February 03, 2016 Military Aviation News
02/03/2016
A SENIOR Pentagon official has slammed the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet, saying it could not win a dogfight against an older jet, could not meet its test and evaluation deadlines, and could not fly unsupported against a threat.
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02/03/2016
Iraq began receiving its own F-16IQ fighters in 2014 and now has over ten of them regularly in action. To support this effort Iraq recently ordered nearly two billion dollars’ worth of missiles and smart bombs for their F-16s as well as some useful accessories. Iraq bought nearly 20,000 bombs, but only enough laser guidance tail kits for half of them. Most of the bombs were 227 kg (500 pound) types with about a quarter of them being 908 kg.
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02/03/2016
The dawn of the combat laser era might begin in 2021 when the US air force hopes to begin demonstrations of a podded electric laser system for fifth and sixth-generation fighter jets that can destroy incoming missiles, not just steer them off course.
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02/03/2016
Two Chinese military aircraft flew into South Korean and Japanese airspace, and Japan's Self-Defense Force fighter jets scrambled to intercept the planes. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff stated the two combat planes entered the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone, or KADIZ, on Sunday, Yonhap reported. Kyodo News reported the aircraft were the Shaanxi Y-9 – a medium-size plane capable of transporting 25 tons of cargo.
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02/03/2016
The Indian Air Force’s quick fix solution for its fighter crunch is to crank up production of the Su-30 MKI – the backbone of its combat fleet. India had initially contracted with Russia for 272 Sukhois, but that number will in all probability cross 300 by 2019. With multiple squadrons of older MiG-21 interceptors and MiG-27 ground attack jets being retired in quick succession, the IAF fighter fleet is set to decline to a low of 32 squadrons – or around 576 aircraft.
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02/03/2016
One plane has two powerful jet engines with afterburners, flies at almost 2,000 mph, can soar more than 12 miles above the earth, and has 34 air combat victories in Operation Desert Storm. The other hums along at 150 mph, powered by a six-piston engine and a two-bladed propeller. It can't get much higher than 3 miles above the ground. It's more suited to carry your grandma than a gun.
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02/03/2016
The Pentagon is developiong a repurposed “arsenal plane” that would carry large volumes of bombs and missiles into battle alongside modern combat aircraft like the Lockheed Martin F-35. The Department of Defense (DOD) is also investing in “fast, resilient mircodrones” that can launch from fighter jets travelling at Mach 0.9 and fly through strong crosswinds.
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02/03/2016
Michael Dickens and Julian Lopez can't fly the Air Force's most advanced fighter jet, but the F-22 Raptor wouldn't have much of a bite without them. Airman 1st Class Lopez and Tech Sgt. Dickens are among the crews at Langley Air Force Base that keep the stealth fighter supplied with a lethal mix of bombs and missiles, plus a 20-millimeter multi-barrel cannon for close encounters.
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02/03/2016
Tensions between Russia and Turkey continue to escalate following the downing in November of a Russian Su-24 fighter jet that strayed into Turkish airspace. Questions are being raised now whether the two countries are heading for a military confrontation. A leading Turkish military expert told Al-Monitor that such a Russian move could spell disaster for Turkey.
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02/03/2016
Russia has sent its advanced, super-maneuverable Su-35S multirole fighters to Syria to test the brand-new aircraft in a combat environment for the first time ever; aviation experts explain what makes the warplanes so unique.
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