Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Swedish and Danish air forces in joint action after Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea

04/22/2023

On Thursday 21 April, two Swedish Jas 39 Gripen and two Danish F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets followed a Russian Ilyushin-20 military reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. It is the first time that a synchronised effort has been carried out in this way. During the entire operation, the Swedish and Danish airlines were under their own national management.On Thursday 21 April, two Swedish Jas 39 Gripen and two Danish F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets followed a Russian Ilyushin-20.

Ukraine War Turns Korea a Major Arms Exporter

04/22/2023

South Korea is on the way to joining the ranks of major arms exporters as Russian aggression in Ukraine triggers a global race for arms acquisition, already triggering an indignant response from Moscow, which has issued a stern warning that supplying arms to Ukraine would make Seoul a participant in the conflict, according to a Reuters dispatch.

The number of aircraft destroyed in Sudan increases

04/22/2023

With fighting between the Sudanese government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia about to enter its second week, the number of aircraft being destroyed or heavily damaged during the clashes has continued to increase. Khartoum International Airport was at the epicentre of the conflict on April 16, 2023, the first day of fighting. In fact, the situation developed so quickly that a Saudia A330-300 (HZ-AQ30) was hit by gunfire while still on the tarmac preparing to depart.

Allies discuss supplying Ukraine with various types of combat aircraft - Stoltenberg

04/22/2023

NATO allies have already supplied certain types of combat aircraft to Ukraine, such as the Mig-29s provided by Poland, but discussions are underway among NATO allies and their partners to provide Ukraine with other types of aircraft. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said this today in Germany, at the Ramstein military base, before the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The next arms race: China leverages AI for edge in future wars

04/21/2023

The U.S. has enjoyed superiority in military technology since the end of the Cold War. But this edge is being rapidly eroded by its main rival, China, which seems determined to become a global leader in technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) that could potentially revolutionize warfare.

Kadena Bids Farewell to the mighty F-15C/D Eagle after 44 Years of Air Superiority in the Indo-Pacific

04/21/2023

In recognition of the US Air Force (USAF) F-15 Eagle’s legacy, the 18th Wing hosted the Kadena Eagle Sunset Celebration, April 14-15. The event gathered F-15 pilots, intelligence professionals, maintainers, families, and others who directly contributed to the success of the F-15C/D the last 44 years.

DECISION TO UPGRADE F-35 ENGINE PROGRAM A WIN FOR AIR FORCE, NAVY, AND ALLIES

04/21/2023

After the world witnessed three days of large-scale combat exercises around Taiwan from China, an area I’ve seen personally during my Navy days, I can say this as a former naval aviator: It was a pleasure to see Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall recently announce that the U.S. Air Force will upgrade the F-35’s current engine rather than switch to an entirely new design — a major win for the Air Force, Navy and our 17 allies and partners.

Blast Rocks Russian City as Fighter Jet Loses Ammunition

04/21/2023

Russia said one of its fighter jets lost ammunition over Belgorod near the Ukrainian border on Thursday, after local authorities reported a blast that injured two people and left a huge crater in the city. Russian jets have regularly flown sorties over Belgorod since the launch of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian forces repel over 40 Russian attacks in four sectors — General Staff

04/20/2023

Ukraine's defense forces on Wednesday repelled more than 40 enemy attacks in four areas, with the fiercest battles being fought in the cities of Bakhmut and Marinka in the Donetsk region. According to Ukrinform, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said this in an evening update posted to Facebook.

US Air Force, Navy conduct ICBM test aboard nuclear command aircraft

04/20/2023

The U.S. Air Force and Navy on Wednesday morning conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in California using an airborne control center. The weapon, which contained a test reentry vehicle, was controlled from an Airborne Launch Control System in a Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft, the Air Force said in a statement.

Saudi Arabia and NATO learning to work together

04/20/2023

Despite a relationship that has been strained following Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the bloody conflict in Yemen, the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has continued to exercise with the United States Air Force (USAF) and, more recently, with other NATO air forces. RSAF Typhoon and F-15S Eagle aircrews have participated in eight consecutive Red Flag advanced aerial combat training exercises hosted at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

BAE Hawk 200 offered to Uruguayan Air Force to replace its A-37 Dragonfly

04/20/2023

The U.S. based Falcon Air proposed to the Uruguayan Air Force (FAU) the purchase of six BAE Hawk 200 light subsonic fighters and two BAE Hawk 100 advanced trainers for US$110 million. According to the website Defensa.com, Uruguay has received an economically very advantageous offer for the acquisition of eight aircraft of the BAE Hawk family.

Fresno chosen as one of three ‘preferred’ bases in U.S. for new Air Force fighter jets

04/20/2023

The Fresno Air National Guard Base at Fresno Yosemite International Airport has been selected as one of three sites across the U.S. deemed as “preferred locations” to receive some of the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter jets. The selection of the Fresno base and a naval joint reserve base in Louisiana to be the “beddown” sites for the F-15EX Strike Eagle jets was reported Tuesday night by the Air Force in a statement on its news website.

Egyptian MiG-29s Destroyed In Sudan

04/18/2023

We have a direct follow-up to our recent post on a number of advanced MiG-29s belonging to the Egyptian Air Force that were captured by Sudanese militia forces at Merowe Air Base outside the country's capital of Khartoum. Satellite imagery obtained by The War Zone shows at least one of these aircraft destroyed and it is likely that others are badly damaged or destroyed, as well.

Our First Look At Ukraine’s UH-60 Black Hawk In Action

04/18/2023

Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence directorate says it is making good use of a U.S.-made UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter that it has acquired. The directorate says that the Black Hawk, the only one of its type in the country currently, offers important performance advantages over its Soviet-designed Mi-8 Hip and Mi-24 Hind series helicopters, and it is pushing to get more of them. That a UH-60A was in Ukrainian service first emerged in February.

RAF Typhoons intercept Russian spy plane and two fighter jets flying close to Nato air space

04/18/2023

THE Royal Air Force intercepted a Russian spy plane and two fighter jets flying close to Nato air space. The warplanes were sent packing by RAF and German Typhoons protecting the eastern flank of Nato’s border, near Estonia.

Marines Stand Back Up ‘Tomcats’ as a F-35C Lighting II Squadron

04/18/2023

A deactivated squadron got new life as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311 in a Friday ceremony attended by scores of combat veterans and an F-35C Lightning II jet sporting the “Tomcats” historic squadron logo.

Egyptian MiG-29M2 fighters captured by Sudanese paramilitary group

04/17/2023

Egyptian MiG-29M2 fighter jets and their crew, which were deployed at Merowe International Airport (Marawi) to participate in bilateral military exercises, were captured by the Sudanese paramilitary group RSF, which opposes the government of the military junta, which came to power after a coup d’état in 2019.

Putin, Chinese defense minister hail military cooperation

04/17/2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday and both men hailed military cooperation between the two nations, which have declared a "no limits" partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Putin in Moscow last month. Russia and China have moved to further strengthen their economic, political and military ties since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

168th Wing flyaway demonstrates Agile Combat Employment Readiness

04/17/2023

Air Crews, aircraft maintenance, operations, logistics, civil engineering, communications, security forces, and force support teams from the 168th Wing demonstrated the Air Force’s priority of Agile Combat Employment (ACE) during a flyaway readiness exercise April 1-7, 2023.

Cope India 23

04/17/2023

Cope India 2023 (CI23) is a bilateral aerial exercises series between the Bharatiya Vayu Sena (IAF, Indian Air Force) and the USAF. The Cope India exercises began in 2004 as a fighter training exercise held at Gwalior AFS (state of Madhya Pradesh) and have now returned since the last one that was held in 2018.

Türkiye’s uncrewed fighter jet Kizilelma conducts 4th test flight

04/17/2023

Türkiye’s unmanned fighter jet, the Bayraktar Kizilelma, completed its fourth test, the System Identification Test, a high-ranking official from the developing company said Saturday. Selçuk Bayraktar, Baykar chairperson and chief technology officer (CTO), shared the update on his Twitter account with video footage.

Russian MiG fighter jet intercepts a Norwegian aircraft for the first time over the Barents Sea

04/16/2023

P-8 Poseidon is Norway’s new patrol aircraft replacing the older propeller P-3 Orion that for decades have monitored fisheries in the Barents Sea and Russian submarines on patrol in northern waters. This is the first time a report is made public about a Russian intercepter MiG-31 being scrambled from an air base on the Kola Peninsula to meet Norway’s new maritime patrol aircraft.

Sheppard AFB ‘elephant walk’ asserts training’s role in airpower

04/16/2023

Four thousand student Airmen from the 82nd Training Wing shared the runway with 80 training aircraft from the 80th Flying Training Wing in possibly the largest and most unique “elephant walk” in Air Force history – all to shine a light on the importance of training and partnerships.

ALLIES CONDUCT FIRST ITERATION OF RAMSTEIN ALLOY 23 NEAR BALTIC SEA REGION

04/15/2023

Allied Air Forces finished the two-day exercise Ramstein Alloy 23-1 (RAAL23) over the Baltic Sea area further enhancing Alliance cohesion and interoperability on April 12- 13, 22. Exercise RALY23 had allied fighters carry out live air-to-air drills and scenarios involving communications loss of civilian aircraft and then escort back to an airfield. These pilots sharpen their skills by practicing real-world scenarios faced by Air Policing personnel deployed in the Baltic region.