South Sudan's oil-producing Unity State on Monday, residents and officials said, an attack the southern army called a declaration of war. Sudan denied carrying out any air raids but its President Omar Hassan al-Bashir ramped up the political tension by ruling out a return to negotiations with the South, saying its government only understood "the language of the gun".

Iran and Israel: Comparing military machines

04/25/2012

Israel, the US, and some European powers have alleged that Iran aims to build nuclear weapons to complement its conventional arms, but Tehran says its current programme is for peaceful, civilian purposes. Regardless, Western powers generally agree that Iran does not yet have a nuclear weapon and is at least many, many months away from having a deliverable warhead - if the development of one is indeed its goal.

USAF exercise eyes China as adversary

04/25/2012

The exercise, codenamed Operation Chimichanga, was held at the US military’s Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex near Eilson Air Force Base, Alaska, and involved a variety of combat aircraft and bombers, including F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, B-1 bombers, E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) and KC-135 Stratotankers air-refueling aircraft.

Boeing Delivers P-8A Training Devices to Naval Air Station Jacksonville

04/25/2012

The Boeing Company delivered a second set of P-8A Poseidon training devices to the U.S. Navy on March 29 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla. The devices consist of an Operational Flight Trainer (OFT), a Weapons Tactics Trainer (WTT) and four Electronic Classrooms. "The P-8A Weapons Tactics Trainer is a new innovation for Boeing," said Mark McGraw, Boeing vice president for Training Systems and Government Services.

F-35A Completes First In-Flight Refueling Mission With External Weapons

04/25/2012

On Saturday, Apr. 21, a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35A Lightning II conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the program’s first in-flight refueling mission while configured with external weapons at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. George Schwartz piloted the test aircraft, known as AF-4, with two external inert AIM-9X weapons and four external stores.

Russia, Kyrgyzstan Sign Military Base Lease Deal

04/25/2012

Russia signed a deal with Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday agreeing the rent Russia will pay for using military facilities in that country. The deal was signed following a meeting between Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and his counterparts from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in Beijing on Tuesday, Serdyukov’s spokeswoman Lt. Col. Irina Kovalchuk said.

Turkey's first T38 modernised jet trainer is handed over

04/25/2012

The first prototype of TAI-modernized T38 jet trainer aircraft has been delivered to the Turkish Air Force (TurAF) following a special handover ceremony at TAI's facilities. Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI), as a prime contractor, was awarded a contract by the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) to design, develop and implement an avionics upgrade for the TurAF under the T-38 Avionics Modernization (ARI) Program.