Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Russia orders Yak trainer aircraft

12/10/2011

Russia's Irkut Corp. has signed a contract with the country's Defense Ministry for 55 Yak-130 jet trainers for delivery in 2015. "As part of efforts to form a new image of the Russian armed forces, the Defense Ministry pays primary attention to equipping the armed forces with state-of-the-art hardware and to enhancing its combat capability," Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said.

This Week at War: Disposable Warfare

12/10/2011

This week we learned that a stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed 140 miles inside Iran with its wreckage recovered by Iranian security forces. Dubbed "the Beast of Kandahar" in 2009 after it appeared at a U.S. airbase there, the RQ-170 flew clandestine missions over Abbottabad, Pakistan, collecting intelligence prior to the May raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Dempsey: DoD’s F-35 buy may be stretched out

12/10/2011

The Pentagon’s purchase of F-35 Lightning II combat jets may have to be stretched out, the top U.S. uniformed official said. “We are committed, that is to say, the U.S. military, to the development of the fifth-generation fighter, clearly,” Army Gen. Martin Dempsey said at an Atlantic Council event in Washington on Friday. “There are some fact-of-life changes that we’ll probably have to make based on the ability to procure it on timelines that we’d like to have.”

Russian Arms Official Expects India To Cancel Fighter Tender

12/09/2011

Victor Komardin, the deputy director of Russia’s arms export agency Rosoboronexport, contends that the two short-listed candidates for India’s Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) competition have effectively ruled themselves out by putting too high a price on their fighters.

Production on French fighter jet could be stopped

12/09/2011

Production on France's Rafale fighter jet could be stopped if foreign buyers don't materialize, the country's defense minister warned Wednesday. Gerard Longuet maintained that the Rafale - which has long failed to win any contracts abroad and is currently used solely by the French armed forces -- is an "excellent plane." However, he acknowledged the Rafale is handicapped by its price, which is higher than its U.S. rival.

Fighter jets target rebels in south Somali town

12/09/2011

Fighter jets bombed the southern Somali town of Baardheere on Thursday, killing at least one civilian, and fighting broke out in the north of Mogadishu, exposing the government's struggle to secure the capital.

Sikorsky teams with Malaysian firms

12/09/2011

The after-market division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has joined two Malaysian firms for aircraft maintenance and support in the country. A Memorandum of Understanding to explore business opportunities was signed Wednesday in Malaysia and involves Sikorsky Aerospace Services, AIROD Sdn. Bhd., and Aviation Design Center Sdn. Bhd.

Iran Shows Video It Says Is of U.S. Drone

12/09/2011

Iran paraded what its military described as a captured C.I.A. stealth drone on national television on Thursday and lodged an official diplomatic protest, portraying the visual images as an intelligence and propaganda windfall in its conflict with the West over its nuclear program.

Maha Gajraj & Sudarshan Shakti war exercise on last leg

12/09/2011

Sudarshan Shakti, a joint exercise of the Southern Army & South Western Air command (SWAC) in the desert has entered into its final phase. The desert-exercise has enabled the army with the air force to use the latest technology to create and be ready for real-time war-like situations.

Rafale's raft of skills made an impression in Libya offensive

12/09/2011

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's aerial bombing campaign in Libya tested the capabilities of Dassault Aviation's Rafale as a multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) and it passed with flying colours, said a French air force pilot who flew it during the campaign.

Georgia becomes NATO aspirant state – deputy PM

12/09/2011

Georgia was named a NATO aspirant country for the first time on Thursday, the country’s deputy premier said. Georgia, which has been proactively seeking NATO membership since a coup in 2003, was included on the list during a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers that opened on Wednesday in Brussels

RSAF, Indian Air Force conduct Joint Military Training

12/08/2011

The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been conducting a Joint Military Training (JMT) since October 14. The Ministry of Defence said the training at Kalaikunda Air Force Station, India, will end on the December 9. The RSAF has deployed F16-D+ fighter aircraft, RBS-70 missile system fire units and PSTAR radar to join the IAF's MiG-27, MiG-21 and Hawk MK 132 fighter aircraft for this year's training.

Britain says set for drone project with France

12/08/2011

Britain and France plan to work together on developing military drones, the British defence minister said on Wednesday. Referring to an agreement last year to increase military collaboration in a bid to cut costs, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond told a parliamentary committee there would be a joint announcement on drones by London and Paris.

France receives first of eight CN235 transport aircraft

12/08/2011

France has taken delivery of the first of eight Airbus Military CN235 aircraft, ordered last year for 225 million euros, to compensate for delays in receiving the A400M. The French General Directorate of Armaments, DGA, received the first aircraft on November 17, two months ahead of schedule. The aircraft will be operated by Escadron de Transport 62 at Creil-Senlis.

DARPA Eyes Mobile Apps To Fly Drones

12/08/2011

The Department of Defense (DOD) is looking to mobile application development to improve its development of sensors for drones and other military surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence vehicles.

Greece Downsizes The Turkish Threat

12/08/2011

The current financial crisis in Greece has led to enormous cutbacks in government spending. The military has not been exempt. This year alone, the defense budget will be cut about a third. Over the next two years, the reduced budget will be cut another 15 percent. The army will lose 11 of its 30 brigades, but the air force has disbanded one of 16 squadrons, but kept the aircraft in service by moving them to surviving squadrons. The navy has retired some older patrol boats.

France warns of end of Rafale fighter jet production

12/08/2011

France warned on Wednesday that defence giant Dassault would halt production of its Rafale multirole fighter jet if it remains unable to sell any abroad. "If Dassault doesn't sell any Rafales abroad, the production line... will be stopped" once France has received the 180 aircraft it has ordered, Defence Minister Gerard Longuet told a small group of journalists including AFP.

US official says military pacts not aimed at China

12/08/2011

U.S. moves to strengthen its military alliances in Asia are not aimed at containing China, a top U.S. defense official said Thursday. She said her comments came in response to Chinese questions about a decision to base 2,500 Marines for training in Australia next year. Defense Undersecretary Michele Flournoy said she communicated that message to her Chinese counterparts during annual defense talks in Beijing.

U.S. in talks to help rebuild Libyan military

12/08/2011

The United States is in discussions with Libya over ways to help rebuild the country's military, which the U.S. military considers essential to unify the country and bring rival militias under national control.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance System to U.S. Air Force

12/08/2011

An airborne signals intelligence system configured specifically for the newest C-130J aircraft has been delivered to the U.S. Air Force by Lockheed Martin. The system, which is part of the Senior Scout program that enables C-130 aircraft to be used for tactical signals intelligence and reconnaissance, will undergo acceptance testing in December.

Lockheed Martin Delivers M-TADS/PNVS Modernized Laser Rangefinder for the U.S. Army’s Apache Helicopter

12/08/2011

Lockheed Martin delivered the first Modernized Day Sensor Assembly (M-DSA) upgrade prototype units to the U.S. Army for use on the Apache attack helicopter. Five System Design and Development (SDD) Laser Rangefinder Designators (LRFDs) were recently delivered to the Army under a three-year contract awarded to Lockheed Martin in September 2008 to modernize the Apache’s Day Sensor Assembly.

Russia to sell six Su-30 fighter jets to Indonesia – paper

12/07/2011

Russia started the first day at an arms show in Malaysia with a preliminary agreement on the delivery of six Su-30MK2 fighters to Indonesia, the Kommersant business daily said on Wednesday. Kommersant cited a Russian source at the talks with Indonesia during the LIMA-2011 arms show on the main island of Langkawi as saying that a contract on the Su-30MK2 delivery could be signed as early as by the end of 2011.

How often does US military lose contact with unmanned drones?

12/07/2011

So just how often do US military drones "disappear"? The US military acknowledged Sunday that one of its unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAV’s, had gone missing over western Afghanistan late last week. “The operators of the UAV lost control of the aircraft and had been working to determine its status,” a statement released by NATO forces in Afghanistan said Sunday.

Drone Lost in Iran Was Joint CIA-Military Reconnaissance Plane

12/07/2011

The U.S. drone that apparently fell into Iran's hands was part of a joint CIA-military reconnaissance operation, Fox News has learned. A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the spy plane was being used for the CIA-military operation along the Afghan-Iranian border when it lost connectivity and disappeared.

Eurofighter Typhoon Takes Centre Stage for LIMA 2011 Flying Display

12/07/2011

Eurofighter Typhoon will take pride of place as one of the highlights of the daily flying display at LIMA 2011 as it debuts at the show. On Tuesday 6 December the world’s most advanced multi-role combat aircraft, flown by BAE Systems’ Typhoon Test Pilot, Nat Makepeace, will take to the skies for the first time over Langkawi, demonstrating its incredible agility and speed.