Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Air Force says pilot at fault in fatal F-22 Raptor crash

12/16/2011

The Air Force made public a long-awaited report about the death of a pilot who crashed in the Alaskan wilderness in the military's most expensive fighter jet, the F-22 Raptor. An Air Force accident investigation board issued a report that said Capt. Jeff "Bong" Haney, 31, was at fault when his F-22 crashed near Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during a test mission at night in November 2010.

Air Guard Unit Testing Ground for new Mask

12/16/2011

Develop one aircrew mask that can be used on over 100 different air frames. That is the challenge for researchers assigned to the Joint Service Aircrew Mask-Fixed Wing Program.

China Base a Threat to India Navy?

12/16/2011

There’s been much talk in the media of an apparent offer by the Seychelles of a base for Chinese ships deployed to the Gulf of Aden and the West Indian Ocean, to help combat piracy. While it’s not yet clear if the offer has been accepted, Chinese media reports suggest that Beijing is actively considering it as a “resupply” base.

Belarus gets surface-to-air missiles from Russia

12/16/2011

Belarus has taken delivery of the first consignment of advanced Tor-M2 antiaircraft missile systems from Russia, Belarusian Defense Minister Yury Zhadobin said on Thursday. “The first two units arrived yesterday,” he told the Belta news agency. All 14 systems will have been delivered before December 24, he said, adding that the first Tor-M2 battery would be based in the Brest region.

Air Force Deploys Newest Armed Stealth Drone to Afghanistan

12/15/2011

As the military scrambles to deal with a U.S. spy drone lost in Iran, it was revealed that the U.S. Air Force has bought a cutting edge, jet-powered stealth drone -- and plans its immediate deployment in Afghanistan.

Investigation: Weight imbalance a factor in Libya F-15 crash

12/15/2011

An Air Force investigation into what caused the crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle during a night combat operation over Libya last March has concluded that a weight imbalance was a major factor. Col. Scott Shapiro, who led the accident investigation, said in a Wednesday phone interview from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, that the right wing of the jet was supporting at least 1,000 pounds more weight than the left side at the time of the March 21 crash.

U-2 Spy Plane Still Flying High

12/15/2011

One of the oldest planes the United States Air Force still flies is used to carry out some of America's most sensitive and critical missions. Whether it's aiding NATO troops in Afghanistan, providing surveillance over North Korea or examining Japan's hurricane ravaged coast, the high altitude U-2 keeps flying despite initial plans to retire it by the end of this year.

French PM ‘confident’ of Brazil fighter jet deal

12/15/2011

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Wednesday he was confident of selling Rafale fighter jets to Brazil and could beat off rival bids because the aircraft’s technology cannot be matched. The Rafale is competing against US aviation giant Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet and Swedish manufacturer Saab’s Gripen jet for a tender from Brazil to supply 36 multi-role combat aircraft.

Industry Group Sees No Growth in 2012 U.S. Aerospace Sales

12/15/2011

U.S. aerospace sales for 2012 may remain unchanged from this year’s revenue of $218 billion because of weak military sales, an industry trade group said today.

Eurofighter combat jet: awaiting the outcome of the Indian and Japanese tenders

12/15/2011

These are decisive days for the Eurofighter Group, as its plane is competing in two major tenders in Japan and India. The first tender seems to have been lost, as announced yesterday by the Japanese press, having favored the F-35 Joint Strike fighter of which 40 units should be purchased to boost its self-defense, despite being more expensive than the two other competitors, the Eurofighter Typhoon and Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet.

House and Senate agree on Pentagon cuts

12/15/2011

House and Senate conferees agreed on $662.4 billion for the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill, about $26.6 billion below the president’s original request, reflecting the level of reductions in national security spending required under August’s budget agreement. Almost all the cuts were made in the Pentagon’s core budget, with only $2.3 billion coming out of funds for Afghanistan and Iraq, and $1.2 billion from the nuclear weapons program.

Iran claims it will fill the skies with clones of crashed U.S. spy drone

12/15/2011

Iran has nearly completed their examination of a crashed U.S. Air Force spy drone and are preparing to reverse-engineer it so it can be mass-produced for the Iranian military. Iran refused requests from the U.S. that the drone be returned.

More problems with F-35 joint strike fighter are revealed

12/15/2011

The report, dated Nov. 29, sounds alarms that technological and performance problems, which will be costly to resolve, lie ahead for the already troubled and over-budget warplane. Among the issues raised are unexpectedly severe shaking and failures of an important electrical component. However, the report does not suggest that any of the problems cannot be overcome or that the F-35 will be unable to fulfill its intended capabilities.

World Air Forces Directory introduction

12/15/2011

An action-packed 2011 saw air power put to the test across its full spectrum of activities, from all-out conflict and clandestine cross-border raids to flying humanitarian relief missions in the wake of natural disasters. For once, the main defence headlines of the year were not driven by coalition action in Afghanistan or Iraq, but the result of the "Arab Spring" movement that swept through Middle Eastern and North African nations, bringing unrest and political upheaval.

Sukhoi-30MKI crashes near Pune, pilots safe

12/14/2011

A frontline Sukhoi jet of the Indian Air Force ( IAF) crashed near this Maharashtra town Tuesday but the two pilots bailed out to safety, an officer said. The crash of the SU-30MKI combat jet occurred around 1.30 p.m. "The pilots are safe," the officer said, adding that there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties on the ground.

UK without surveillance aircraft as Russians call

12/14/2011

The appearance of a Russian navy battlegroup off the coast of Scotland last night raised fresh concerns over the UK government’s decision not to have any surveillance aircraft. Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources told The Scotsman that a Type 42 destroyer, HMS York, had to be despatched from Portsmouth to shadow the group of Russian ships, 25 miles off the coast of Moray.

Japan poised to decide on fighter jets deal

12/14/2011

Japan is poised to decide which new fighter jets will defend its borders for the next generation, in the most highly anticipated deal of a miserable year for military aircraft producers. The decision, likely before the end of the year, will define whether Tokyo continues its almost exclusive technical military partnership with the US or turns to Europe for major front line weapons for the first time since the second world war.

F-35 problems will take years to fix

12/14/2011

Aviation Week cites several of the problems in the report. Of interest is how the F-35 program spins events to make them sound like progress. For instance, it was reported in the media recently that the F-35 reached Mach 1.6 in a test. Few glowing statements were spared. Not reported was that after the flight, the aircraft program was limited to Mach 1 performance because of damage to the horizontal stabilisers and engine thermal protection.

The Global Military Aircraft Market 2011-2021

12/14/2011

An American military drone which had been used to monitor piracy off the East African coast has crashed at an airport on the island nation of Seychelles during a routine patrol, officials said.

Captured Drone May Have Limited Benefit For Iran

12/14/2011

Iranian officials have crowed they are mining "priceless technological information" from a CIA spy drone that went down days ago inside Iran's borders, broadcasting triumphant images of what they said was the craft on state TV. But many experts say the loss of the RQ-170 Sentinel drone — like the U-2 spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 — may have more value as propaganda than as a treasure trove of technological secrets.

F-16 Deliveries Leave Iraq Defense Gap

12/14/2011

The White House is pointing to a proposed sale of F-16 fighter jets to Iraq as a sign of a deepening security partnership, though delivery of the aircraft is a few years away, and Iraq's fighter pilots are still learning to fly. That means Iraq will be left with a gap in its defenses after the departure this month of the last U.S. forces stationed in the nation.

Unit mourns 4 soldiers killed after 2 helicopters crash during training at Wash. Army base

12/14/2011

Army officials have not identified the deceased soldiers or the cause of the crash, as an investigative team traveled to the site to begin work Wednesday morning. The two-seat reconnaissance choppers crashed after 8 p.m. Monday in the southwest training area of the sprawling base, killing all four on board, according to the Army.

Last F-22 Raptor Rolls Off Assembly Line

12/14/2011

The final F-22 Raptor fighter jet rolled off the assembly line during a ceremony at the Lockheed Martin aircraft plant at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. The U.S. military is turning to the less costly F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to complement its operational fleet of 187 Raptors, amid concerns in Washington that the $153 million F-22 is too costly and too high-tech for its own good.

Boeing Delivers 2nd Peace Eye AEW&C Aircraft to Republic of Korea Air Force

12/14/2011

The Boeing Company today delivered the second Peace Eye 737 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).

France hopeful on Rafale, not giving up aviation-PM

12/13/2011

France still hopes to find a buyer for its Rafale fighter jets and has no intention of giving up on its aviation industry because of difficulties selling the aircraft abroad, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Monday. France delivered its 100th Rafale plane this summer and production is due to stop in 2021 if no new order materialises.