Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Sukhoi-30MkIs increase night flying to enhance fighting capabilities

09/29/2011

Be prepared to hear loud roars of fighter jets every night. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Sukhoi-30MkI air dominance fighters have just stepped up their night flying, and will continue to do so in the coming days. This was disclosed to media persons by Wing Commander B Satish, commanding officer of the 30 Squadron (The Rhinos) at the IAF base at Lohegaon on Tuesday. The media visit had been organised as part of the Air Force Day celebrations, to be held on October 8 across the country.

China’s ability to make quality jet engines

09/29/2011

While there’s no question that China is rapidly growing and modernizing its military, analysts have long seen the PRC’s lack of expertise in making high-performance jet engines as a major obstacle in Beijing’s quest to field a 21st Century air force.

Tribesmen Said to Bring Down Military Plane in Yemen

09/29/2011

Rebel tribesmen in a mountainous region just north of the capital brought down a military aircraft on Wednesday, Yemen’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Soviet-era crashed roughly 30 miles north of the capital, Sana, as it was “carrying out a routine task this morning,” according to the statement, which was published on a Web site run by the ministry.

Fewer US Choppers Fall to Enemy Fire, but Results More Deadly

09/29/2011

Most U.S. military helicopter crashes in Afghanistan have resulted from human error, bad weather, and mechanical problems rather than insurgent attacks — but the assaults were more deadly, reports USA Today.

iPhone App Can Fly Unmanned Aircraft

09/29/2011

Researchers from Boeing and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a prototype application that allows someone to fly a miniature unmanned aircraft from an iPhone. Eventually, the technology may be applied to remotely control unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as drones used by the U.S. military in combat and reconnaissance missions.

Boeing KC-46 Tanker Program Completes Integrated Baseline Review

09/29/2011

The Boeing KC-46 Tanker program successfully completed its Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) with the U.S. Air Force on Aug. 24 at Boeing program headquarters in Mukilteo. The assessment, attended by senior Air Force program officials, validated the program’s technical scope and finalized key milestones for the design and development phase of the Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling tanker.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Four C-130J Super Hercules Airlifters To Qatar

09/29/2011

At ceremonies today at the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility here, company officials formally delivered four C-130J Super Hercules airlifters to the State of Qatar.

Turkey seeks to offset the pilotless aircraft setbacks

09/28/2011

Turkey’s first drone airplane called Anka is seen during a roll out ceremony at the Turkish Aerospace Space Industries, or TAI, near Ankara. Turkey is striving to bolster its unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, fleet through international means, as domestic work to develop large pilotless aircraft has been faltering.

Foreign aircraft builders vie for lucrative Korean project?

09/28/2011

“The Rafale took the lead (built by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation) by a narrow margin in the first stage of the assessment, but considering interoperability and the alliance between Korea and the U.S., we have finally chosen the F-15K (built by the American company Boeing).”

Iraqi air defense: A work in progress?

09/28/2011

Saddam Hussein once commanded one of the most powerful airforces in the Middle East with 40,000 personnel and 1,000 aircraft including Soviet MiG and French Mirage fighters. Now its combat capability lies largely in three Cessna propeller planes armed with Hellfire missiles.

Russia expands military-technical ties with its traditional partners

09/28/2011

India and China remain Russia’s main partners in terms of military-technical cooperation. The value of the Russian-Chinese military and technical cooperation stands at one billion dollars, while the value of the Russian-Indian military-technical ties is annually assessed at 3.5 billion dollars.

South Africa Firms Build Niche Plane

09/28/2011

Two South African companies are attempting to elbow their way into the global defense market with an unusual new aircraft developed on home soil. Paramount Group and Aerosud Holdings Ltd. on Tuesday will unveil the Ahrlac, a compact plane that they say merges the capabilities of a drone, an attack helicopter and surveillance aircraft.

Australia to let women fight on the front line

09/28/2011

Australia will allow women to serve in front-line combat roles for the first time, joining a handful of other countries that have removed gender restrictions in their armed forces. The decision, which has bilateral political support, means women will be permitted to perform any role, provided they meet the physical and psychological requirements. The changes, to be phased in over the next five years, could lead to them serving in infantry combat units and special forces.

China Strikes Back After Taiwan Weapons Deal

09/28/2011

China will likely suspend some military ties with the U.S. following the Obama administration's approval of a $5.85 billion package of upgrades for Taiwan's aging fleet of F-16 fighter jets and pilot training, a senior U.S. State Department official said Monday. That announcement comes one week after the U.S. said it would provide upgrades to aging combat aircraft supplied to Taiwan in the 1990s.

Boeing F-15E Radar Modernization Program to Enter Production

09/28/2011

Boeing today announced that the U.S. Air Force has granted the F-15E Radar Modernization Program (RMP) approval to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the APG-82(V)1 radar system. Boeing and radar supplier Raytheon also performed extensive flight tests to validate the design and development of the system. The RMP leverages prior radar development programs on F-15C and F/A-18E/F aircraft to significantly reduce cost and integration risk for this new radar.

U.S. Air Force Leaders Defend F-35, ISR, Bomber Programs

09/27/2011

Civilian and military leaders of the U.S. Air Force outlined priorities they plan to defend against potentially severe budget cuts, citing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, remotely piloted aircraft and a future long-range bomber specifically, among other systems and capabilities. In keynote addresses on successive days at the Air Force Association conference last week, Air Force secretary Michael Donley and chief of staff Gen. Norton Schwartz warned that a “hollow force” could result from indiscri

Belize offers premier training opportunities to Marines

09/27/2011

Belize is a premier training ground for many NATO allies. Military units from Britain, Poland, Norway, Spain and others have all taken advantage of the unique training experiences the Central American country can provide. Recently, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 from MCAS New River and Marine Wing Support Squadron 271 self-deployed four MV-22B Ospreys to Belize to evaluate the merit of future Marine Corps exercises in the region.

Pentagon Moves To Put Vital Global Hawk Recon Aircraft On Sustainable Path

09/27/2011

This is the week that Pentagon policymakers begin sorting out how to assure that one of the military's most important reconnaissance systems will be available to warfighters at an affordable price. The RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aircraft conceived to replace the venerable U-2 spy plane with a longer-endurance platform that could host a wider array of sensors.

Japan gets offers for new fighter jets

09/27/2011

Three firms on Monday submitted bids to supply Japan’s Air Force with new fighter jets that will replace its ageing F-4 planes. Boeing and the U.S. Navy’s offer for the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) was the F/A-18E Super Hornet Block II, the U.S. military’s most advanced combat aircraft. Boeing Japan President Mike Denton promised the JASDF new and unprecedented capability with the Super Hornet.

Iraq signs deal to buy 18 F-16 warplanes

09/27/2011

Iraq has signed a contract to buy 18 Lockheed Martin F-16 warplanes to bolster its air force, an adviser to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday. The value of the deal was not immediately known, but a senior U.S. military official said recently the offer on the table for the Iraqi government was valued at "roughly $3 billion."

Boeing Statement on Australia's Intent to Order 6th C-17

09/27/2011

"Boeing is incredibly pleased by the confidence shown by the Australian government in the unique airlift capabilities provided by the C-17 Globemaster III. Australia is widely recognized for its role as a leader in the Asia-Pacific region, for its support of allied military operations, and for its crucial role in humanitarian missions around the globe. The presence of Australia's C-17 aircraft at hotspots around the world is demonstrative of the country’s role as a valued ally and global partner

Boeing Delivers UAE's 4th C-17 Globemaster III

09/27/2011

Boeing announced today the delivery of a fourth C-17 Globemaster III to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force and Air Defence from the company's C-17 final assembly facility in Long Beach. Boeing delivered the UAE's first three C-17s in May, June and July of this year and will deliver two more in 2012.

Boeing QF-16 Aerial Target Program Demonstrates Software for US Air Force

09/27/2011

The Boeing QF-16 Full Scale Aerial Target program in August became the first target program to conduct software tests in a systems integration lab (SIL) environment. The program demonstrated key capabilities for the U.S. Air Force during a program review and tour.

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Resumes Test Flights

09/27/2011

Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor returned to the skies today here in a series of test and production flights, the first since a four-month fleet stand down was lifted on Sept. 19, 2011 by the U.S. Air Force.

Russian drone aircraft crashes in Ingushetia

09/27/2011

A small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed on Monday near a highway in Russia's North Caucasus republic of Ingushetia, a police source reported. "A report on Monday said that a small aircraft crashed near the Caucasus federal highway. Police confirmed after arrival at the site that it was an aerial-imagery UAV," the source said, adding that the crash did not result in any damage to ground infrastructure or casualties.