Military Aviation News Archive
04/27/2024
The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon, often compared to the F-16 due to its similar features, has its own unique design and capabilities. Although some sources suggest the J-10 was influenced by the Israeli IAI Lavi, China maintains it evolved from earlier Chengdu models like the J-9.
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04/27/2024
Sweden has tapped Saab to modernize the country’s Gripen C/D and Gripen E fighters under a 540-million-kronor ($50 million) contract. The operation and support of test aircraft and equipment such as rigs and simulators will be covered under the new agreement. The deal is part of a program that covers the aircraft’s major upgrades by the aerospace firm, which includes engine and electronic warfare system updates.
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04/26/2024
Swedish defence company Saab delivers its fourth GlobalEye aircraft to the UAE while securing an order for Gripen development resources. Saab has recently achieved milestones in reinforcing the United Arab Emirates (UAE) defence capabilities and the future potential of its Gripen aircraft system. Delivering the fourth GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the UAE marks a feat, highlighting Saab’s ability to provide defence solutions.
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04/26/2024
A statement by a former Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF, or Taiwan Air Force) commander about the incapability of its military to prevent a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) attack raised alarm bells among the island’s leadership.
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04/25/2024
On Thursday, April 25th, around 12:30 PM, the first six of a total of 12 multi-purpose combat aircraft Rafale will fly into the Republic of Croatia, to the "Colonel Marko Živkovic" barracks in Velika Gorica from the French Republic.
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04/25/2024
The United States and Royal Norwegian Air Forces have successfully conducted the first-ever unsupervised F-35 Lightning II cross-service operation, marking a significant milestone in fighter aircraft interoperability. The operation, which took place on April 8, 2024, saw Norwegian aircraft maintainers servicing two US fighter jets at Ørland Air Station in Norway, a development announced by the US Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa on April 22.
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04/25/2024
Anduril and General Atomics advance in USAF autonomous fighter programme Proposals from defence start-up Anduril and uncrewed aircraft pioneer General Atomics were selected from a pool of submissions by five aerospace manufacturers to develop autonomous fighter jets for the US Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme.
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04/25/2024
Ahead of the much-anticipated delivery of F-16 fighting falcons to Ukraine, Lithuania recently announced the transfer of an Aero Vodochody L-39ZA Albatros light strike jet to Ukraine. The Lithuanian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the delivery of the Aero Vodochody L-39ZA Albatros light strike jet on April 20. The MoD added that the transfer of the light attack aircraft was part of a larger military aid package for Ukraine. Lithuania has been a key military supplier to Kyiv in the ongoing wa
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04/24/2024
In 2020, the UAE's decision to normalize relations with Israel was seen as a step toward Middle East stability, but complications arose due to the UAE's desire to acquire the advanced F-35 fighter jet, challenging Israel's security doctrine of maintaining military superiority.
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04/24/2024
The U.S. Air Force is in the process of retiring its A-10 attack jet fleet, with plans to phase out 56 aircraft from its total fleet of 265 by fiscal 2028. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Secretary Kendall noted that at least one country has expressed some interest in obtaining the A-10s. However, there won’t be significant support for the aircraft once they’re out of the American inventory due to their age and lack of a support base.
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04/22/2024
Two Japanese navy helicopters carrying eight crew members crashed into the Pacific Ocean during a night-time training exercise after possibly colliding with each other, killing one person, the defence minister said on Sunday. The two SH-60 patrol helicopters were conducting antisubmarine exercises on Saturday night near Torishima in the remote Izu island group, off the southern coast of central Japan.
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04/22/2024
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 21 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Saturday (April 20) and 6 a.m. on Sunday (April 21). Of the 21 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 14 crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, according to the MND. Three entered the southwest corner of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) and two were detected in the northeast ADIZ.
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04/22/2024
Iran could receive its first Su-35 Flanker fighter jets from Russia as soon as next week, reports state-run media outlets. The timing of the delivery of advanced fighter jets is highly significant as it coincides with skyrocketing tensions between Tehran and Israel. While there is no mention of the number of jets making up the first shipment, Iran will reportedly receive at least 24 fighter jets in total, Forbes reports.
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04/21/2024
The House on Saturday passed military aid bills for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, more than six months after President Joe Biden initially submitted his massive foreign aid request to arm all three security partners. The roughly $95 billion package includes $48 billion in Ukraine security aid.
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04/21/2024
The announcement made by General Cartaxo in that interview implies that Portugal is ahead of Spain in the acquisition of a fifth generation fighter, since until now the Spanish government has not given any news indicating its possible intention to acquire the F-35, not even to replace the Harrier II of the Spanish Navy, for which there is no other possible substitute on the market at present.
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04/21/2024
In a new episode in the Baltic Sea region, Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighters, as part of their Air Policing Mission, conducted the interception of two aircraft from the Russian Aerospace Forces. This new incident was reported by NATO’s Air Command, adding to the long list of similar episodes recorded between combat aircraft of NATO members and Russian forces.
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04/20/2024
Ukrainian anti-aircraft units shot down a Russian Tu-22M3 bomber for the first time, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said on April 19. The Tu-22M3 bomber crashed in Russia's Stavropol Krai on the morning of April 19, just after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
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04/20/2024
Nigeria will take delivery of the first six of 24 Italian M-346 light fighter-trainer aircraft it has ordered by year end, the country’s Air Force has said. Originally manufactured by Italy’s Leonardo as a twin-seater jet trainer, the M-346 has been acquired by Nigeria in its more recent, armed M-346FA fighter format.
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04/20/2024
The Netherlands has delivered three more F-16 Fighting Falcons to Bucharest as part of a multinational flight training cooperation for Ukrainian pilots in Romania. The mission supports allied forces in preparing Kyiv’s aircrews as they transition from Soviet-era aircraft to F-16s amid Russia’s invasion. For the latest delivery, the three Dutch planes were accompanied by two Romanian F16s to a European Flight Training Center developed in partnership with Lockheed Martin.
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04/20/2024
The F-16 Fighting Falcon, a cornerstone of U.S. Air Force capabilities since its introduction in 1979, has evolved from a supporting air superiority fighter to a versatile multi-role fighter. Designed to complement the heavier F-15 Eagle, the F-16 has proven its adaptability and effectiveness in various combat roles, notably during Operation Desert Storm.
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04/20/2024
Indian state-owned aerospace company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received a request for proposal from the Ministry of Defence for 97 light fighters, setting up the largest-ever order for the aircraft. The company’s Tejas fighters – also known as Light Combat Aircraft, or LCA – are critical to the Indian Air Force, as the service currently has only 31 fighter squadrons compared to a mandated level of 42.
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04/19/2024
A Kenyan military aircraft has crashed, a government spokesperson said on Thursday. A police source who asked not to be named said five soldiers died when the chopper crashed in western Kenya on Thursday afternoon and three other passengers survived. The injured soldiers have been taken to hospital, the source said.
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04/19/2024
Portuguese F-16 fighter jets participating in NATO’s Baltic Air Policing have escorted two Russian military aircraft flying close to the alliance’s airspace. The F-16 planes scrambled from the Combined Air Operations Centre at Uedem in western Germany for their first intercept during their seventh deployment to the mission.
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04/19/2024
The Pentagon’s secretive technology development agency has for the first time pitted an artificial intelligence (AI) agent against a human fighter pilot in air combat drills. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), working with the US Air Force (USAF) test pilot school, calls the tests a breakthrough in the efforts to automate close-range fighter manoeuvres and combat aviation more broadly.
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04/19/2024
Explosions were reported in Isfahan, about four hours drive or 350km (217 miles) south of Iran's capital, Tehran. As we've reported, Isfahan is home to a major military air base and several Iranian nuclear sites are in the province- including the city of Natanz, a centerpiece of Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
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