Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The Morality of Drones

07/06/2011

When people look back at the history of the 21st century, the hum-drum attention paid by the U.S. media to the “drone war” over Pakistan may be viewed as something of an inflection point. America, somewhat past its height in terms of relative omnipotence, nonetheless retained its lead in automated forms of combat. The guided missiles of the 1960s morphed into cruise missiles in the 1970s, then smart bombs in the late 1980s and, by the turn of the century, Predator drones.

RAF tackles Taliban in Afghanistan – using joysticks in Las Vegas

07/06/2011

In a corner of Creech air force base near Las Vegas, Nevada, an RAF flag marks the home of 39 Squadron, an elite unit formed in some haste during 2007 and yet to return to the UK. Bolted to the ground around the flagpole stand three identical sand-coloured metal containers of the kind transported by lorries and ships all over the world.

France adds new wrinkle to Libya conflict

07/06/2011

The driving force in NATO's bombing campaign against Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi has brushed aside a U.N. resolution and supplied arms to rebels. French government officials, following a report in the Paris newspaper Le Figaro, said tons of small arms -- rifles, machine guns, anti-tank rockets -- and ammunition had been airdropped early in June to rebels in the Nafusa Mountains, a Berber tribal area, under pressure from Gadhafi forces.

Boeing Awarded $99.5M Contract to Upgrade US Air Force B-1B Bomber

07/06/2011

Boeing today announced it has been awarded a $99.5 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to integrate three major modifications on the B-1 Lancer bomber fleet. This contract is for the first lot of modification kits of a planned multi-lot production contract to upgrade the service’s B-1s.

Libyan Operation Demonstrates U.S.-Europe Capabilities Gap

07/05/2011

One of the eye-opening features of the three month old NATO air campaign in Libya is the hollowness of the world’s premier military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Let’s be honest, this is not a major conventional war against a capable adversary. The real challenge for NATO airpower is finding targets to hit.

Japan fighter jet pilot missing after crash

07/05/2011

A Japanese fighter jet pilot was missing after his F-15 crashed in the East China Sea during a training flight on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said. Thirteen military aircraft and several ships as well as three Japan Coast Guard patrol ships were deployed to search for pilot Yuji Kawakubo, 37, the official said.

Russia outlines defence export ambitions

07/05/2011

Russia expects to sell military equipment worth $11 billion in 2011, with aviation activities likely to account for up to 50% of this total. Sergei Kornev, head of the Rosoboronexport delegation at last month's Paris air show, said deliveries of Russian-made combat aircraft and air-launched weapons are continuing to Algeria, India and Vietnam.

Asia Needs a Larger U.S. Defense Budget

07/05/2011

In Washington the season of budget cuts is in full blossom. Unfortunately, leaders of both political parties may soon agree to further slash the defense budget. Yet this comes as the military is fighting an ongoing war against jihadi terrorists while also confronting a China that is using its growing military power more aggressively.

US still flying strike missions in Libya

07/05/2011

US Air Force and Navy aircraft are still flying hundreds of strike missions over Libya even though the US government claims it is only playing a support role in the NATO-led operation.

Global race on to match U.S. drone capabilities

07/05/2011

At the most recent Zhuhai air show, the premier event for China’s aviation industry, crowds swarmed around a model of an armed, jet-propelled drone and marveled at the accompanying display of its purported martial prowess.

Fighting for freedom on the Fourth of July

07/04/2011

Watching fireworks or attending the family reunion are Independence Day traditions that U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Jacob Wolfe of Lake City will miss during the holiday this year. Wolfe, 24, is serving his country on a seven-month deployment in Camp Dwyer, Afghanistan.

Europe asks Korea to join Eurofighter program

07/04/2011

A multination consortium in Europe has invited Korea to join its high-end jet production project in an apparent attempt to win what would be Korea’s biggest arms-procurement deal. The move came following Seoul’s announcement that it would purchase 60 advanced fighter aircraft in line with its push to shift the country’s military posture from passive defense to proactive deterrence with a projected budget of up to 10 trillion won ($8.96 billion).

US to upgrade Taiwan's existing F-16 jets: Lawmaker

07/04/2011

he United States is expected to announce soon it will help Taiwan to upgrade its current F-16 fighter planes rather than selling it more advanced aircraft, a senior Taipei legislator said Sunday. The move to upgrade the F-16A/B combat aircraft rather than sell the island the more advanced F-16C/Ds it wants will generate less pressure from Beijing, which strongly opposes any arms sales to Taiwan, analysts say.

Pilot of F-16C that crashed in Nevada did not eject

07/02/2011

The pilot of the USAF F-16C that crashed on public land near the Nevada Test and Training Range earlier this week didn't survive, officials at Nellis Air Force Base said today.

Six new fighters, please

07/02/2011

The thing is, any country, especially those archipelagic in nature, needs a modern air force for rapid deployment of defensive aircraft. The current military thrust on internal security operations – that is, focusing on domestic insurgency – does not preclude the need for new military aircraft to better protect Philippine territories.

President Ma gives thumbs up to IDF upgrades

07/02/2011

ROC President Ma Ying-jeou praised Taichung-based Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. for successfully upgrading six Taiwan-made Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft, and advancing military manufacturing technology on the island.

Bell Helicopter delivers the first "A2D" Wartime Replacement Cabin to the Army

07/02/2011

Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company and the U.S. Army Armed Scout Helicopter program office announced today the delivery of the first OH-58 “A2D” wartime replacement cabin for OH-58 “Kiowa Warrior” platform to the Army. The cabin is being delivered 30 days ahead of the contract schedule.

U.S. Expands Its Drone War Into Somalia

07/02/2011

The clandestine American military campaign to combat Al Qaeda’s franchise in Yemen is expanding to fight the Islamist militancy in Somalia, as new evidence indicates that insurgents in the two countries are forging closer ties and possibly plotting attacks against the United States, American officials say.

Boeing Supports US Air Force Launch of Miniature Air Launched Decoy

07/02/2011

Boeing earlier this month supported the U.S. Air Force in the first powered launch of a Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J) from a B-52. The successful test, in which the electronic jammer was launched from a B-52 Stratofortress, took place over the Gulf of Mexico at the Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., test range. Boeing designed the avionics software onboard the B-52 that controls and launches the Raytheon-built MALD-J.

Future C-5M Breaks Ribbon on New Bay

07/02/2011

The aircraft 0035 breaks the ribbon as the first aircraft to be modernized in the southwest bay. The new southwest bay portion of the L-10 hangar at the Lockheed Martin facilities is the third of four bays to be opened as the program approaches the full rate production of 11 C-5Ms per year.

Russian defense minister denies plans to build aircraft carriers

07/02/2011

The Russian military has no concrete plans to build aircraft carriers in the next 10 years, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said. "We have no plans to build aircraft carriers," the minister told the Russian media on Friday.

Iraq seeks US support for multiple aircraft systems worth $675m

07/02/2011

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the US Congress yesterday of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Iraq for follow-on support and maintenance of multiple aircraft systems and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $675 million.

ON ANOTHER PLANE

06/30/2011

The competition for the 126 medium multirole combat aircraft deal has sprung a surprise. The two American aircraft, the F-16 and the F-18, have been eliminated after technical evaluation by the Indian air force, belying the expectations of the government of the United States of America, American companies and most Indian analysts.

Australia plots biggest post-war military sale

06/30/2011

Australia said Wednesday that it would undertake its biggest disposal of military equipment since World War II to fund a major upgrade, with combat aircraft, helicopters and ships all up for grabs.

It’s time for Britain to merge its Army, Navy and Air Force

06/30/2011

fter decades of chronic under-funding, they will conclude, it was inevitable that a small country such as Britain could no longer afford the luxury of maintaining independent command structures for its Army, Navy and Air Force. With defence spending slashed from 5 per cent of GDP at the end of the Cold War to just 2 per cent by 2011, the individual Services had already been reduced to such a parlous state that they could barely carry out even the most basic military tasks.