Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Analysis: As U.S. leaves, Iraqi forces still under construction

12/12/2011

Nearly nine years after the United States threw out Saddam Hussein and dissolved his feared security machine, Iraq's rebuilt military is a long way from matching up with regional powers like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Israel. With little air defense, marginal control of its borders and a tenuous grip on Sunni insurgents and Shi'ite militias, Iraq may depend on American military help for years to come, even as most U.S. troops leave Iraqi soil by mid-December.

Military looks for more 'fear factor' in training simulators

12/12/2011

The group of Marines sprang into action and raced into combat position, with weapons aimed, as they assaulted a possible terrorist stronghold. Moments later, they were sipping sodas and chatting with friends about weekend plans. For them it was just another exercise in a war-game training simulation — a computer-generated virtual world that can take them to remote war zones, help them learn combat tactics and terrain, and have them home in time for dinner.

Lockheed Martin gets $4 billion order to build 30 F-35 advanced combat jets for Air Force, Navy, and Marines

12/12/2011

Military aircraft designers at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. in Fort Worth, Texas, will build 30 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) advanced combat aircraft and advanced avionics for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps under terms of a $4 billion contract modification announced late Friday from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.

'Typhoon package is the best deal'

12/11/2011

Eurofighter's director for its Typhoon Malaysia programme was responding to negative news reports that the multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) was too costly. "Our approach is to provide a figure... this can go down later (depending on what the requirements are)," he said at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition.

Edmonton company helps buy F-104 Starfighter jet for museum

12/11/2011

The Alberta Aviation Museum will be getting its own F-104 Starfighter aircraft after a local waterbombing and forest firefighting aircraft company stepped in with a donation to commemorate its founder. Air Spray Ltd., whose founder Don Hamilton died in July at age 86, will be giving up to $40,000 to the museum to help it purchase one of the fastest planes ever operated in Canada.

A Pentagon the Country Can Afford

12/11/2011

If you listen to defense industry lobbyists, hawks in Congress and the Pentagon, the sky is falling and with it, American security. It isn’t. The failure of the “supercommittee” to reach a deficit agreement is supposed to trigger $1.2 trillion in automatic cuts in federal spending over the next decade, nearly $500 billion of that from the basic Pentagon budget. Many Republicans, and some Democrats, are already talking about getting the Pentagon off the hook.

Army Developing Next-Generation Helicopter

12/11/2011

The Pentagon and the U.S. Army are in the early stages of a far-reaching Science & Technology effort designed to engineer, build and deliver a next-generation helicopter with vastly improved avionics, electronics, range, speed, propulsion, survivability, operating density altitudes and payload capacity, service officials said.

C-130J creates record by undertaking longest flight in IAF

12/10/2011

The C-130J Super Hercules aircraft of the Indian Air Force has set the record for the longest ever flight undertaken by a military aircraft in the country without refuelling. "Two C-130J Super Hercules aircraft successfully flew non-stop for 9 hours and 45 minutes from Rome in Italy to Muscat in Oman in June this year setting a record for longest flight without refuelling by any IAF aircraft," IAF officials said here.

Lockheed in $4 billion U.S. F-35 fighter deal

12/10/2011

Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) is being awarded a $4 billion fixed-price U.S. Navy contract for 30 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the fifth batch of low-rate initial production, the Defense Department said on Friday. The deal would provide 21 conventional models for the Air Force, six carrier variants for the Navy and three short-takeoff and vertical landing versions for the Marine Corps, a notice in the Pentagon's daily contract digest said.

Apache Block III Pilots Gain Control Of UAS

12/10/2011

The U.S. Army last month rolled out the latest upgrade to Boeing’s iconic Apache attack helicopter—the AH-64D Longbow Block III. The version includes at least 25 technology upgrades and, importantly, interoperability with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that permits a pilot in flight to control a drone, tap into its streaming video and use its sensors for target engagement.

Malaysian Fighter Requirement Draws Hardware to LIMA Show

12/10/2011

Malaysia’s requirement for a new multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) was a key feature of this week’s Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition. Although no formal request for proposals (RFP) has been issued, the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen were all on flying or static display in pairs.

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.