Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Brazil's Rousseff, mulling jet deal, touts defense

04/06/2011

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who is deliberating a multi-billion dollar jet fighter deal, on Tuesday defended the need to spend money on defense at a time when she is making big budget cuts in other areas. Rousseff's comments at a military ceremony in Brasilia are one of the clearest signs to date that she could move forward soon on a deal to buy at least 36 fighter jets from either U.S.-based Boeing (BA.N), France's Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA) or Sweden's Saab SAAB.ST.

'Jordanian fighters protecting aid mission'

04/06/2011

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh confirmed on Tuesday that Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) fighter aircraft landed in a European military base two days ago to protect the Jordanian humanitarian aircraft dispatched to Libya.

Russia delivers 2 combat helicopters to Peru

04/06/2011

Russia has delivered two Mi-35P Hind E attack helicopters to Peru under a contract to provide the South American country with air power to combat cocaine production and terrorism.

Boeing Delivers 2 F-15K Slam Eagles to the Republic of Korea

04/06/2011

The Boeing Company today announced that it delivered F-15K 47 and F-15K 48 to the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) at Daegu Air Base on March 15. The two F-15K Slam Eagles departed St. Louis on March 8 and made stops in Palmdale, Calif., Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and Anderson Air Force Base, Guam.

First five Rooivalk now in service

04/05/2011

The first five Denel Aviation Rooivalk Mark 1 combat support helicopters are now in service with 16 Squadron of the South African Air Force following the conclusion of a development and manufacturing programme dating back 27 years to March 1984. The cost of the programme, Project Impose, remains elusive but is said to have been over R8 billion by 2006.

US planes attack as US cuts back Libya mission

04/05/2011

U.S. Air Force and Marine attack planes struck targets in Libya on a stretch of Mediterranean coastline near the cities of Sirte and Brega on Monday, the final day of planned U.S. combat missions in the North African nation, U.S. officials said.

Boeing steps up military business in emerging markets

04/05/2011

Boeing, the world's largest aircraft maker, has a "historic window of opportunity" to boost its military business in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific as countries such as the UAE upgrade their defence systems, the company says. The aerospace giant is seeking to increase international defence sales within its overall defence business from 10 per cent last year to 25 per cent by 2013, at a time when it faces incremental growth in the US.

Dover Airmen support Operation Odyssey Dawn

04/05/2011

Three C-5M Super Galaxy aircrews from here delivered cargo March 23 to 27 in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn.

Lockheed Martin F-35 Flight Test Program Shows Progress In First Quarter

04/05/2011

Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II test jets made considerable flight test progress during the first quarter of 2011, conducting 199 test flights versus a plan of 142 flights. Additionally, the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variant logged six times more vertical landings in the first quarter than in all of 2010.

Britain mulls sending non-combat equipment to Libya

04/05/2011

Britain is considering supplying Libyan rebels with non-lethal equipment, Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Monday. "We are prepared to supply non-lethal equipment which will help with the protection of civilian lives and the delivery of humanitarian aid," Hague told the House of Commons.

Which fighter will the Indians choose?

04/04/2011

The competition for the multibillion-dollar contract to supply all-purpose fighter jets to the Indian Air Force is hotting up. America is making some strong moves, Europe is honing its lobbying potential, and Russia, too, is nursing hopes of winning.

Designers insist Tejas will belie all sceptical questioning

04/04/2011

In an exclusive interview with Business Standard, P Subramanyam, director of the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), which is developing the LCA and the AMCA, responded to IAF criticism that the Tejas was not yet a world-class fighter. He said the Tejas Mark-I, still being flight-tested, had been flown to just 85 per cent of its full capability. The Tejas Mark-II - in which a more powerful GE-414 engine will replace the current GE-404 engine -- would perform another 15 per cent better.

Selfridge Air Museum Soars into Open Season

04/04/2011

Instead of watching the A-10s and fighter jets roar above Macomb County skies, people can get an up-close and personal look at the Selfridge Military Air Museum. The museum held its grand opening Saturday afternoon and it will be open on weekends until the end of October, except for when the air show takes place in late August.

The billion dollar war

04/04/2011

Sitting aboard the USS Mount Whitney as it navigates the Mediterranean Sea, admiral Samuel J Locklear III waits for his phone to be connected to a press conference at the Pentagon during which he will update reporters on the operation in Libya.

Taiwan faces prospect of non-credible fighter capability within decade

04/04/2011

Taiwan’s airpower situation is deteriorating and replacement of its tactical aircraft is necessary, justified and not provocative, US Senator Richard Lugar told US Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton in a letter dated April 1.

UAE Air Force in action against pirates off Oman

04/04/2011

The UAE air force worked alongside the country's special forces yesterday to rescue ship from pirates off the coast of Oman.

All female crew make history in Afghanistan

04/04/2011

History was made in Afghanistan this week when on Wednesday a team of all-female flight crew took to the skies to provide close air support for coalition and Afghan ground forces, marking the first combat mission flown from Bagram to be planned, maintained and flown entirely by women.

Germany offers to donate jets to replace Croatia´s aged MIGs

04/03/2011

"The Ministry of Defence is doing everything in order to solve the question of Croatia’s air space protection by the end of the year," the minister said. Germany has offered to donate several of its F4 Phantom II jets to Croatia as free assistance to a fellow NATO state. Germany plans to get rid of 20 of its F4 jets by next year. Bozinovic did not comment on Germany’s offer.

Russians offer USD 3 billion credit for purchase of their jets

04/03/2011

Serbia Army has over a long period of time a problem with the Air Force since majority of jets are older than 20 years. The jets are mainly of MiG-21 type but there are also of MiG-29 type. At the beginning of 2010 Serbian Ministry of Defense sent to the USA requests for information for F-16 and F-18 jets, to Sweden for ‘Gripen’, France for ‘Rafal’, European Consortium for ‘Eurofighter’ and Russia for MiG-29M and Sukhoi 30.

Libya: Coalition air strike near Brega kills rebels

04/03/2011

At least 13 people are reported to have been killed when a coalition plane flying over Libya fired on a rebel convoy between Brega and Ajdabiya on Friday, the rebels say.

Ongoing feud between Gibraltar and Spain affects US military

04/03/2011

GIBRALTAR has been a sore point for Spain since it was muscled away by Britain nearly three centuries ago. One of the most recent examples of these tensions was the new agreement which came into force on February 1 and was published in the Official State Bulletin on Monday. It states that United States military aircraft that have Gibraltar airport as their origin or destination are prohibited from flying over Spanish airspace or make stops in its territory.

Libya mission

04/03/2011

Two weeks after a dark-of-night barrage of mostly U.S. missiles and bombs opened the international air assault on Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, the American combat role is ending, the ragtag rebels are reeling and the Pentagon is betting its European allies can finish the job.

‘No complications in the sale of Globemaster aircraft to IAF’

04/03/2011

A senior official of Boeing Military Aircraft brushed aside claims that complications had arisen in the proposed $5.8 billion sale of ten C-17 Globemaster-III transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force, and said that the global defence vendor expected the deal to close by mid-2011.

F-35 Promises Revolution In NATO Air Operations

04/02/2011

The current Libyan air operation may be the last of its kind. What I mean by this is an operation involving fourth-generation aircraft against Soviet-era defenses or single-digit surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). To date, the campaign has been as much an air show as combat operation with an array of fourth-generation fighters including the Rafale, Mirage 2000, Tornado, Typhoon, Harrier, F-16 and F-15E making an appearance. In some cases, such as the Tornado and Harrier, this is likely their victor

Initial Libya Mission Complete, Successful, Gates Says

04/02/2011

U.S. aircraft will remain on standby as NATO takes over multilateral operations in Libya and the coalition considers its future role there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told a Senate committee yesterday.