Military Aviation News Archive

Able to spot enemy aircraft 300 miles away, the Sentry plane is Britain's eye in the sky

09/04/2011

With an unmistakeable 30ft radar dish bolted to the top of its fuselage, it can pick out enemy fighters 300 miles away.

9/11: A fighter pilot recounts a sobering mission

09/03/2011

As Major Dan Caine climbed into his F-16 fighter jet on September 11, he saw black smoke rising from the Pentagon in the distance and braced himself for a mission he never expected: shoot down hijacked airliners heading towards the capital.

Republican Senator Attacks Purchase of More Super Hornets

09/03/2011

You know the budget wars are heating up when a senior U.S. Republican senator starts attacking weapons programs important to other legislators in his own party. That’s what happened yesterday, when Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss assailed Pentagon purchases of Boeing’s carrier-based F/A-18 Super Hornet, saying the plane is “obsolete” and “will be of limited to no value in any future threat scenario.”

Fight's on for M'sia's next combat aircraft

09/03/2011

As Malaysia scouts for fifth-generation replacement jet fighters for its ageing fleet, at least five contenders are bidding to be part of this ambitious programme, worth billions of ringgit. France's Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the United States' Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Europe's Eurofighter Typhoon, the Swedish JAS-39 Gripen and the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E are reportedly the top contenders for the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) new-generation front-line fighters.

Mexican public warming to US military aid in drug war?

09/03/2011

Since the days of the Mexican-American War, US intentions south of the border are regarded with the highest degrees of suspicion. Today, as Mexico struggles under a barrage of violence related to drug trafficking, the idea of American military assistance is anathema to the public.

China’s Military Modernizes, Stays Focused on Taiwan

09/03/2011

The first publicly observed flight of the Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter in January and the more recent emergence of the ex-Soviet Varyag aircraft carrier demonstrate China’s progress toward becoming a modern military power by 2020. But China’s ability to project force outside the region remains limited in the near term, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) advises in its annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments.

Army orders armed, man-portable drone

09/03/2011

An armed, unmanned aerial vehicle that can be carried in a backpack has been ordered by the U.S. Army from AeroVironment Inc. The Switchblade air vehicle launches from a small tube and transmits live color video wirelessly for display on AeroVironment's standard small unmanned aircraft system ground control unit. Upon confirming the target using the live video feed, the operator then sends a command to the air vehicle to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target.

Lockheed Stealth Jet May Win Japan Deal

09/02/2011

Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT), the world’s largest defense company, is counting on stealth technology to beat Boeing Co. (BA) and Eurofighter GmbH in a Japanese fighter contest that may be worth more than $4 billion.

Czech army to give ammunition to Afghan police

09/02/2011

The Czech Republic will give 2000 redundant magazines for SA58 assault rifles to the Afghan police, under a proposal that the Czech government approved on Wednesday. The Czech military does not need the magazines because it started replacing the SA58s with new assault rifles. The Defence Ministry reacted to a request from NATO and Afghanistan to help develop the Afghan police forces.

Final Batch of Refurbished F-16s on their Way to Chile

09/01/2011

The delivery of refurbished Dutch surplus F-16 fighter aircraft to Chile is nearing its end as the final aircraft left the Dutch Volkel Air Base on Monday, 29 August 2011. This batch of six aircraft from a total of 18 fighters marks the end of a long transfer process, as agreed between the governments of the Netherlands and Chile in early June 2009. On Monday, five aircraft took off from their former home base; one straggler, which could not leave on time, followed the next day.

U.S., Iraq talking but no F-16 deal yet

09/01/2011

Washington and Baghdad have made significant progress on a deal for Iraq to buy Lockheed Martin F-16 warplanes but do not have a signed contract, a U.S. military official said on Wednesday. The Iraqi government in February delayed its planned purchase of F-16s and diverted $900 million set aside for an initial payment on the aircraft into its national food ration programme to help ease shortages and cool nationwide protests.

Bell Boeing Receives Order for New and Upgraded CV-22 Training Devices

09/01/2011

The Bell Boeing V-22 Program, a strategic alliance between The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Bell Helicopter – Textron [NYSE: TXT], has received a $34 million order from the U.S. Air Force for three new CV-22 training devices and an upgrade to an existing device.

Lightning Strikes Twice: Two F-35s Arrive at Eglin Air Force Base

09/01/2011

Two Lockheed Martin F-35As, AF-10 and AF-11, along with two F-16 chase aircraft, are poised for takeoff to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Wednesday morning.

Libyan rebels use UAV to locate Gaddafi forces

09/01/2011

Rebel forces in Libya making the final push to end the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have been making use of modern UAV technology. According to the US-based AUVSI, the rebels have been using Canadian technology to help them know where to shoot as they surrounded Gadaffi’s compound and hometown stronghold.

South Korea appears closer to Indonesia sub export deal

08/31/2011

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin is to visit Indonesia early next month to seal a US$1 billion deal that would result in South Korea's first submarine exports. If the deal is secured, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine, which is likely to be chosen as the preferred bidder by the Indonesian government, will sign a memorandum of understanding to sell three 1,400-ton submarines to the Southeast Asian country, ministry officials said.

Hungary Puts Russian-Made Fighter Jets Up for Sale

08/31/2011

If you ever dreamt about owning your own fighter jet, here’s your chance. Hungary’s defense ministry is selling off eight of its MIG-29 planes. Hungary’s government has decided that it would part with the 24 planes to raise cash after they were retired from active duty. The deadline for bids for the first stage of the sales involving eight planes and 20 thrusters is Sept. 15. The jets will be sold off in a one-round public tender to be concluded in October.

Kyrgyzstan official: US to leave Manas air base by 2014

08/31/2011

A US lease to operate military aircraft from Kyrgyzstan's Manas air base will expire in 2013 and Bishkek won't renew it, a senior Kyrgyzstan official said Tuesday. 'It should be a civilian transportation hub,' said Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev in an interview with Russia 24 television. 'There shouldn't be any kind of military base there.' The Kyrgyzstan government has already communicated to Washington its intention not to renew the air base lease, Atambaev said.

Netherlands sells off aircraft

08/31/2011

Five F-16 fighters from the Netherlands are on their way to Chile as the government continues to cut expenditures. The planes, which departed Monday from Volkel Air Base, are part of a 2009 sales agreement between the two countries. The Dutch Ministry of Defense said the first two batches of F-16s - totaling 12 aircraft in all -- were delivered in November 2010 and in April of this year.

Lithuanian L-39 crashes after collision with French Mirage

08/31/2011

NATO's air policing mission for the Baltic states has suffered its first major mishap, with two aircraft involved in a mid-air collision on 30 August. The Lithuanian defence ministry confirmed one of its Aero Vodochody L-39ZA trainer/light attack aircraft was involved in the incident, along with a French air force Dassault Mirage 2000 fighter.

U.S. yet to decide F-16 C/D sales to Taiwan: official

08/30/2011

(CNA) The United States is still mulling the sale of its advanced F-16 C/D jet fighters to Taiwan and has yet to make a decision, Taiwan's deputy representative to the U.S. said Thursday. Leo Lee, deputy head of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington D.C., said the U.S. government is serious about its promise to Taiwan in the Taiwan Relations Act, and that the door on arms sales "has always been open."

Sales of Raytheon's APG-79 AESA Radar Support New and Upgraded Super Hornets

08/30/2011

The APG-79(V) multimode radar supports both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions and features active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology. In May 2011, Boeing awarded Raytheon a contract for 42 radars in the second procurement of the four-year Multi-Year III program for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.

The Revolution In Unmanned Aircraft Is Overrated

08/30/2011

In the ten years since the 9-11 attacks, remotely-piloted aircraft have become the signature weapons of America’s global war on terrorists. As Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group aerospace consultancy observes in his August newsletter, the only stories concerning military aircraft that seem to make it into the news columns of most newspapers these days are reports about unmanned aircraft.

Libya: A Small War With Big Consequences

08/30/2011

Compared to the West’s military interventions in the Gulf, Afghanistan or the Balkans, the war in Libya was a modest affair, with the engagement of about 100 combat aircraft and a baker’s dozen of attack helicopters.

Prince Harry to train in U.S. as Apache pilot

08/30/2011

Price Harry of Wales, who is an accomplished combat helicopter pilot, will undergo training at two U.S. military bases in California as part of an Apache attack helicopter course.

China military has Taiwan in its sights

08/29/2011

A major new Pentagon report on the Chinese military says China is on track to build a modern military by 2020 and that despite improvements in relations across the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan remains the principal focus of the Chinese military. Fueled by its booming economy, China’s military growth in the past decade has exceeded most US forecasts.