Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

ND Air National Guard to get four new aircraft

12/23/2011

$480 million in funding will bring a C-27 J Spartan Aircraft here to Fargo. Senator John Hoeven says this aircraft gives North Dakota's National Guard empowerment and a stronger voice in shaping the nation's defense policies. This new aircraft provides key support for our nation's defense and homeland security operations. It's a versatile cargo aircraft used to transport materials in support of combat operations.

Unmanned cargo helicopter operating in Afghanistan

12/23/2011

An unmanned helicopter capable of carrying more than 3,500 pounds of cargo (1.6 tonnes) has begun supplying troops in Afghanistan, US military officials said Thursday. It is hoped the K-MAX, which conducted its maiden flight with cargo in a combat zone on Saturday, will help save lives by reducing the need for vehicle convoys which are often a target of roadside bombs.

F-35 Will 'Revolutionize' Combat Power In The Pacific

12/23/2011

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be a cornerstone of Japanese defense. The Japanese know something about technology. And as a leader in technology worldwide, the Japanese decision validates the cutting edge role of the F-35.

Philippines seeks second-hand F-16s from United States

12/22/2011

The Philippines has asked the United States, its closest security partner, to give it at least a squadron of second-hand F-16 fighters to help upgrade its territorial defences, the foreign secretary said on Wednesday. The Philippines has no air power to speak of, with its 40-year-old F-5A/Bs fighter jets retired from service several years ago. It has no bombers or surveillance aircraft and still flies Vietnam War-era UH-1H helicopters.

IAF Chief flies Sukhoi to restore confidence

12/22/2011

India's Air Chief on Wednesday flew a one-hour sortie in a Sukhoi combat jet in a bid to restore his pilots' confidence after doubts were raised over the aircraft's safety following a crash on December 13, the third since the plane was inducted in 1997.

Small air force with a big reputation

12/22/2011

Never colonised, Oman has benefited from a long and close alliance with Britain, which helped transform the tribal levies and palace guard of Muscat and Oman into modern armed forces.

North Korea's idle war machine

12/22/2011

News of the death of Kim Jong-il was accompanied by conspicuous muscle flexing by the North Korean military. The “Dear Leader” left behind an enormous war machine, the maintenance of which consumes the bulk of the country’s daily activities. How does this machine work and what does the future hold for it?

The Drone That Fell From the Sky

12/22/2011

The drone had been in the air for close to five hours before its mission crew realized that something was wrong. The oil temperature in the plane’s turbocharger, they noticed, had risen into the “cautionary” range. An hour later, it was worse, and it just kept rising as the minutes wore on. While the crew desperately ran through its “engine overheat” checklist trying to figure out the problem, the engine oil temperature, too, began skyrocketing.

F-35 fighter deal brings Japan multiple benefits

12/22/2011

With its Dec. 20 decision to purchase Lockheed-Martin's Joint Strike Fighter F-35 Lightning II as Japan's next generation fighter aircraft, the Japanese government gets to have its cake and eat it too. What Japan wants is simple: the most advanced military technology available (or at least better than what China has); activity in the domestic weapons industry; and good relations with the United States. They get all this and then some with the F-35.

Saudi Hawk crashes during training mission

12/22/2011

A Saudi Hawk jet aircraft of the Royal Saudi Air Force crashed during a training mission in the north-western region (Tabuk) yesterday morning, the Saudi Telegraph has reported. The newspaper reported that an official source of the Ministry of Defence said the crash was caused by a bird collision, which led to a malfunction in one of its engines. The source said the pilot managed to eject safely in a parachute.

Oman orders second squadron of F-16s

12/22/2011

The US Department of Defense has announced that Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $600 million fixed-price foreign military sales contract for the supply of 12 additional Block 50 F-16 C/D fighters (eight single-seat F-16Cs and four two-seat F-16Ds) to the Royal Air Force of Oman.

Fifth Airbus Military A400M development aircraft makes first flight

12/21/2011

The fifth Airbus Military A400M military airlifter has made its first flight, marking the end of a highly successful year for the programme and meaning that the full fleet of Grizzly development aircraft is now in the air, completing the flight-test programme. Known as Grizzly 5, the aircraft took off from Seville, Spain with a take-off weight of 125 tonnes at 08:55 local time (GMT+1) and landed back at Seville 2 hours 10 minutes later.

Iraq: interested in acquiring second-hand L-159/A Czech aircraft

12/21/2011

As Iraq continues along the long road towards rebuilding its Air Force aircraft fleet, it continues to evaluate the available options like the Italian one represented by the M-346 of Aermacchi, the British BAE Hawk and the Korean KAI T-50 Golden Eagle. However, at the moment the Czech offer appears to have stolen a march as the nation’s interest has now switched to second-hand Aero L-159A: a single-seat light multi-role combat aircraft designed for a variety of air-to-air, air-to-ground and reco

RAF Northolt will host Olympic warplane force

12/21/2011

The aerodrome, in West End Road, will host Typhoon jets before and during the Olympic Games next summer, and has been designated as the main base for military aircraft in the capital, in a security operation that includes 13,500 troops across the various London 2012 venues. HMS Ocean, the largest warship in the Royal Navy, will be anchored in the Thames at Greenwich, from where Puma and Lynx helicopters will be on 24-hour standby to combat any terrorist attack.

2011 "was a good year" says AIA president, but warns against defense budget cuts

12/21/2011

The U.S. aerospace industry will post solid gains for 2011, but faces strong headwinds in 2012 and beyond with predictions of massive job losses if budget sequestration efforts go into effect, said the head of the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA).

Final US Air Force combat mission over Iraq

12/21/2011

As the world watched the last convoy pass through the gates at Khabari Crossing on the Kuwait-Iraq border, they may not have realized those on the ground had some help in the skies from airmen with a historic lineage. Col. Rodney Petithomme, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group commander, and Lt. Col. Jason Plourde, commander of the 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron “Tigers," both part of the Tuskegee Airmen heritage, flew the last combat mission over Iraq, Dec. 18, 2011, piloting F-16s.

Aircraft makers do battle over cost of contract

12/21/2011

The battle to win a $1.5 billion contract to supply Australia with new combat transport aircraft has heated up. A US bid document has prompted a European competitor to suggest its offer could save as much as $300 million in the lifetime of the project. The tender for as many as 10 ''battlefield airlifter'' aircraft to replace the RAAF's DHC-4 Caribou, which were retired in 2009, has been under way since September.

Iraq Czechs out second-hand trainers

12/20/2011

As Iraq continues along the long road towards rebuilding some military capabilities, including a fully independent and capable air force, the acquisition of an advanced jet trainer aircraft is being accorded a high priority. It seems, though, that the nation’s interest has now switched from the BAE Hawk, KAI T-50 Golden Eagle and Aermacchi M-346 to second-hand Czech Aero L-159As.

Military pushes for more capable sensor inputs for UAVs

12/20/2011

As unmanned aerial vehicles become increasingly common, warfighters continue to press for more imagery from a broader range of high-resolution sensors, putting more pressure on those who design the systems that collect images and send them to analysts. System developers are responding by deploying different types of sensors and electronics that analyze and compress images before they’re transmitted.

Canada Welcomes Japan's Decision to Purchase F-35 Jet Fighter

12/20/2011

Today, the Honourable Julian Fantino, Associate Minister of National Defence, made the following statement following Japan's decision to purchase the next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Like Canada, countries are choosing this state-of-the-art aircraft over other fighters including the F-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Oman places $600m order for 12 military aircraft

12/20/2011

Oman has placed a $600m order with Texas-based Lockheed Martin for a second batch of 12 F-16C/D Block 50 fighters, the US Ministry of Defence has said. The new aircraft, which includes ten single-seat fighters and a pair of two-seat trainers, will join 12 of the aircraft already in service with the Royal Air Force of Oman, the DoD said in a contract notification.

Dyess may lose 4 B-1s from its fleet, U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer says

12/20/2011

The 2012 defense authorization bill will likely mean the retirement of four B-1 bombers from the Dyess Air Force Base fleet over the next five years, U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer said. The legislation, approved last week by Congress, mandates the retirement of six B-1s staggered over five years to save about $400 million, free up funds to reinvest in modernizing the aging fleet and provide spare parts to keep the remaining B-1s in the air. It's not clear yet which B-1s the Air Force will cut.

A Look At The North Korean Military Forces Now In The Hands Of 29 Year Old Kim Jong Un

12/20/2011

With the death of Kim Jong Il, and the apparent succession by his youngest son Kim Jong Un, the world's fourth largest Army, and a modest but capable nuclear arsenal, fall into the hands of an unknown man in his late 20s. The exact age of the younger Mr. Kim is unknown, as his birth date may have been changed to reflect a more auspicious number, but he was likely born Jan. 8 in 1982 or 1983.

In the Future, Drones Will Have to Do More Than Spy and Shoot

12/20/2011

Eventually it may become passé to call drones the “eyes in the skies” for ground troops, if only because they will be called on to do so much more than the reconnaissance missions that so far have been their forte. Efforts continue to outfit more unmanned aircraft systems with weapons. And the day is coming when UAS will carry cargo and people in and out of war zones, officials said Dec. 16 at an Army Aviation Association of America conference in Arlington, Va.

Overstretched U.S. drone pilots face stress risk

12/20/2011

Flying drone aircraft over Afghanistan from the comfort of a military base in the United States is much more stressful than it might seem, even for pilots spared the sacrifice of overseas deployment and separation from family and friends.