Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

LONGBOW LLC Receives $181 Million for Apache LONGBOW Block III Radar and Data Link Systems

01/05/2012

The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Northrop Grumman Corporation [NYSE: NOC], received a $181 million contract from the U.S. Army for AH-64D Apache Block III LONGBOW systems. The contract includes the first international purchase of the Block III LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) by Taiwan, which will receive 15 Block III LONGBOW FCR systems.

Kandahar Air Wing rings in New Year with Annual Open House

01/04/2012

About 350 school children and elders from Kandahar Province visited the Afghan Air Force Kandahar Air Wing January 1st during its third annual open house, where they had the opportunity to become familiar with the aircraft they often see or hear overhead.

National Guard Earns Seat at Joint Chiefs Table

01/04/2012

The chief of the National Guard Bureau joined the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Dec. 31, to formally sit alongside the four service chiefs for the first time in the Guard's history. The change became official when President Barack Obama signed the Defense Authorization Act, which included a provision institutionalizing the Guard's seat.

Darabos defends fighter jets

01/04/2012

Defence Minister Norbert Darabos has hit back after a fellow Social Democrat (SPÖ) suggested to sell Austria’s Eurofighter jet fleet. SPÖ General Secretary Günther Kräuter said on Sunday Austria could get rid of its 15 fighter aircraft due to non-existent war concerns. Kräuter argued the alpine country was under higher financial and economic risk these days. He said selling the "expensive" 15 jets might help the SPÖ-People’s Party (ÖVP) coalition to lower the state debt.

Iran military warns US aircraft carrier away from Gulf

01/04/2012

A US aircraft carrier currently deployed in the Middle East should "not return" to its base in the Gulf, the head of Iran's armed forces declared today, adding ominously there would be no repeat warning. We advise and insist that this warship not return to its former base in the Persian Gulf," Brigadier General Ataollah Salehi told reporters, according to the armed forces website.

Japan's JSF Buy Balances Economics, Industry

01/04/2012

As a Japanese weapon, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries F-2 fighter was built in Japan—and only for Japan. In 2011 the government, taking delivery of the last of 94 F-2s, looked at how much it would cost to build more. The answer: ¥15 billion ($193 million) apiece, more than the marginal price that any country has paid for any fighter from a mature production line.

IAF trainer race narrows, MOD chief flies to Seoul

01/04/2012

Defense Ministry Dir.-Gen. Udi Shani will leave Thursday morning for South Korea in a final round of talks ahead of an Israeli decision over an ongoing tender for the Israel Air Force's next trainer aircraft. Shani will meet top Korean defense officials in Seoul in an effort to nail down the level of industrial cooperation Israeli defense industries can expect to receive from Korea if the IAF selects Korean Aerospace Industries' (KAI) T50 Golden Eagle.

Major refit: Arming the army

01/04/2012

The collapse of the Soviet Union and its daunting military machine spelled the beginning of a process of decay for Russia's armed forces. Now, major reforms are underway to put the military back on track. Russia has revealed details of ambitious plans to spend over US $600 billion on upgrading its army over the next 10 years.

Air Force Buys Light Attack Planes For Afghans - Not U.S.

01/04/2012

Just before the New Year, the U.S. Air Force finally selected a new Light Air Support plane for ground attack in counterinsurgency, picking the Brazilian Super Tucano over the American AT-6– whose manufacturer, Wichita, Kan.-based Hawker Beechcraft, is filing suit over the decision.

F-15 Sale to Saudi Arabia Just Part of $60 Billion U.S. Sales of Aviation Capabilities to that Country

01/04/2012

The recently announced $29.4 billion sale of F-15SA fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia is just one part of a broader U.S.-Saudi military sales and defense cooperation effort that’s central to regional security, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

The Future Military: Your Budget Strategy

01/04/2012

The Pentagon has committed to $450 billion in reduced spending over the next 10 years, but may have to come up with a total of $1 trillion in cuts if Congress follows through with deeper reductions. Make your own plan to reduce the budget by choosing some of the most common, interesting or provocative cuts that have been proposed by various parties.

United States DoD contracts for December 27, 2011

01/03/2012

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $485,000,000 not-to-exceed cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized modification to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract. A total of $131,500,000 is being obligated at time of award.

Air Force orders 20 planes for training, combat operations

01/03/2012

The Air Force has awarded a $355.1 million contract to buy aircraft that will be used for flight training, surveillance and combat operations. The contractor, Sierra Nevada Corp., is to deliver 20 of the Light Support Aircraft and related equipment including ground stations by April 30, 2014, the Defense Department announced. The planes are single-engine turboprop aircraft to be used for pilot training, surveillance, air interdiction and close air support.

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.