Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Boeing Completes Wind Tunnel Tests on Silent Eagle Conformal Weapons Bay

06/26/2012

Boeing recently completed wind tunnel tests on the Silent Eagle Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB). The tests, conducted at the company's St. Louis facility, validated the aerodynamics of the CWB design. CWBs are integral to the adaptable configuration and balanced survivability of the Silent Eagle.

Turkey says its F4 was in international airspace

06/25/2012

Turkey on Sunday charged that Syria shot down a Turkish F4 Phantom jet Friday over international waters without any warning and called for a meeting of its NATO allies. Both the United States and Britain denounced Syria in response to the new details, and NATO set a meeting for meeting for Tuesday under its treaty, which allows any party can to call for consultations if it feels its territory or security is threatened. The meeting, however, falls well short of asking for military support.

Turkey Vows Retaliation For Downing Of Military Jet By Syria

06/24/2012

Turkey was weighing its response Saturday to the shooting down by Syria of one of its planes, an incident that sent tensions soaring between two neighbors already at odds over the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Russian aircraft arrives in North America to observe Canadian forces

06/24/2012

A Russian Federation Tupolev TU-154M aircraft will conduct observation flights over Canada between June 26 and 28 in accordance with the Treaty on Open Skies, an agreement that allows aerial observation flights over the territories of 34 countries to promote openness and the transparency of military forces and activities.

Canadian military ups Asian presence

06/24/2012

Last month China sent its first aircraft carrier Shi Lang to sea for trials. At 66,000-tons, the reconfigured former Soviet ship is a significant new player in a building South Asia arms race that has drawn the attention of both the US and Canada. Now India has followed suit. Its refurbished aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya began long-delayed sea trials June 8, leaving Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia for the White Sea.

Syria downs Turkish jet, Ankara to act decisively

06/23/2012

Syria shot down a Turkish warplane over the Mediterranean on Friday and Ankara warned it would respond decisively to the incident that threatened a new international dimension to the 16-month revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syria said the Turkish aircraft was flying low, well inside Syrian territorial waters when it was shot down.

Crashes Fuel Uproar in Japan Over Osprey

06/23/2012

Recent crashes involving the U.S. military's latest transport aircraft are fueling an uproar in Japan that could threaten plans to deploy them to the southern island of Okinawa by the end of the year. Following an uproar on Okinawa and in another city likely to host the Osprey aircraft, U.S. officials were to brief Japanese government representatives in Washington on Friday.

Boeing Delivers 100th Modified Chinook to US Army

06/23/2012

Boeing [NYSE: BA] delivered the 100th modified CH-47F Chinook helicopter to the U.S. Army today in a ceremony at the company's modification center in Millville. "The Boeing Millville team is proud to have delivered 100 modified Chinooks to the Army on time, using efficient, cost-saving processes," said Peri Widener, Boeing vice president of Rotorcraft Support.

Turkish warplane 'missing' near Syrian border

06/22/2012

Turkey's government has called an emergency security meeting amid reports that one of its fighter jets was shot down by Syrian security forces. The Turkish military lost contact with an F-4 Phantom over the Mediterranean Sea, south-west of Hatay province.

Norway buys 2 US-built Joint Strike Fighter jets

06/22/2012

Norway on Friday ordered the first two fighter jets of an expected combined order of 52 from Lockheed Martin's troubled Joint Strike Fighter program as it embarked on a 2008 plan to replace its aging fleet of F-16 combat aircraft. Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement that the F-35A Lightning II jets are expected to arrive in 2015, with a further 50 aircraft expected to follow two years later at a total cost of 60 billion kroner ($10 billion).

Syrian fighter pilot defects to Jordan, gets asylum

06/22/2012

A Syrian air force pilot flew his MiG-21 fighter plane over the border to Jordan and was granted political asylum on Thursday, the first defection with a military aircraft since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. olonel Hassan Hamada landed at the King Hussein military air base 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Amman and immediately asked for sanctuary, Jordanian officials told Reuters.

U.S. weighs plan to send military aircraft to aid Yemen

06/22/2012

Spurred by recent battlefield gains, the Pentagon is making plans to send U.S. military aircraft to Yemen for the first time to help move government troops and supplies more quickly into battle against Islamic militants, U.S. officials said.

U.S., Japanese Defense Officials to Meet to Discuss Osprey Issues

06/22/2012

Senior Defense Department officials will brief a Japanese delegation at the Pentagon tomorrow on recent incidents involving U.S. MV-22 and CV-22 Osprey aircraft variants, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today. “This is a tangible demonstration of how seriously the Department of Defense takes the issue and inquiries made by the government of Japan on this matter,” Little said.

Military plane crashes into Jakarta homes; 10 die

06/22/2012

An Indonesian air force plane slammed into a military housing complex and ignited a huge fireball Thursday while trying to land in Jakarta, killing all seven people aboard as well as two toddlers and their nanny in a home. The pilot, co-pilot and five trainees aboard the Fokker F-27 were on a routine training flight when it crashed into houses in a neighborhood about 1.5 kilometers (nearly a mile) from the runway where it was trying to land, Indonesian military spokesmen said.

Syrian Air Force One of Middle East's Largest

06/21/2012

The Syrian air force is one of the largest in the Middle East, with 30,000 members and composed of aircraft provided first by the Soviet Union and, later, by Russia. They include MiG-21 interceptors, MiG-23 ground assault aircraft and the more modern MiG-29 combat aircraft. They also have a fleet of Sukhoi fighter jets.

Air Force to acquire 18 aircraft within 2 years

06/21/2012

The Air Force will acquire 12 fighter jets and six other fixed-wing aircraft by next year. Defense Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez told The STAR the jet fighters would be acquired from suppliers based in South Korea, Italy, United Kingdom and Russia. Each jet costs about P1.2 billion, he added.

Boeing Delivers UAE Air Force and Air Defence's 6th C-17

06/21/2012

Boeing delivered the sixth United Arab Emirates (UAE) C-17 Globemaster III to the UAE Air Force and Air Defence earlier this month at the company's final assembly facility in Long Beach. The delivery completes an agreement announced on Jan. 6, 2010, for six advanced airlifters to modernize the UAE's transport capabilities. Boeing delivered four C-17s to the UAE in 2011 and a fifth aircraft in May.

Kenya denies hosting US surveillance aircraft

06/20/2012

The Kenyan military has denied that the United States is using its territory or airspace to conduct surveillance flights over Africa, but confirmed the presence of US troops at the Manda Bay naval base. Last week the Washington Post ran a story on US spy flights in Africa and stated that the US military had plans to establish a surveillance base in Kenya, as well as South Sudan.

Strategic airlift crews fight an exhausting war in anonymity

06/20/2012

A C-17 lifted out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany, one afternoon last month packed with crates of servicemembers’ household goods up front and explosive munitions stacked on the cargo ramp in back. From there they could be jettisoned in a hurry if a fire broke out.

US, South Korea military to mark anniversary with exercises

06/20/2012

The U.S. and South Korean militaries will mark the 62nd anniversary of the start of the Korean War with a bang. Many, in fact. More than 2,000 U.S. and South Korean servicemembers — along with an array of fighter jets, attack helicopters and tanks — are scheduled to participate Friday in what is being called the largest one-day, joint live-fire exercise they have ever conducted.

Russian Air Force to mark 100th anniversary

06/20/2012

The upcoming centennial jubilee of the Russian Air Force is going to be one of the most magnificent events this summer, with a solemn celebration hosted by the city of Zhukovsky in August 2012. The show is expected to attract flocks of aviation pundits, journalists and spectators. Still, this anniversary is also a good day to venture a look into the near future of the Russian military aviation.

Air Force spy planes facing postwar cut

06/20/2012

The U.S. Air Force plans to cut back on the number of Hawker Beechcraft's MC-12 spy planes it wants to operate after the drawdown from Afghanistan and Iraq, official data indicated. There was no immediate comment from Hawker Beechcraft on its future marketing plans for the MC-12. The MC-12 Liberty aircraft is the newest intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft used by SAF in Project Liberty, which includes operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

US to maintain significant military presence in Kuwait months after combat forces left Iraq

06/20/2012

The United States is planning a significant military presence of 13,500 troops in Kuwait to give it the flexibility to respond to sudden conflicts in the region as Iraq adjusts to the withdrawal of American combat forces and the world nervously eyes Iran, according to a congressional report.

Rogozin in Climbdown Over Long-Range Bomber

06/20/2012

Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday he was in favor of development of the PAK DA long-range bomber for the country's air force, just hours after saying the project was unnecessary, in apparent contravention of President Putin's call last week for domestic aerospace industry to develop just such an aircraft.

Russian Air Force to Get 10 MiG-31BMs This Year

06/20/2012

The Russian Air Force's Central Military District will receive its first ten modernized MiG-31BM interceptors this year, the District's press service said on Monday. "The air forces of the Central Military District will take delivery of 10 MiG-31BM fighter-interceptors and two Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters this year," a Central Military District representative said.