Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

USN Wants To Replace F-35s With UAVs

09/12/2011

Six months after the U.S. Navy’s first full size combat UAV made its first flight, the U.S. Navy leadership has ordered naval aviation leaders to examine the possibility of reducing orders for the new F-35B and F-35C, and use that money to buy the new X-47B, and similar robotic combat aircraft. That move was probably helped along by DARPA (the Department of Defense’s research organization), which earlier this year decided to explore development of robotic ground support aircraft.

Attacks Changed Guard Mission Members

09/12/2011

The events of Sept. 11, 2001, transformed the National Guard from a force associated with the slogan "one weekend a month, two weeks a year," to a force that more closely resembles the active-duty military. Although members of the National Guard have participated in every war or conflict involving the United States, Maj. Chris Heathscott, Arkansas National Guard public affairs officer, said their service over the last 10 years is unprecedented.

Elbit to Supply Color Helmet Mounted Displays for Osprey

09/10/2011

Elbit Systems Ltd. announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America, LLC, has been awarded a contract to supply Boeing Military Aircraft with the CV-22 Color Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC). Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas.

N. Korea reportedly jams U.S. aircraft's GPS, forcing emergency landing

09/10/2011

A U.S. military reconnaissance aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing after coming under electronic attack from North Korea, Agence France Press reported Friday.

Indian attack chopper expected by year end

09/10/2011

The Indian army will induct the attack version of the indigenously built advanced light helicopter into the army aviation corps this year, a defense official said. The Rudra light combat helicopter is a "heavily loaded" version of the advanced light helicopter Dhruv. The Rudra is armed with an array of guns and rocket pods as well as air-to-air and anti-tank missiles, a report by the Press Trust of India said, without naming any army official.

Snipers celebrate 25 years of hitting the bull's-eye in air-to-air warfare

09/10/2011

For 25 years, Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 has been serving as the enemy for Marine Corps pilots. The squadron's mission is to improve the Marine Corps' air-to-air combat readiness by employing current threat tactics against Marine pilots. A component of the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing of the Marine Corps Reserve, the Sniper squadron was activated here on March 18, 1986. In June of 1987, the squadron received its first aircraft, Israeli F-21A

F-16 pilot was ready to give her life on Sept. 11

09/10/2011

Late in the morning of the Tuesday that changed everything, Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney was on a runway at Andrews Air Force Base and ready to fly. She had her hand on the throttle of an F-16 and she had her orders: Bring down United Airlines Flight 93. The day’s fourth hijacked airliner seemed to be hurtling toward Washington. Penney, one of the first two combat pilots in the air that morning, was told to stop it.

Bleed-Air Problem Caused F-22 Crash: Sources

09/09/2011

The November 2010 crash of a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor was caused by a malfunction with the aircraft engine's bleed air system, an industry source said. The pilot, Capt. Jeff "Bong" Haney of the 525th Fighter Squadron, was killed in the accident.

Is Lockheed's F-35 a fundamental investment for Australia's national security?

09/09/2011

With the company’s prized F-35 program facing rising scrutiny from Congress, Lockheed Martin CEO Robert Stevens argued earlier this week that the “F-35 is a fundamental investment in the security infrastructure of the nation.” While U.S. lawmakers and the Pentagon assess the importance of the F-35 program to America’s national security interests, the Australian government seems poised to do the same.

IPhone Leads Rescuers to Plane Crash at Sea

09/09/2011

A submerged iPhone pinpointed a military aircraft crash in the Chilean sea, in another example of the durability of Apple's devices. The iPhone, which responded Apple's "Find My iPhone" feature, allowed the Chilean Navy to triangulate the location of the crash site. Search teams were unable to find the lost CASA 212 plane, but thanks to the GPS locator, authorities are now combing through the wreckage.

CAG slams Navy for buying MiGs without weapons

09/09/2011

Pointing to a sheer wastage of public funds, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report slammed the Ministry of Defence and the Navy for buying war planes that do not have weapons. It also pointed a finger at the Indian Air Force (IAF) for having ‘let off’ three of its officers who caused a loss of Rs 302 crore when a sensitive aerostat radar got damaged.

Korean passenger jet on 9/11 Alaska flight could have been shot down

09/09/2011

A decade ago on the confused morning of Sept. 11, we came perilously close to having our own nightmare in Alaska. A Korean Air Lines passenger jet on a flight from Seoul was heading to Anchorage and the military and civilian aviation authorities had good reason to believe it was hijacked.

Industry face post-SDSR questions at UK's DSEi

09/09/2011

Late last year, the UK armed forces were rocked by the effects of a Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) process overseen by a new coalition government determined to tackle a massive budget deficit head-on. Almost 12 months later, the defence industry will gather for its largest post-SDSR coming-together at the Defence & Security Equipment International show, or DSEi, which will be held in London's Docklands on 13-16 September.

Lockheed Martin Delivers Another Super Hercules To Dyess

09/09/2011

Lockheed Martin delivered the sixth C-130J Super Hercules to crews at Dyess Air Force Base (AFB), Texas, today. Lt. Gen. Robert Allardice, 18th Air Force Commander, accepted delivery of the sixth of 28 C-130Js to be assigned to the 317th Airlift Group.

India - Just One More To Go

09/09/2011

The fifth of six C-130J Super Hercules on order for the Indian Air Force has departed the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta. This aircraft, like its predecessors, was delivered well ahead of schedule and is now en route to Air Force Station Hindan in India. India’s sixth C-130J will be delivered in October.

Turkey launches jet trainer, fighter development studies

09/08/2011

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has received a development contract for a project to create an indigenous jet training and combat aircraft. According to the agreement between the company and Turkey's Undersecretariat for Defence Industries, Savunma Sanayii Müstesarligi (SSM), the two-year project will focus on showing the needs and capacity of the nation's industry.

With HAL overloaded, IAF turns to private sector

09/08/2011

The new Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal N A K Browne, has reached out to India’s fledgling private aerospace industry. Worried by the growing inability of public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to keep the IAF fleet flying, Browne has promised to back a private sector production line that will manufacture a replacement for the vintage HS-748 Avro transport aircraft. The private sector is needed, says the IAF chief, to back the air force’s major expansion.

Light Combat Aircraft naval variant may take maiden flight in 2 months

09/08/2011

The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) programme is expected to see a series of maiden flights in the next few months. Three aircraft from the LCA stable, the Limited Series Production (LSP-7 and LSP-8) and the naval variant of the aircraft, Naval Prototype-1 (NP-1) will take to the skies.

Over 300 Sukhoi-30, Tejas aircraft at a cost of Rs 64,408 cr to be inducted into IAF

09/08/2011

India will procure over 300 Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets and Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) at a total cost of Rs 64,408 crore to strengthen the combat capability of the IAF, the government said today. Replying to a question on procurement of combat aircraft in the Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "Su-30 MKI aircraft and Tejas LCA are the major modern combat aircraft that have been contracted for induction into the Indian Air Force."

The £1.5m fuel mix-up: RAF admits filling its helicopters with ANTI-FREEZE

09/08/2011

As many a driver knows to their cost, putting the wrong thing in your petrol tank at the local garage is an embarrassing business. But when it's military aircraft you're dealing with instead of a Ford Focus - such a mistake can be very expensive indeed. That's what red-faced air chiefs have discovered after de-icer was wrongly added to £1.5million of aviation fuel – rendering it unusable.

Free for a flight, Langley's Raptors perform well

09/08/2011

It is bit of a trick question: It happened last week when 28 of the fighter jets took off from Langley Air Force Base to avoid tangling with Hurricane Irene. But the experience was more than historical trivia for pilots of the 1st Fighter Wing, who have been unable to fly their aircraft since early May. The Air Force grounded its Raptor fleet on May 3, expressing initial concerns about its oxygen supply system, then expanding its examination to encompass the entire aircraft.

Enlisted in the World of Airborne Spying

09/08/2011

For four years, a doctor commuted between his clinics in Texas in a $5 million turboprop with jazzy metallic stripes and ruby stones embedded on the drink cabinet inside. The plane featured exotic wood veneers and polished chrome, and his daughter’s initials were in the tail number.

Iran begins testing military aircraft in war games

09/07/2011

Iran began testing its military aircraft in a first phase of war games on Tuesday, official news agency IRNA reported. During the 10-day war games, different types of Iranian aircraft - including the domestically manufactured Saeqeh (Thunderbolt) - will be tested.

Lockheed CEO eyes new F-16s for Taiwan

09/07/2011

Granting Taiwan's politically sensitive request for new F-16 fighter aircraft would merely maintain the island's air power capabilities, not boost them, the chief executive of Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), the plane's manufacturer, said on Tuesday.

Another MiG-21 crashes, pilot safe

09/07/2011

A MiG-21 ‘Bison’ fighter aircraft crashed into a paddy field on Tuesday near Shambu, about 15 km from Rajpura in Patiala district, during a routine sortie, while the pilot ejected to safety. The aircraft was on a routine sortie from Ambala airbase and the crash occurred at 10:30 am when it developed some snag while returning to the airbase from Rajpura side.