Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Israel’s Elbit inks four aircraft technology contracts with Romania

03/18/2023

Elbit Systems has signed four contracts with the Romanian military to upgrade helicopters, provide electronic warfare technology, deliver systems to support search and rescue operations, and supply avionics suites for training aircraft. Tuesday’s announcement comes after the Israeli firm inked two other deals with European costumers in early March, one of which was to supply Romania with unmanned turrets, remote weapon stations and mortar systems.

Russia threatens to destroy Ukraine jets after Poland and Slovakia pledges

03/18/2023

Russia has threatened to destroy any fighter jets given to Ukraine by its allies, after two countries promised planes. Slovakia became the second Nato country to pledge Kyiv some MiG-29 aircraft on Friday, a day after Poland. Slovakia's fleet was grounded last year and it no longer uses the jets.

The Air Force Wants to Kill the U-2. A Secret Spy Drone May Be Waiting in the Shadows.

03/17/2023

The U.S. Air Force may be ditching its aging U-2 spy plane in favor of a mysterious drone. The U-2 is heading for retirement by 2026 due to budget concerns, according to a new report. While no replacement for the iconic U-2 Dragon Lady has officially been named, one likely candidate is the classified Northrop Grumman RQ-180 stealth drone, about which little is known.

F-15E Strike Eagle Fleet To Be Slashed By Over Half: Report

03/17/2023

The U.S. Air Force is looking to cut the already relatively small size of its F-15E Strike Eagle fleet by around 54 percent before the end of the decade, according to a recent report. This comes despite the service's F-15Es being some of, if not its most in-demand tactical jets thanks to their highly-desirable blend of speed, range, payload capacity, crew size, and other capabilities.

Fifth gen fighters debut in the Philippines during bilateral integration

03/17/2023

U.S. Air Force F-22A Raptors from the 525th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson, Alaska, with support from a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, traveled to Clark Air Base, Philippines, to integrate and train with Philippine Air Force 5th Fighter Wing counterparts, March 13-14, 2023.

Poland to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine in major escalation of military backing

03/17/2023

Poland will become the first country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine in the next few days, marking a significant upward step in military backing for Kyiv ahead of an expected counter-offensive. The precedent, involving four Soviet-era MiG-29s as a first instalment, could lead to other Nato members providing warplanes, a longstanding Ukrainian request.

Taiwan tracks 28 Chinese military aircraft, 4 naval ships around nation

03/16/2023

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) tracked 28 Chinese military aircraft and four naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. on Tuesday (March 14) and 6 a.m. on Wednesday (March 15). Of the 28 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 16 were tracked in Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ), according to the MND. Four Shenyang J-11 jet fighters, two Shenyang J-16 fighter jets, and two Chengdu J-10 fighter jets crossed the Taiwan Strait median line.

Ukraine forces shoot down Russian combat aircraft near Bakhmut

03/16/2023

Ukrainian forces reportedly shoot down a Russian combat aircraft near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. According to the military, Ukrainian Soldiers have shot down a Russian Su-24 Fencer two-seat strike jet. The footage shows a Russian aircraft crashing down to the ground in flames and one of the pilots was seen just after ejecting.

Hypersonic Fighter Jet Could Be A Reality For US Air Force; Lockheed ‘Teases’ With A Cryptic Tweet

03/16/2023

Top Gun: Maverick was the second highest-grossing film of 2022, scoring a magnificent total of six Academy Award nominations this year. To mark the occasion of Maverick’s Oscar nomination success, Lockheed Martin, whose Skunk Works division worked with the filmmakers on the fictional “Darkstar” hypersonic aircraft, put out a series of tweets in the lead-up to the ceremony

Brown: Air Force Subtracting A-10 from ‘4+1’ Fighter Plan

03/16/2023

With Congress starting to go along with the Air Force’s wish to retire its aging A-10 fleet, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.’s “4+1” fighter plan of two years ago is “probably just ‘4’ now,” he said March 15. “We’re retiring A-10s faster than we originally thought”, Brown said at the annual McAleese defense forum in Washington, D.C. “I think that’s probably the right answer.”

RAF and German jets intercept Russian aircraft near Estonian airspace

03/15/2023

The two Typhoons were scrambled on Tuesday to intercept an Il-78 Midas refuelling plane flying between St Petersburg and Kaliningrad. The plane had failed to communicate with air traffic control in Estonia. The British and German air forces are currently conducting planned joint Nato air policing in the region.

Lockheed Martin’s new F-16s will operate to 2060

03/15/2023

With age comes reliance – at least that is what the old American prime, Lockheed Martin, is telling us with its new F-16 Block 70 combat aircraft. New production of the F-16s leverage structural and capability upgrades that “ensure the international F-16 fleet can operate to 2060 and beyond” according to the original equipment manufacturer.

Pakistan team sent to Myanmar to repair combat aircraft

03/15/2023

Pakistan Air Force has sent a technical team for repair and maintenance of Myanmar's JF-17 combat aircraft, a move that will help upgrade their defence partnership. This comes as Myanmar Air Force officials are visiting Pakistan for a six-month training course on maintenance of JF-17, ET has learnt.

US endorses Poland's decision to give Ukraine MiG combat aircraft

03/15/2023

John Kirby, US National Security Council spokesman, has said that the White House supports Poland's decision to provide Ukraine with MiG fighter jets that Kyiv has been asking from its Western partners. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland would be able to give Ukraine the aircraft within four to six weeks.

US Navy’s ‘Highly Secretive’ F/A-XX Fighter Jet Could Be Deployed By 2030-35 That Will Replace Super Hornets

03/15/2023

In what could be seen as a stark departure from its traditional practice, the US Navy’s proposed budget for the 2024 Fiscal Year includes almost $1.53 billion for developing a Next-Generation Fighter aircraft, popularly known as the F/A-XX. The US Department of Navy officially published its budget proposal for the fiscal year 2024 on March 13, including budget requests for the US Marine Corps.

Russian jet collides with US drone over Black Sea

03/14/2023

A Russian fighter jet has collided with a US drone, causing the unmanned aircraft to crash into the Black Sea, the American military says. It says the drone was on a routine mission in international airspace when two Russian jets tried to intercept it. The US European command said the crash was the result of an "unprofessional act by the Russians".

Ukrainian pilots are calling the US Air Force for tips on using US-made missiles and bombs

03/14/2023

Since Russia attacked Ukraine last year, US airmen have been on the phone with their Ukrainian counterparts, discussing ways to operate against Russian forces and how to use US-made weapons, US Air Force officials said this month. While Russia has some aerial advantages, both sides have effective air-defense systems that have kept the other from gaining air superiority, but Ukraine's air force continues to receive US-made weapons that allow it to strike valuable targets.

Chinese fighter J-10C is a contender to replace the American F-16

03/14/2023

Hidden from the eyes of the general public, an impending decision could rewrite history. Perhaps for the first time, a Chinese fighter will be chosen over an American one. Such a decision, however, will not be because of the indicators of the two destroyers, but because of political, including budgetary differences.

US Air Force pursues major aircraft retirements in 2024

03/14/2023

The Air Force wants to retire 310 aircraft, including 42 A-10 Warthogs, as part of its fiscal 2024 budget to free up money for its modernization programs. The proposed FY24 budget calls for buying 72 fighters — 48 Lockheed Martin-made F-35As and 24 Boeing F-15EX Eagle IIs — and spending more on the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the Boeing E-7A battle management and command-and-control aircraft.

KAI Unveils First ‘Gap-Filler’ Light Fighter for Poland

03/13/2023

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has unveiled the first FA-50 light fighter/attack aircraft for Poland. The East European nation signed for 48 FA-50s in July 2022, making the first down-payment in November. Under a $705 million contract KAI is delivering a batch of 12 aircraft that it had been manufacturing for the Republic of Korea Air Force in order to kick-start the Polish air force’s replacement program for its aging and difficult-to-support MiG-29s and Sukhoi Su-22Ms.

Teal Group: Chinese military aircraft getting better up to a point

03/13/2023

Chinese aircraft are a mixed story. Historically, the country has operated and sold a variety of legacy aircraft that can be charitably termed “inadequate”. But in recent years, this has been changing, with considerable resources provided to create a series of fourth and fifth generation aircraft.

Bahrain becomes first country to receive F-16 Block 70 aircraft

03/13/2023

Bahrain on Sunday received the first aircraft of the advanced F-16 Block 70, becoming the first nation in the world to get the combat jet. According to the state news agency BNA, the Royal Bahraini Air Force has been handed over the first F-16 Block 70 fighter jet. A handover ceremony was held at the Lockheed Martin headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina.

Türkiye not without options on F-16 fighter jets: Defense chief

03/13/2023

Türkiye on Sunday reiterated its frustration over the prolonged process of its request to acquire F-16 fighter jets from the United States, again signaling it could look elsewhere in case Washington fails to provide it with the warplanes. “We want everyone to know that we are not desperate in this matter; we have options in our hands,” Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, stressing they were waiting for approval by the U.S. Congress and that “there is a constructive environment in general.”

Anti-Russia Guerrillas in Belarus Take on 'Two-Headed Enemy'

03/12/2023

After Russia invaded Ukraine, guerrillas from Belarus began carrying out acts of sabotage on their country's railways, including blowing up track equipment to paralyze the rails that Russian forces used to get troops and weapons into Ukraine. In the most recent sabotage to make international headlines, they attacked a Russian warplane parked just outside the Belarusian capital.

Ukraine ‘Unleashes’ US-Made JDAM Smart Bomb For The Very 1st Time; Aims To Integrate With MiG-29 Fighters

03/12/2023

The military-political expert and advisor to the acting DPR leader, Yan Gagin, told TASS news agency on March 10 that the Ukrainian military dropped a JDAM bomb on the area of Kurdyumovka near the Bakhmut region of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) to test the viability of employing it from Soviet-made aircraft. Gagin told the media, “These are air- launched bombs. Originally, they were made for NATO aircraft. Ukraine has no such aircraft. This could have been a combat test with a non-standar