Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Pakistan orders US to close Shamsi airbase

11/27/2011

Pakistani authorities on Saturday gave the United States 15 days to leave the Shamsi airbase, and closed NATO supply lines into Afghanistan in response to a deadly NATO air strike, the DawnNews TV channel reported. The Federal Cabinet's Defense Committee said no compromise would be made on the country’s sovereignty and security. "The people and the army will ensure Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity at any cost," it said.

Third PAK FA jet joined flight test program

11/26/2011

The third Advanced Tactical Frontline Fighter (PAK FA) performed its first flight November 22 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur KnAAPO. The jet was piloted by honored test-pilot Sergey Bogdan. The jet spent about an hour in the air and landed at KnAAPO runway after successful and complete fulfillment of the flight assignment. Aircraft stability and power plant performance were checked during flight, the pilot noting reliability of all systems and equipment.

UAE Snubs Dassault

11/26/2011

Wall also reported on the United Arab Emirates’ invitation to Eurofighter to bid its Typhoon for its combat aircraft replacement and how this was another swipe by the UAE at Dassault and its Rafale offering.

Appeal against AT-6 exclusion from LAS bid

11/26/2011

Aircraft manufacturer Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) has requested a review of the US Air Force (USAF) Light Air Support (LAS) bidding process, after the USAF notified the firm that its AT-6 fixed-wing aircraft had been excluded from continuing in the process.

Gone before Christmas: The U.S. military’s move out of Iraq the biggest since WWII

11/26/2011

At the peak of the United States’s war in Iraq, the U.S. military had more than 170,000 troops, 500 bases replete with tents and toilets, kitchens and motor pools, and an airline that flew hundreds of times a day across the country.

F-35 makes headway amid criticism, US budget crunch

11/26/2011

The 16-ton fighter jet slowed to a stop off the warship's port beam, where it hovered like a floating rock as thousands of pounds of thrust from its engine and lift fan stirred up a cloud of mist from the Atlantic Ocean 100 feet below. After a brief hesitation, the sleek, new gray airplane - a Marine Corps version of the radar-evading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter - slipped quickly sideways over the amphibious assault ship and then dropped to the flight deck with a gentle bump.

Russia’s Baltic radar to monitor missile launches across Europe, Atlantic

11/26/2011

Russia’s radar station in the Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad will monitor missile launches from the North Atlantic, as well as the future European missile defense system, the Aerospace Defense Forces chief said on Friday. “We will be able to control the entire European continent and the Atlantic, including the European missile defense system,” Lt. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko said.

North Korea threatens to attack SKorean leader's office

11/24/2011

North Korea threatened Thursday to turn Seoul's presidential office into a "sea of fire," one day after South Korea conducted large-scale military drills near a front-line island attacked by North Korea last year.

Military Delivers Turkey to U.S. Troops

11/24/2011

The U.S. military will deliver more Thanksgiving dinners to troops and support staff in Afghanistan than to those in Iraq and Kuwait for the first time since 2003 - a milestone marked by increased logistical challenges.

Boeing Offers New Capabilities For F/A-18s

11/24/2011

Boeing is offering a line of upgrades for international variants of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and F-15C/Es that the U.S. military is likely to envy and may well adopt as defense budgets shrink.

Sahel military chiefs mull Libyan arms control

11/24/2011

The first session of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) wrapped up in Algiers last week with the adoption of a roadmap for Sahel security. The two-day closed door conference finished on Thursday (November 17th) with a focus on two topics of concern: controlling Libyan weapons throughout vast desert tracts and stamping out the sources of finance for terrorism and crime.

Russia to move missiles to EU borders if U.S. shield talks fail - Medvedev

11/24/2011

Russia may deploy "advanced offensive weapon systems" on its borders with Europe in response to a planned U.S.-backed European missile shield, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday.

‘Ace Combat: Assault Horizon’ Review

11/23/2011

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is in a bit of a quandary. From the outside the game looks like a flight sim/aerial combat. However, the game’s visual aesthetic is very similar to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series, and to call this a flight sim is selling Namco Bandai‘s latest release a bit short.

IAF to test its synergy in wargames

11/23/2011

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will deploy its major frontline combat aircraft, including the Su-30, for a massive joint exercise with the Army in the Jaisalmer sector. The exercise has been codenamed 'Maha Gujraj' which will test the efficiency of a conventional integrated land-air warfighting machinery over the desert.

Military prepares for exercises near N.Korean border

11/23/2011

The military plans to hold a large-scale response exercises Wednesday according to the scenario of a North Korean surprise assault on the Northwest Islands and military provocation. This comes one year to the day after the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island.

UAV instructors filling combat roles

11/23/2011

The Air Force is still producing new pilots for unmanned aircraft, a spokeswoman said, although the service has dispatched its cadre of UAV instructors on combat missions. “The basic training pipeline for Air Force Pilots, RPA [remotely piloted aircraft] Pilots and Sensor Operators is active,” Air Combat Command spokeswoman Kelly Sanders wrote in an emailed response to questions.

South Korea invited to help in military buildup

11/23/2011

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday sought South Korea’s help in buying helicopters, boats, aircraft and other equipment for the Armed Forces. Mr. Aquino said the Philippines was interested in buying new military equipment during his meeting with visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak at the Palace. “This is in consonance with the upgrading and modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” the President said.

Despite Threat of Cuts, Pentagon Officials Made No Contingency Plans

11/23/2011

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has painted such an apocalyptic vision of America’s national security under $500 billion in military budget cuts triggered by the failure of a Congressional deficit panel, that Pentagon officials said Tuesday that they were pushing back at Congress and not even planning for the spending reductions, which are to take effect in January 2013.

Boeing Receives F/A-18E/F Infrared Search & Track Development Contract

11/23/2011

Boeing has received a $135 million contract from the U.S. Navy for engineering and manufacturing development of the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor system.

Lockheed Martin Awarded U.S. Navy F/A-18 E/F IRST™ Sensor System EMD Contract

11/23/2011

Lockheed Martin received a contract to complete the development of the Infrared Search and Track (IRST™) sensor system for the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F, marking the start of the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development phase of the program.

Lockheed Martin Completes Assembly Of The First International F-35 For The United Kingdom

11/23/2011

The first international Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II rolled out of the factory Sunday evening. The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence will use the short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) jet, known as BK-1, for training and operational tests.

Russian Air Force to get 90 aircraft in 2012

11/23/2011

The Russian Air Force will take delivery of about 90 new or modernized fixed and rotary wing aircraft in 2012, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday. The Air Force will receive up to 10 Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers, about 10 Su-25SM Frogfoot attack fighters, and an unspecified number of Su-35S Flanker-E multirole fighters, Col. Vladimir Drik said.

Eurofighter, Rafle extend dogfight from India to UAE to win commercial tender

11/22/2011

Eurofighter and Rafale, the two finalists in the fray for India's big combat jet order, have extended their dogfight to the UAE to win another commercial tender.

U.S. says giving, not selling, F-16s to Indonesia

11/22/2011

The United States is giving, not selling, two dozen second-hand F-16 fighter planes to Indonesia to strengthen security ties with an "important U.S. partner," the Defense Department said on Monday. The F-16 C/D models are decommissioned and no longer part of the U.S. Air Force inventory. Retooled and upgraded, they will contribute to Indonesia's "interoperability" with the United States, Navy Commander Leslie Hull-Ryde, a Defense Department spokeswoman, added in an email to Reuters.

USA uses Australia to make China play by the rules

11/22/2011

The USA intends to use the ANZUS Treaty (Australia, New Zealand and the USA) against China. Barack Obama visited Australia's capital Canberra to mark the 60th anniversary of the alliance. Obama met Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and agreed to considerably strengthen the defense cooperation with the country. Particularly, it goes about a tenfold increase of the US military presence on the green continent.