Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Media Reports Say Finland Is Open To Providing Fighter Jets To Ukraine

03/12/2023

Media in Finland have reported that Prime Minister Sanna Marin is prepared to discuss providing U.S.-made fighter jets to Ukraine. Marin, who visited Kyiv on March 10, said Helsinki plans to purchase 64 modern F-35A fighters to replace 62 Hornet fighters. The Hornets could be provided to Ukraine, Marin has said, although she noted that discussions are at a preliminary stage.

F-22 Raptors Rearmed in Demonstration of ACE Capabilities

03/11/2023

Hawaii - Total-Force weapons specialists from 154th and 15th wings rearmed F-22 Raptors at the Pacific Missile Range Facility for the first time March 8-9, demonstrating their ACE capabilities. The maneuver operation was part of a larger Joint Base Readiness Exercise carried out by Hawaii Air National Guard and Active-Duty Airmen stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

Russia has been sending some US-provided weapons captured in Ukraine to Iran, sources say

03/11/2023

Russia has been capturing some of the US and NATO-provided weapons and equipment left on the battlefield in Ukraine and sending them to Iran, where the US believes Tehran will try to reverse-engineer the systems, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Ukrainian pilot nicknamed ‘Skywalker’ says he’s ready to save lives with new jets

03/11/2023

Yuriy, who earnt the nickname ‘Skywalker’ in the UK, told Metro.co.uk that it is an ‘honour’ to fly despite knowing that ‘every day could be your last’ due to Russia’s numerical and technological superiority in the skies. He described the sensation of flying combat missions as like multiplying everyday stress by ‘100 or 1,000’ but sees it as his duty to fight for the freedom of his family and other Ukrainians.

AIM-120 missiles for Ukrainian fighters?

03/11/2023

In the United States, discussions are reportedly underway for a possible delivery of AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles to equip Ukrainian combat aircraft. The use of this missile would be advantageous in several ways for Ukrainian pilots, but it would first be necessary to resolve numerous technical problems concerning the use of this American missile on Soviet-designed aircraft.

Dispersed But Resilient: Air Force Gets to Work on New Basing Construct Under ACE

03/11/2023

Last month, the Air Force’s evolving Agile Combat Employment (ACE) doctrine received arguably its most rigorous test yet in the annual Cope North exercise, as Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps fighter and bomber aircraft, backed by aerial refuelers and airborne early warning and control aircraft and supported by Japanese fighters and French and Australian transports, fanned out across 1,200 miles of ocean and far-flung Pacific islands.

Russia Removed MiG-31’s Radar & Used A-50 AWACS To Strike Ukraine; Now Forced To Rely On Ground Control For Combat Ops – UK MoD

03/11/2023

Days after a Russian A-50 Beriev (Mainstay) early warning aircraft came under attack by an unmanned aerial system (UAS), a new set of claims regarding the contentious attack—which may have dealt a blow to Russia—have been made in a latest UK intelligence update.

Japan mulls drones to deter rising Chinese intrusions

03/09/2023

Japan is mulling the use of drones for aerial interception missions as the cost of scrambling manned fighter aircraft becomes increasingly unsustainable amid intensified Chinese air incursions.

Indonesia Air Force Expands Fleet With Used Foreign Fighter Jets

03/09/2023

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto at the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase on Wednesday assured that Indonesia’s military air fleet will continue to be expanded. The latest plan, he elaborated, is to acquire a number of used military planes that are still considered to be in good condition. “We plan to acquire a number of aircraft from overseas that are not too old,” said Prabowo after the official handover of the Super Hercules C-130 Type J at the airbase on March 8.

F-35s to Operate Out of Denmark for First Time

03/09/2023

In a first for the country, five US Air Force F-35 fighter jets will operate out of the Skrydstrup airbase in Denmark. The aircraft arrived at the base in Southern Jutland on Monday, where they will be hosted until March 16 in preparation for the arrival of Denmark’s first F-35s from the US in the autumn. The new planes will replace the Royal Danish Air Force’s current fleet of F-16s.

Two Italian Air Force planes collided in mid-air on Tuesday, killing both pilots during training exercises northwest of Rome, officials said.

03/08/2023

The two pilots were on board U-208 training aircraft and were participating in a training mission according to a statement from Italy’s air force, the Aeronautica Militare. The cause of the collision was not immediately known. Four aircraft were flying in formation when two of the planes collided, witnesses told local media.

Kendall Reveals New Details on Air Force Plans: 1,000 CCAs, 200 NGAD Fighters

03/08/2023

The Air Force will field 200 Next-Generation Air Dominance aircraft and notionally 1,000 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and will request funds in the fiscal 2024 budget to develop these new systems, Secretary Frank Kendall said in his keynote address at the AFA Warfare Symposium on March 7.

Which fighter jet is best for Ukraine as it fights off Russia?

03/08/2023

When Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, the Kremlin had an air force that could draw on hundreds of MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets in reserve. Ukraine’s fighter fleet was, by some estimations, far more meager, with 69 jets at most. Experts say that put it at about one-tenth the size of Russia’s.

Preparing for Russia: Inside NATO fighter pilot training in Texas

03/07/2023

More than 5,000 miles from NATO’s eastern flank, a new generation of allied fighter pilots is coming of age in North Texas. After decades of peace at home, American and European airmen here face a new reality: They are the frontline flyers who will keep Russia’s war in Ukraine from spilling across NATO’s borders, and the instructors who will teach the new pilots how to do it.

DARPA moves General Atomics’ ‘LongShot’ drone pitch to phase 2

03/07/2023

General Atomics’ pitch for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s LongShot program — a three-phased effort to build a turducken-like unmanned aircraft system (UAS) dropped from a bomber or fighter that can launch missiles of its own — is still on the menu for DARPA, following its selection by the agency to move into the program’s second phase, the company told Breaking Defense.

British, German fighter aircraft to jointly police skies of NATO ally Estonia

03/07/2023

British and German air forces will patrol the skies over Estonia together for the first time as Britain prepares to take the lead of NATO's mission in the former Soviet Republic, the Ministry of Defense said Monday. In a show of "unity," Royal Air Force and German Air Force Typhoon jets will fly integrated missions with the eventual aim of carrying out full joint and integrated NATO Air Policing missions in the future, the Defense Ministry said in a news release.

Turkey's powerhouse drone industry is on the verge of another milestone: a stealthy unmanned fighter jet for its new aircraft carrier

03/07/2023

In less than a decade, Turkey has become a drone powerhouse. Unmanned aerial vehicles were its defense industry's single largest export last year, totaling $871.5 million — an 80% increase over 2021. Much of that market is served by the firm Baykar, which produces the TB2 model widely known for its use in recent conflicts, including in Ukraine. Baykar has built more than 400 TB2s for 24 countries. But the TB2 is just one of Baykar's models. On January 23, the company announced that the Kizile

Sanctions leave Russia unable to produce vital radar plane - Ukraine intel

03/06/2023

Russia has been met with a roadblock - foreign suppliers of crucial aircraft are hesitant to provide for Russia amidst sanctions. Russia is unable to further produce vital A-50 radar aircraft due to a defense industry crippled by foreign sanctions, the Ukrainian Intelligence Directorate said on Friday. Russia has 6 or 7 operational A-50s according to a UK Defense Ministry Tuesday intelligence update.

RAAF crews offered counselling after tense encounters with Beijng's military over South China Sea

03/06/2023

The Air Force has revealed Australian pilots and aircrew are offered counselling after they encounter Chinese military jets during patrols over the South China Sea. Tensions are rising in the strategically important waterway, and the RAAF says it is noticing a trend of more dangerous behaviour by aircraft from the People's Liberation Army.

Israeli Fighter Pilots Refuse to Train in Protest of Judicial Reform

03/06/2023

A total of 37 reserve pilots out of the 40 members of an elite Israel Air Force (IAF) unit announced that they will absent themselves from a scheduled training this week in protest of the government’s judicial overhaul. Air Force Squadron 69 is one of the top units in the IAF. It operates the advanced F-15 Thunderbird aircraft that serve as the Israeli military’s long-range attack arm.

Two Ukrainian pilots in US for fighter jet training but still no decision on F-16s being sent to Ukraine

03/06/2023

The arrival of the pair marks the first time Ukrainian pilots have travelled to the US. But officials said their presence does not mean the US has decided to send fighter jets as part of its military aid. Two Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing a training assessment in the US to fly American fighter jets, including F-16s. The F-16 planes are believed to be the aircraft Ukraine wants the most to fight back against Russia's invasion in the skies.

Russian Fighter Jets ‘Shoot Down’ Two Ukrainian Mi-8 Choppers After ‘Dramatically’ Losing Su-34 Bomber

03/06/2023

Amid fierce combat raging in the Bakhmut region, Russian fighter jets reportedly shot down two Mi-8 combat helicopters of the Ukrainian Air Force. The spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenko, announced on March 4 that two Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopters were shot down by fighter jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) on March 3.

Air Mobility Command Removes Tail Numbers and Unit Info from Planes, Alarming Watchdogs

03/05/2023

Air Mobility Command has directed its refueling and cargo planes to obscure the majority of identifying information painted on the aircraft, citing national security concerns -- an unusual move that is alarming to government watchdogs. James Stewart, a spokesman for Air Mobility Command, told Military.com in an emailed statement that airmen's missions take them around the globe and often involve sensitive movements of cargo - the main reason behind the change.

Saudi jets arrive in Britain ahead of massive air exercise

03/05/2023

International participants have commenced preparations for Britain’s largest air exercise exercise, Cobra Warrior. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has dispatched the first aircraft to RAF Coningsby and RAF Waddington, where they will be stationed throughout the exercise. The Indian, Finnish, and Belgian Air forces will soon follow suit, joining the UK-based aircraft from the United States Air Force and a variety of RAF aircraft.

NATO aircraft conduct close air support training in Baltics

03/05/2023

During Exercise Winter Camp, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) from allied nations deployed in NATO’s enhanced forward presence battle groups in the Baltics have been practising Air-Land Integration. The exercise included Allied fighters stationed in the Baltics under the NATO Air Policing mission such as French Rafales, German Eurofighters, and Polish F-16s.