Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

Ten years since first deadly drone strike, industry gathers in London

11/22/2011

Ten years earlier and almost to the day, the first known lethal drone strike took place, in Afghanistan. The precise date is still a US state secret, since the CIA carried out the killing. The most likely first target was Mullah Akhund, the Taliban number three, who was attacked by a drone some time around November 8 2001. Akhund survived but others were reported to have died.

National Guard makes case to keep citizen-soldiers operational, relevant

11/22/2011

The chief of the National Guard said Friday that after 10 years of war, the Guard is stronger than it's been in its 350-year history. With those wars drawing down, he said he's trying to make the case inside the Pentagon that the Army and Air Guard shouldn't get left behind by budget cuts.

Aquino asks South Korea for military hardware

11/22/2011

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday asked visiting South Korean President Lee Myung-bak for aircraft, boats and other hardware to help boost the country’s military, amid rising tensions with China over the Spratly Islands. Mr. Aquino said he and Lee discussed their respective regional security concerns, which for the Philippines was the situation in the disputed West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), where China has been accused of bullying.

Hollowed out military or empty threats?

11/22/2011

In the budget clash over national defense, the money is in the billions but the rhetoric soars even higher. And the gloom-and-doom forecasts of possible military cuts seem to get more alarming by the day. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned that additional cuts would erode national security and even lead to war, encouraging America's enemies to attack.

Air Force issues potential $7.4 billion contract for F-22 upgrade

11/22/2011

The Pentagon announced that it awarded a contract worth as much as $7.4 billion to aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp. to upgrade the Air Force's fleet of problem-plagued F-22 Raptor fighter jets. The announcement said that the Bethesda, Md., company would “add new capabilities and enhance the performance" of the aircraft.

Lockheed Martin Demonstrates Advanced Airborne Border Surveillance in Europe

11/22/2011

During a recent European exercise, Lockheed Martin demonstrated advanced border surveillance capabilities from an optionally piloted vehicle. Lockheed Martin and its team showcased how traditional defense focused integrated airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities can be quickly adapted to address dynamic border protection as well as maritime search and rescue needs.

Mideast Setback for Rafale, Dassault

11/21/2011

A stinging rebuke by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to French efforts to sell the Rafale will pressure fighter maker Dassault to smarten up its commercial approach, particularly as the company is a contender in India's bid for a new warplane, analysts said.

Harriers in the Taiwan Strait?

11/20/2011

Despite the Obama administration’s recent rejection of Taipei’s request for new sales of F-16C/D multirole craft, elements of the U.S. government continue to support the future sale of various combat weapons systems to the island nation. Looking at the situation strategically, most observers agree that Taiwan needs new fighters. As it currently stands, the air forces of the Republic of China operates a mix of F-16A/B jets, Mirage 2000s and the domestically-produced Indigenous Defense Fighter.

Lockheed snags $7.4B F-22 support deal

11/20/2011

Lockheed Martin Corp. has landed a $7.4 billion deal to support the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor program. On Friday, the Defense Department announced the multi-year contract, which was issued by Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Under the deal, Lockheed Martin will be asked to work on a variety of tasks that include developing upgrades, incorporating new requirements, adding capabilities and boosting performance in the F-22 weapon system.

Worries over fighter jet costs ‘clatter and noise’

11/20/2011

Worries over the costs and need of the F-35 fighter jet program are merely "clatter and noise," Defence Minister Peter MacKay said Friday as he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to the high-tech multi-role aircraft. MacKay and his American counterpart, U.S. Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta, tried to downplay concerns surrounding the multibillion-dollar procurement program, saying they’re confident it is not in jeopardy.

Black box of crashed military jet located

11/20/2011

The "black box" of a military training aircraft that crashed into the Gulf on Friday near the Palm Deira has been located and will be retrieved today. The retrieval of the crash recorder from the wreckage of the Italian M-346 will bring an end to the search operations.

Costly Aircraft Suggests Cuts Won’t Be Easy

11/20/2011

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shoved his head into a snug aviator helmet topped with goggles one September morning and swooped into Lower Manhattan on a V-22 Osprey, a $70 million aircraft that Marines use for battlefield assaults in Afghanistan.

Costly Hybrid Craft Symbolizes Hurdles to Military Budget Cuts

11/20/2011

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shoved his head into a snug aviator helmet topped with goggles one September morning and swooped into Lower Manhattan on a V-22 Osprey, a $70 million aircraft that Marines use for battlefield assaults in Afghanistan. “How’d you like that gizmo?” Mr. Panetta said after landing at the Wall Street heliport in the Osprey, which takes off like a helicopter, flies like an airplane — and has been responsible for the deaths of 30 people in test flights.

Military plane crashes in Dubai

11/19/2011

A military training aircraft returning to Italy after the Dubai Airshow crashed in the sea near Deira about midday yesterday, less than half an hour after take-off. The two pilots from the Italian-made trainer M-346 ejected from the aircraft just before it went down in the Gulf near the Palm Deira, which is under construction.

Indonesia to buy 24 refurbished US F-16 fighters

11/19/2011

The United States plans to supply 24 refurbished F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Indonesia, the presidents of the two countries announced in Bali on Friday on the fringes of an Asia-Pacific summit.

Israel has fingers crossed on F-35 deal

11/19/2011

Israeli defense officials say they're confident the first squadron of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be delivered on time in late 2016 despite problems that have set back the project for at least two years. The officials' optimism, reported in Israel's media, flew in the face of the constant technical setbacks that have plagued the development of the stealthy fifth-generation fighter and suggestions in Congress the high-profile project be scrapped because of massive cost overr