Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Taiwan-developed UAVs to be commissioned

10/04/2011

A total of 32 UAVs have been produced in the initial stage, with eight to be deployed in each of the country's four major combat sectors, the Chinese-language China Times daily said. Citing unnamed senior officials, the paper said the indigenously produced UAVs can fly as high as 6,000 feet and stay in the air for up to 12 hours.

Iraq likely to order another 18 F-16s

10/04/2011

Iraq is likely to order a second batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 combat jets following last month's contract to buy 18 of the aircraft, Iraqi officials say. This appears to be a concerted, but belated, drive by the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to give the country's emerging postwar air force a credible defensive punch funded by windfall oil revenues and to shore up an important gap in Iraqi defenses as U.S. forces withdraw.

Boeing Teams with World Class Aviation Academy to Provide International Chinook Training

10/04/2011

The Boeing Company has signed a teaming agreement with the Rotary Wing Training Center (RWTC) - a subsidiary of the Netherlands' World Class Aviation Academy (WCAA) -- to establish a state-of-the-art CH-47 Chinook helicopter maintenance training facility near the Dutch Gilze-Rijen Airbase. The training center will help address the needs of international Chinook operators.

India to Acquire Six More C-130J Aircraft

10/03/2011

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to acquire six more C-130J Super Hercules special operations aircraft in addition to the six already ordered. The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne, told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) that the aircraft had performed well in the recent earthquake relief operations in north-eastern India and that the IAF would utilize the multi-role capability of the aircraft as required.

Libya Sam-7's threaten civil aviation

10/03/2011

At first glance, it seems nothing unusual or hinting of danger - just a few wooden munitions cases piled up in the corner of a vast hangar on the outskirts of Benghazi in eastern Libya. But the cases' rectangular shape, their size - about that of a coffee table - and the yellow inscriptions in Cyrillic letters allude to their deadly contents.

Abu downed chopper? That’s a lot of hooey: PAF

10/03/2011

The Philippine Air Force yesterday described as "propaganda" the statement of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that Abu Sayyaf terrorists shot down the Huey aircraft that crashed in Patikul, Sulu, last Saturday and left the pilot and two crew members dead.

Defence cuts: Our forces, brought to their knees

10/03/2011

When Lord West, former First Sea Lord and security minister in the Brown government, waved the flag for Britain last week, reminding the world that we are still a country to be reckoned with and “not like bloody Denmark or Belgium”, he presented Liam Fox with a gaping open goal. West, the Defence Secretary crowed, was guilty of crass insensitivity and should apologise. What about those plucky Danes in Afghanistan?

Plan for major Defence Force re-shape

10/03/2011

The entire Defence Force will be re-shaped by 2015 into what will be called a Joint Amphibious Task Force that will enable the Army to deploy more people for longer in combat situations. Defence Minister Wayne Mapp this morning launched the plan at Defence Headquarters, including some decisions on equipment and training as part of the Defence Capability Plan, the first in 10 years.

User trials of Light Combat Aircraft to commence by end of year

10/03/2011

The much-awaited user trials of the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) would commence by the end of this year. The user trials, which will be conducted by the IAF’s Bangalore-based aircraft systems and testing establishment (ASTE), is a prerequisite before the LCA is inducted into the IAF.

Block 10 Sent Down To The Farm

10/03/2011

Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force transferred its remaining seven early model (Block 10) RQ-4 Global Hawk UAVs to other government agencies. These UAVs began flying eight or so years ago and each has spent, on average some 3,000 hours in the air. Some have spent over 7,000 hours in the air, while others have mostly stayed on the ground. On average, these Block 10 aircraft flew once a week. But some 90 percent of hours flown were in combat operations.

Cheap and slick drones signal strategic shift

10/03/2011

The CIA drone strike that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, the US-born propagandist for al-Qaeda's rising franchise in Yemen, was one more demonstration of what US officials say is a cheap, safe and precise tool to eliminate enemies. It was also a sign that the decade-old US campaign against terrorism has reached a turning point.

Military testing smart devices

10/03/2011

As a Cobra attack helicopter pilot, Marine Capt. Jim “Hottie” Carlson was running support missions above Afghanistan last summer when it occurred to him that it was taking far too long to find where U.S. troops were under attack. “Do you have any idea how long it takes to find the right map, unfold it, and find where you’re going? It’s agonizing,” he said.

Brazil could launch tender offer for military aircraft

10/01/2011

Despite government cuts in defense expenditure, and the postponement of a final decision regarding the need to renew the military fleet, a decision that former president Lula should have taken before the end of his tenure (2010), defense minister Celso Amorim officially declared that Brazil has an "Urgent" need for new fighter jets.

Mexican State of Jalisco Takes Delivery of S-70i™ BLACK HAWK Helicopter

10/01/2011

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has delivered an S-70i BLACK HAWK helicopter to Jalisco, the first state government in Mexico to acquire the newest variant of the world's most employed military utility aircraft. Jalisco state police will deploy the aircraft for general law enforcement with initial aircraft operation anticipated during October's XVI Pan American Games. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.

Airbus Military Says C-212 Aircraft Had Accident in Indonesia

10/01/2011

Airbus Military, a subsidiary of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co., said a C-212 transport aircraft had an accident in the north Sumatran region of Indonesia. The company said it’s “premature” to speculate on the cause of the incident.

Boeing says Japan could produce F-18 under license

10/01/2011

U.S. planemaker Boeing said local defense contractors might build F/A 18 Super Hornets under license if Japan chose to buy the next-generation fighter jet. The comment came after the U.S. aerospace giant, along with Lockheed Martin and a consortium of European countries, submitted bids to produce Japan's next mainstay combat aircraft in a deal that could be worth up to $8 billion.

Arab states keep U.S. atop arms market

10/01/2011

Saudi Arabia was the leading buyer of U.S. weapons in 2003-10, receiving arms worth $29 billion, the U.S. Congressional Research Service's latest report on arms transfers stated. That's not counting the $60 billion Riyadh is expected to spend on U.S. military purchases - including combat jets, warships and missiles - over the next decade. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and Raytheon will be major beneficiaries of the biggest U.S. arms deal on record.

Boeing Returns E-4B to US Air Force Service After Scheduled Maintenance

10/01/2011

The Boeing Company has successfully completed a regularly scheduled programmed depot maintenance (PDM) on one of the United States’ four E-4B National Airborne Command Centers on schedule. The E-4B was returned to home station Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., on Sept. 19.

Renewing Japan’s air force

09/30/2011

On most days for the past several years, pilots from the Japan Air Self-Defence Force have scrambled to stop military aircraft from China and Russia buzzing Japan’s air space. It is a reminder of how prickly Japan’s ties with its neighbours have become, not least because of contested sovereignty over a few remote islands. Intercepts of Chinese planes almost tripled last year, to 96 (see chart). Russia, meanwhile, recently sent two bombers skirting provocatively around the Japanese archipelago.

BAE Systems bringing new Hawk trainer jet to Randolph Air Show

09/30/2011

BAE Systems Inc. said Thursday that two UK Royal Air Force Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers will for the first time participate in Air Shows sponsored by the U.S. Air Force. The company will demonstrate the Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer Aircraft’s capabilities at the Randolph Air Force Base Air Show in San Antonio on Oct. 29-30.

Brazil arms industry growth draws Boeing

09/30/2011

Brazilian defense industry growth has prompted the Boeing Co., a U.S. company, to expand operations in the South American country. Boeing has set sights on winning a multibillion-dollar order in Brazil's FX-2 competition which aims to replace the Brazilian air force's aging inventory of fighter aircraft with modern, multipurpose jets capable of performing under challenging conditions in overland and offshore defense duties.

F-22s return to flying over Tularosa Basin

09/30/2011

Residents in the communities surrounding Holloman Air Force Base can expect the possibility of a periodic sonic boom over the next two weeks as the base returns to regular F-22 flying operations.

Iraq is likely to buy more F-16s after the first 18

09/30/2011

Iraq's decision to purchase 18 F-16 fighter jets will provide a "very robust capability" where now there is none and will allow the country to protect its airspace, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said Thursday.

Boeing P-8I Aircraft Completes 1st Flight

09/30/2011

Boeing's first P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy completed its initial flight today, taking off from Renton Field at 12:02 p.m. Pacific time and landing two hours and 31 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle.

Iraq Makes First Payment for 18 F-16 Fighters

09/29/2011

The Iraqi government has transferred its first payment for 18 F-16C fighter aircraft, bringing Iraq closer to independently securing its airspace, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday. “These aircraft will help provide air sovereignty for Iraq to protect its own territory, and deter or counter regional threats,” Little said. The fighter aircraft, he added, “are also a symbol of the commitment to a long-term strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq.