May 16, 2015 Military Aviation News

Turkish jets shoot down Syria aircraft

05/16/2015

Turkish military jets shot down a Syrian aircraft after it violated Turkey's airspace on Saturday, media reported. It was not immediately clear what kind of aircraft was shot down. Turkey's NTV news channel said it came down in Syrian territory. A Turkish military official confirmed that two F-16 fighters flying out of the Incirlik base in southern Turkey had opened fire, but was unable to give any details about the target.

RAF jets scrambled to intercept Russian bombers

05/16/2015

A number of RAF jets have been scrambled to intercept two Russian long-range bombers off northern Scotland, the latest in a series of provocative operations by the country's air force. As tensions between Nato and Russia have worsened over the Ukraine crisis, Moscow has significantly increased the number of military flights probing Nato airspace. The number of interceptions over the Baltic States trebled last year and Nato members including Britain have stepped up air policing support.

NATO chief says Turkey to lead rapid response force

05/16/2015

Speaking to reporters after a two-day summit of foreign ministers of NATO countries in the southern city of Antalya on Thursday, Stoltenberg said he welcomed Turkey's decision to take part in forming a spearhead unit as part of the high readiness force. Allies decided to enhance the NATO Response Force (NRF) in 2014 by creating a “spearhead force” within it, known as the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).

What if the World’s Most Expensive Fighter Planes Can’t Defeat Our Enemies?

05/16/2015

Take the new F-22 fighter. It’s the most expensive fighter in the air today, but as a recent story in The National Interest by long-time United States Naval Institute writer Dave Majumdar points out, even its missiles will have a hard time getting past the ability of Russia’s truly fearsome Su-35S Flanker E to jam radars and other sensors.

Australia considering hosting US Air Force airplanes, military analyst says

05/16/2015

A top military analyst believes Australia and the US may be holding discussions about hosting the supersonic B1 bomber in northern Australia, where it could threaten Chinese ships menacing US allies in the South China Sea. The Pentagon on Friday was forced to contradict one of its own top officials who said the US would be "placing additional Air Force assets in Australia … including B-1 bombers and surveillance aircraft".

U.S., China set for high-stakes rivalry in skies above South China Sea

05/16/2015

When the U.S. navy sent a littoral combat ship on its first patrol of the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea during the past week, it was watching the skies as well. The USS Fort Worth, one of the most modern ships in the U.S. navy, dispatched a reconnaissance drone and a Seahawk helicopter to patrol the airspace, according to a little-noticed statement on the navy's website.

U.S. 'expedites' weapons shipments to Iraq in wake of ISIS advances

05/16/2015

The U.S. is "expediting" weapons shipments to Iraq in light of the ISIS advances in Ramadi, Vice President Joe Biden told Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in a telephone call on Friday. The announcement from the White House comes on the heels of a flurry of new airstrikes against ISIS, also known as ISIL, as Iraqi forces desperately try to hold the key city, the capital of the key Anbar province.

No sign of survivors amid wreckage of U.S. Marine chopper in Nepal

05/16/2015

The wreckage of a Marine helicopter from Camp Pendleton missing in Nepal since Tuesday has been found and there are no apparent survivors, the U.S. military said Friday. Six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers were aboard the UH-1Y Huey when it disappeared while on a relief mission after a pair of earthquakes in the mountainous nation.

Russia Close to Signing Arms Deals in Latin America

05/16/2015

According to deputy director from the Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Russia plans to sign a number of contracts with countries in Latin America this year on the purchases of arms and military equipment.

US-Led Coalition Launches 24 Airstrikes Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq

05/16/2015

The US-led Coalition comprises some 60 nations that began carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq in August 2014, and expanded the air campaign to Syria in September 2014, albeit without the approval of the Syrian government. In Syria, the Coalition struck the militants’ fighting positions, light vehicles, tanks and tactical units.

All Articles