Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

S.Korea Steps Up Defense Buildup as China's Military Power Grows

01/03/2012

The Chinese Academy of Sciences projected in 2008 that China will be able to match the U.S. in terms of military power after 2050 at the earliest, while it will take a further 20 or 30 years to finally catch up - making it difficult for China to overtake the U.S. in this area within this century.

Fourth Airbus Military A330 MRTT handed over to RAAF

01/03/2012

The fourth Airbus Military A330 MRTT multi-role tanker transport for the Royal Australian Air Force has been formally handed over to the service, leaving just one aircraft of its order still to be delivered.

Saudi Arabia to purchase 84 F-15SA, upgrade current F-15 fleet

01/03/2012

U.S. Air Force officials announced the next chapter in a partnership with the Royal Saudi Air Force as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently signed a $29.4 billion Foreign Military Sales Letter of Offer and Acceptance solidifying their plans to purchase 84 F-15SA fighter aircraft and upgrade their current fleet of 70 F-15S aircraft to the SA configuration.

Tight budgets pit Guard against active-duty

01/03/2012

National Guard leaders are making their case to expand their force while the rest of the Defense Department is tightening the purse strings, causing a rift between active-duty and reserve leaders. Negotiations over shrinking resources have grown tense as Guard leaders — especially those in the Air Force — worry that active-duty leaders have unjustifiably targeted Guard accounts.

Pakistan, US assume less cooperation in future

01/03/2012

In what could be the biggest change in a decade in a relationship that has been a mainstay of U.S. military and counterterrorism policy since the 9/11 terror attacks, the United States and Pakistan are lowering expectations for what the two nations will do together and planning for a period of more limited contact.

Panetta's plan to shrink military is due this week

01/03/2012

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is set this week to reveal his strategy that will guide the Pentagon in cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from its budget, and with it the Obama administration's vision of the military that the United States needs to meet 21st-century threats, according to senior officials.

U.S. opened Pandora's box with drones

01/02/2012

Modern warfare has entered a new era. Unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, can fly thousands of miles, conduct surveillance or target and kill individuals with precision. Unfortunately, this precision does not prevent collateral damage, the military term for unintended civilian deaths. Military experts predict this will be the pattern for future military conflicts.

Pilots Train on new AH-64D Apache

01/02/2012

A new helicopter is coming to the Block. The 1st Attack Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment, Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, is the first unit in the Army to have their entire fleet of Apache helicopters replaced with the comprehensively upgraded Apache (AH-64D) Block III beginning in February.

Russia to modernize 60 MiG-31 interceptors by 2020

01/02/2012

The Russian Air Force will receive over 60 modernized MiG-31 Foxhound interceptor aircraft by 2020, the Defense Ministry said. A modernization contract was signed by the ministry and Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation in December last year. “We are planning to upgrade more than 60 MiG-31 interceptors to the MiG-31BM version by 2020,” Air Force spokesman Vladimir Drik said last week.

India, Pakistan exchange lists of nuclear data

01/01/2012

India and Pakistan officially exchanged on Sunday lists of nuclear installations and facilities in accordance with the agreement on nuclear security in the region, according to Indian and Pakistani TV channels.

Why Indian Pilot Training Is So Dangerous

12/31/2011

The Indian defense procurement bureaucracy has struck again. Despite over a decade of pressure from the Indian Air Force to obtain new trainers, new basic flight training aircraft have still not been obtained. As a result, trainee pilots are only getting 25 hours of flight time before going off to train on a specific type of aircraft (fighter, transport, helicopter). These trainees are supposed to get 75 hours before moving up to the advanced trainers and service aircraft. This problem has been

Six dead in Sudan chopper crash, fire: army

12/31/2011

All six crewmen aboard a Sudanese military helicopter were killed when it crash-landed and burned in North Kordofan state on Friday, the army said. Fire broke out because of a "technical problem" aboard the Russian-made aircraft three minutes after takeoff from a base at El Obeid, the state capital, army spokesman Sawarmi Khaled Saad told AFP.

2011: A Wild Ride For The CIA

12/31/2011

The year has been a rollercoaster ride for the CIA -- incredible highs coupled with significant lows. But those dramatic ups and downs also underscored how intelligence is evolving and the agency is changing to keep pace. Keeping secrets is becoming more difficult and what the agency does is sometimes more visible.

Embraer wins contract to build military planes in Jax

12/31/2011

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer Friday won a Defense Department contract to manufacturer military aircraft in Jacksonville. The contact, totaling $355 million, represents 50 high-wage jobs initially at an Embraer facility at Jacksonville International Airport. Mayor Alvin Brown, who lobbied heavily for the contract, said the company could begin hiring in January.

Air Force buys an Avenger, its biggest and fastest armed drone

12/31/2011

The Air Force has bought a new hunter-killer aircraft that is the fastest and largest armed drone in its fleet. The Avenger, which cost the military $15 million, is the latest version of the Predator drones made by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., a San Diego-area company that also builds the robotic MQ-9 Reapers for the Air Force and CIA.

British Army Recruits to Train with 'Call of Duty' Games

12/31/2011

In an effort to provide virtual war simulated training to new recruits, the Ministry of Defense has proposed the development of war games along the lines of popular commercial versions like Modern Warfare 3 and Battlefield 3. The British Military is expected to benefit from the cheap production costs of war games compared to actual weapons training with aircraft, tanks and explosive rounds.

Sierra, Embraer Win USAF LAS; Hawker Fights

12/31/2011

Sierra Nevada and its major partner Embraer have been awarded a firm-fixed price contract for $355.1 million for the U.S. Air Force’s Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft program; but competitor Hawker Beechcraft indicated it will continue to fight the move in court.

Indian Navy to induct 24 Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft

12/31/2011

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma told India Strategic in an interview that the Navy was satisfied with the progress of the first eight Indian P8-Is being built by Boeing under a 2009 order and that the second order for four more aircraft was being processed to be placed within the current fiscal ending March 2012.

Mexico buys Russian tactical transport helicopters - source

12/31/2011

Mexico bought three Russian Mi-17V-5 tactical transport helicopters, an informed source in the Mexican military circles told RIA Novosti on Saturday. The Mexican navy ministry, which along with defense ministry is charged with efforts against drug trafficking and organized crime, signed a contract with Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport on December 22.

U.S. army to send new helicopter drone to Afghanistan

12/31/2011

The U.S. Army is almost ready to deploy to Afghanistan a new rotary-wing surveillance drone, the Boeing A160T Hummingbird, equipped with a cutting-edge 1.8-gigapixel camera, the army says. Three drones, or unmanned air vehicles (UAV) in military jargon, will be deployed to Afghanistan in May or June, after they complete flight testing in Arizona at the beginning of the year, said the US Army's project manager for unmanned air systems modernization, Lt. Col. Matthew Munster.

Marines’ F-35 Engines Costing Way More Than Other Services’

12/30/2011

There’s been lots of grumbling over the cost of the $380 billion F-35 fighter program, and some wheels squeak louder than others. On Wednesday, the Navy awarded a $1.1 billion contract for 30 F-35 engines to Pratt & Whitney Military Engines of East Hartford, Conn.

Ace Combat – Assault Horizon: Downloadable Skill-Pack Available

12/30/2011

How may gamers out there want to get a downloadable content (DLC) packs for free? Well, if you are pinning for some new skills for your Ace Combat – Assault Horizon in its multiplayer mode, you’ll be delighted to hear that this holiday season, Japanese video game developer-publisher Namco Bandai is equally pinning to sell you some Ace Combat DLC for “free”.

BAE to Help US Military, Saudi Arabia Avoid Friendly Fire

12/30/2011

BAE Systems‘ information and electronic systems integration sector has won a $13,480,910 firm-fixed-price contract to provide CXP digital transponder hardware to the U.S. Army and Navy and the governments of Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands.

Civilian contractors playing key roles in U.S. drone operations

12/30/2011

Relying on contractors has brought companies that operate for profit into some of America's most sensitive military and intelligence operations. And using civilians makes some in the military uneasy.

US aircraft carrier in drill zone: Iran

12/30/2011

A US aircraft carrier entered a zone near the Strait of Hormuz that is now being used by the Iranian navy for military drills, an Iranian official said on Thursday amid rising tensions over the key oil-transit channel. "A US aircraft carrier was spotted inside the manoeuvre zone ... by a navy reconnaissance aircraft," Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, the spokesman for the Iranian exercises, told the official IRNA news agency.