Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Germany offers India joint defence production for third-party sale

12/07/2010

New Delhi, Dec 6 Pitching hard to grab lucrative defence deals worth billions of dollars, Germany Monday said it has offered India provisions for forgoing an end user monitoring agreement and transfer of technology in joint production of military hardware for third-party sale in future.

Lockheed Martin set to deliver India's first C-130J

12/07/2010

The Indian air force's first of six Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports will be handed over to the US Air Force on 16 December, ahead of its delivery to the nation in late January.

Boeing Receives US Army Contract for Tactical Intelligence Aircraft

12/07/2010

Boeing today announced that it has received a two-year engineering and manufacturing development contract for the Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) from the U.S. Army. EMARSS is a manned, airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system.

Mi-38 helicopter production to begin in 2013

12/03/2010

Russian Helicopters will start production of its new Mi-38 utility transport helicopter in 2013, after resolving engine supply problems with Canadian supplier Pratt & Whitney Canada, Russian state-owned rotorcraft builder Russian Helicopters said on Thursday.

Boeing Marks Retirement of Royal Australian Air Force F-111 Fleet

12/03/2010

The Boeing Company will bid a fond farewell to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-111 strike fighters that the company has supported for more than 14 years when the fleet is retired on Dec. 3.

First Deployment with Air National Guard Increases Sniper® Pod Presence in Combat Operations

12/03/2010

The South Carolina Air National Guard recently returned from a combat deployment utilizing Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Sniper pods on the F-16 Fighting Falcon. This marks the first time Sniper pods have been used in combat by an Air National Guard unit.

Republic Of Korea Selects Lockheed Martin’s Proven C-130J Super Hercules For New Airlift Fleet

12/03/2010

Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with the Republic of Korea to provide the nation four C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.

India conducts BrahMos cruise missile test

12/02/2010

India successfully test-fired a BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a military base in the northeastern coastal state of Orissa on Thursday, the Press Trust of India (PTI) said.

EADS confident A400M will be a success

12/02/2010

European defense giant EADS is confident it can turn around its troubled Airbus A400 military transporter program by selling up to 500 of the planes.

Argentina Seeks Aviation Revival At State Aircraft Maker

12/02/2010

Following decades of decline, Argentina hopes to recover some of its past glory in the aviation industry as state-run aircraft maker Fabrica Argentina de Aviones SA looks to carve out a niche in the civilian and military markets.

BAE Systems to Provide Laser Warning Sensors to Protect U.S. Military Aircraft

12/02/2010

BAE Systems will provide laser warning sensor sets to protect U.S. military aircraft under a $17.7 million contract by Alliant Techsystems.

Army aviation to remain part of Russian Air Force

12/02/2010

Army aviation was an arm of the Ground Forces prior to becoming part of the Air Force in 2003. The possible return of army aviation assets to the Ground Forces has been one of the main discussion topics during the ongoing military reform in Russia.

Russian Air Force to procure 1,500 new aircraft by 2020

12/02/2010

The Russian Air Force will procure over 1,500 new aircraft and significantly increase the number of high-precision weapons in its arsenal by 2020, a deputy Air Force commander said on Wednesday.

Russian arms unlikely to bolster Lebanon

12/01/2010

Russia has offered to give Lebanon a free arsenal of weapons, including helicopter gunships and tanks, amid U.S. unease about providing arms to a country on Israel's doorstep in which the Iranian-backed Hezbollah is the most powerful force.

Digital close air support improvements on the way

12/01/2010

Airmen on the ground whose mission is to help deliver close air support will soon receive a set of tools that will help them do their jobs better while lightening the loads they're required to carry.

Tejas test-fires missile successfully

12/01/2010

Preparing for the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC), the Light Combat Aircraft, ‘Tejas,' on Tuesday conducted its last phase of flight trials by successfully test-firing air-to-air close combat missile at Goa.

Final AW159 Lynx Wildcat Test Aircraft Makes Its Maiden Flight

11/30/2010

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that the third and final AW159 test aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight on November 19th at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility in the UK. During its maiden flight a range of general handling checks were completed and it performed as expected.

Saudi Arabia National Guard to launch air wing with $25bn helicopter purchase

11/30/2010

Saudi Arabia's National Guard (SANG) is to be a key beneficiary of the mega arms deal with the USA and will directly lead to the creation of a new air arm.

UK Government underlines strong support for the Eurofighter Typhoon Campaign in India

11/30/2010

UK's Secretary of State for Defence Dr. Liam Fox visited the Eurofighter Typhoon Office in New Delhi today and met high-level company officials. Bernhard Gerwert, CEO of Cassidian Air Systems and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Eurofighter GmbH, briefed Dr. Liam Fox on the current status of the Eurofighter Typhoon campaign to win India’s tender for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA).

S. Korea, U.S. to hold maritime interdiction, aerial interception drills

11/30/2010

South Korea and the United States plan to stage maritime interdiction and aerial interception drills Tuesday on the third day of major naval exercises in the Yellow Sea aimed at warning North Korea against any future provocations, military officials here said.

Dogfight Erupts Over Costly Jet Engine .

11/30/2010

At stake is a program to develop an alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter, a stealthy, supersonic jet supposed to be the backbone of the U.S. fighter fleet for the next three decades. For the past four years, Congress has funded the development of the second engine against the wishes of the Pentagon, which maintains that only a Pratt & Whitney engine should be funded.

Army unit flies new unmanned aircraft in Iraq

11/29/2010

An Army unit deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq, is shaping the future of the Army’s unmanned aircraft systems program with a handful of its newest aircraft, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle.

Maintenance, security needs will cause fighter jet costs to soar

11/29/2010

Canada's new stealth fighter aircraft will require extensive maintenance, as well as very expensive changes to improve security at the military bases they operate from, according to Defence Department documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.

Fightercraft makers battle for lucrative Turkish market

11/29/2010

The playing field, however, is unequal as Turkey has already selected the JSF as its next fighter aircraft type and plans to buy about 100 F-35 aircraft worth nearly $15 billion. Many Turkish companies are members of the nine-nation JSF consortium and are producing parts for the aircraft.

S. Korea, U.S. start naval drills near N. Korean border

11/29/2010

South Korea and the United States began on Sunday large-scale joint naval exercises in the Yellow Sea just days after North Korea's artillery attack on a South Korean island that killed four people, the Yonhap news agency said.