Military Aviation News Archive

Vulcan aircraft makes final flight from RAF Lyneham

03/30/2011

The only remaining flying Vulcan – the last all-British designed and built military aircraft – flew out of RAF Lyneham for the last time today.

An ex-Harrier pilot explains the difference between firing at other airplanes and shooting at targets on the ground

03/30/2011

Here's an insider's explanation of why the Air Force's hot new F-22 fighter jet is exactly the wrong aircraft for shooting at Qaddafi's forces on the ground in Libya.

Lockheed Martin Rolls Out First Special Operations MC-130J Combat Shadow II

03/30/2011

Lockheed Martin rolled out the first aircraft in a new fleet of MC-130J Combat Shadow IIs for the U.S. Air Force’s Special Operations Command (AFSOC) during a ceremony here today.

Boeing Receives US Air Force Contract for Additional C-130 Modernization Kits

03/30/2011

Boeing today announced that it has been awarded a $31 million follow-on contract from the U.S. Air Force for two more C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits. The agreement, part of a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract awarded in 2010, also includes support for logistics, engineering and installation, as well as spares support equipment.

Filling the tank at 21,000 feet

03/29/2011

It's even tougher if you do it Bob Haymond's way - on your stomach in the rear of an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker flying at 21,000 feet and 300 miles per hour, while you work the controls of a 40-foot fuel hose as it plunges toward a second military plane flying so close you could spit on it.

CSAT allows U.S. aircraft on domestic aerodromes to refuel

03/29/2011

Romania's Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) on Monday authorized the use of Romanian aerodromes by United States military aircraft, for aerial refueling, as part of the operation to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

New air missions attack Kadhafi troops: Pentagon

03/29/2011

The United States used low-flying combat aircraft against Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's ground troops, the Pentagon said Monday, but denied it was directly supporting the rebels. "We have employed A-10s and AC-130s over the weekend," US Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, director of the US military's Joint Staff, told reporters, without giving specifics about targets.

Decimomannu: arrived the fighter planes of the United Arab Emirates

03/29/2011

Twelve fighter aircraft of the United Arab Emirates arrived last night in the base of Decimomannu in Sardinia, preceded by an UN A-330/200 aircraft, landed at the "Mario Mameli" of Cagliari, which carried the material logistics to support the jet.

Boeing looks to offer 767 for more military aircraft

03/29/2011

“We’re not done. We’re going to build 179 of these, and then we’ll build another 179 for the U.S. Air Force,” he said after a celebration of the company’s tanker win with U.S. Reps. Norm Dicks and Rick Larsen, both D-Wash. “My guess is there are a hundred (orders) out there internationally.”

Joint Strike Fighter can resume flight tests

03/29/2011

Faulty maintenance procedures were found to have caused the March 9 in-flight failure of the engine generators aboard an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the program office said last week. Those procedures have now been revised, and the entire fleet of F-35s has been cleared to resume flight operations.

Forces accomplish no-fly zone mission, Gates says

03/29/2011

U.S. and coalition forces have accomplished the no-fly zone aspect of the United Nations mission in Libya, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said during a television interview aired March 28.

Multipurpose HELLFIRE II ‘Romeo’ Strikes Target, Completes Proof-of-Principle Flight Tests

03/29/2011

The U.S. Army’s Joint Attack Munition Systems (JAMS) Project Office and Lockheed Martin successfully fired a multipurpose AGM 114R HELLFIRE II “Romeo” missile with a live warhead and penetrated a brick-over-block target in its sixth proof-of-principle (POP) test.

Air National Guard supports coalition operations over Libya

03/29/2011

The Air National Guard is contributing to Operation Odyssey Dawn with Airmen from 11 air refueling wings supporting the international coalition enforcement of a United Nations authorized no-fly zone, National Guard officials said March 22 here.

'No NATO presence on the ground' in Libya

03/28/2011

No foreign troops will be deployed and there will be no NATO presence on the ground in Libya, NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu said Monday.

Nato agrees to strike at Gaddafi's forces on the ground

03/28/2011

The 28 ambassadors of Nato's policy-making North Atlantic council met in Brussels to agree the rules of engagement for the air campaign aimed at protecting civilians against Gaddafi's onslaught, with Turkey and Germany keen to narrow the scope of the operations and France bristling at any constraints on its more gung-ho approach.

Libyan rebels seize momentum

03/28/2011

Qatar became the first Arab country to fly fighter planes over Libya in support of the coalition-imposed no-fly zone on Friday. The importance of the Qatari contribution, which is set to be followed by the UAE, was recognised by Libya's opposition movement, based in Benghazi.

IAI, Elbit to collaborate on jet trainer

03/28/2011

The air force is in the final stages of choosing between two training aircraft, the supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle built by South Korea's Korean Aerospace Industries and Lockheed Martin Corp. of the United States, and the transonic M-346 produced by Alenia Aermacchi of Italy. The initial order of 20-30 training jets will mark the first time in 40 years that the Israeli air force will buy jet aircraft not manufactured in the United States.

Aircraft Oxygen-Generating Systems Under Investigation

03/27/2011

The U.S. Air Force is investigating whether the On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) found on several U.S. Air Force warplanes, including the F-22 Raptor, might be defective.

Libya: French aviation destroyed five planes; two helicopter

03/27/2011

rench fighter planes in Misrata (200 km east of Tripoli) have destroyed "at least" five Galeb fighter planes and two combat helicopters MI-35 of forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, said on Saturday the staff of the French armies.

US pilot back from sortie says night sky over Libyan desert darker than expected

03/27/2011

All the missions are run at night and "we have to wear night vision goggles for the duration of the sorties," Thulin said. "It's very dark in Libya, you can see the desert, you can see the towns, but that's about it. It's much darker than I expected to be. It's much darker than our training in northern Italy."

Coalition forces 'strike Gaddafi's home town' - Libyan state TV

03/27/2011

Coalition warplanes attacked Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's home town of Sirte in northern Libya early on Sunday, the country's state television reported.

French connection

03/26/2011

A French warplane destroyed one of Moammar Khadafy's military jets in a dramatic display of air power yesterday - the first shoot-down since the US-led coalition imposed a "no-fly" zone over Libya. The Rafale fighter jet spotted the Libyan aircraft breaching the zone as it was approaching an airfield near the embattled town of Misrata - the site of a seesaw battle between pro-Khadafy and rebel forces - and blasted it with an air-to-ground missile as it landed.

Typhoon debut in Libyan strikes

03/26/2011

As British officials this week claimed the defeat of Libyan air defenses, the aircraft prided to have contributed most to that success include the Rafale, Mirage 200, Tornado and F-16. Other aircraft noted to have contributed to successful air runs against the military assets of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi include the F-15, F-18, B-2 and Harrier jump jets.

Qatar fighter jet flies mission over Libya, first Arab nation to join no-fly zone against Khadafy

03/26/2011

A Qatar fighter pilot, in a strong and symbolic show of military support, became the first from any Arab nation to fly a combat mission over Libya Friday.

Ground operation in Libya could start in April - Russian intelligence

03/26/2011

The international coalition force is planning a ground operation in Libya that could start in late April, a high-ranking Russian intelligence service source said on Friday.