Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Argentine Navy abandons Super Étendard fighters purchased in 2019 – report

05/19/2023

The plan of the Armada Argentina (Argentine Navy) to reactivate its squadron of fighter aircraft ended. According to Zona Militar, the five Dassault Super Étendard Modernisé jets, bought second-hand from France in 2019, will not be activated. The decision was taken by the Ministry of Defense of the country this week.

USAF Opens Bidding to Build Its 1st New Fighter in Decades

05/19/2023

The U.S. Air Force has formally launched a competition to build its new fighter jet, the Pentagon’s first in two decades, with the winner to be selected next year. The acquisition strategy for the Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, aircraft “incorporates lessons learned from recent Air Force acquisition programs and will leverage open architecture standards,” the Air Force said in a statement released Thursday.

New Views Of Northrop Grumman’s Totally Notional Long-Range Stealth Fighter

05/19/2023

Northrop Grumman has once again incorporated what seems to be its notional Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) crewed platform concept into its latest advertisements. This follows another ad from 2021 that teased the same design, although that ad didn’t offer a wide-angle view of it.

South Korea boosts capabilities with indigenous fighter jet and helicopter

05/17/2023

The historical alliance between South Korea and the United States has led to a reliance on US defence equipment and a considerable market share for US suppliers. However, South Korea’s ongoing indigenous programs indicate its intent to expand its defence capabilities and foster competition within the market.

Raytheon to Outfit South Korean FA-50 Jets With PhantomStrike Radar

05/17/2023

Raytheon Technologies and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) have partnered to upgrade the FA-50 light combat aircraft’s radar technology. Under the collaboration, Raytheon will equip the jet with its proprietary PhantomStrike radars that provide long-range threat identification, tracking, and targeting. The production will be carried out in the US states of Arizona and Mississippi as well as in Scotland.

Chinese Warships Circle Japan Ahead of G-7 Summit

05/16/2023

A People’s Liberation Army Navy surface action group is continuing its circumnavigation of Japan ahead of the annual G-7 summit later this month in Hiroshima. The surface action group – which includes cruiser CNS Lhasa (102), destroyer CNS Guiyang (119), frigate CNS Zaozhuang (542) and fleet oiler CNS Taihu (889) – was sighted at midnight on Thursday sailing southwest in an area 56 miles east of Sumisu Island, part of the Izu Island chain that lies south of Japan’s capital of Tokyo.

Britain to start training Ukraine combat fighter pilots

05/16/2023

The UK announced on Monday that this summer country will commence an elementary flying phase for cohorts of Ukrainian pilots to learn basic training. “This is a crucial moment in Ukraine’s resistance to a terrible war of aggression they did not choose or provoke. They need the sustained support of the international community to defend against the barrage of unrelenting and indiscriminate attacks that have been their daily reality for over a year,” British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

F-16 Fighting Falcon: a comprehensive look at the aircraft and its features?

05/16/2023

The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a versatile combat aircraft with a long history of being tested and proven effective in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack. This compact jet offers a high-performance weapon system at a relatively low cost, making it an attractive choice for the United States and its allies.

US fighter jets intercept Russian aircraft near Alaska

05/16/2023

U.S. fighter jets intercepted six Russian aircraft last week operating in international airspace near Alaska, military officials announced Monday. F-16 and F-22 fighter jets on Thursday intercepted Russian aircraft that included TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighter jets, according to officials with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. The Russian planes remained in international airspace and did not enter U.S. or Canadian territory.

Zelenskyy blitzes Europe with fighter jet diplomacy

05/16/2023

Ukraine has no permanent seat at the G7 leaders’ summit. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already made sure his talking points will dominate discussions at the G7’s annual get-together in Japan this weekend. Zelenskyy arrived in the U.K. unexpectedly Monday morning after visiting Italy, Germany and France as part of a diplomatic blitz designed to ramp up military support for his country and — crucially — to build the case among Western allies for modern jet aircraft to be shipped

U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian planes near Alaska

05/15/2023

U.S. fighter jets intercepted six Russian aircraft operating in international airspace near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said on Sunday. NORAD described the interception as "routine" and said they happen roughly six or seven times per year in the so-called Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone.The Russian planes included TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighter jets, NORAD said in a written statement.

Irish ministers under pressure to clarify 'secret deal' for RAF to defend Ireland's airspace in an emergency

05/15/2023

A former Irish Air Corps captain tells Sky News the existence of a deal with the RAF was an "open secret" among Irish pilots - as a 2022 report warned Ireland "has no air defence capability of any significance".

US Air Force’s Next-Gen Tactical Missile Is Set To Change Air Combat

05/15/2023

The US Air Force updated the Senate Armed Service Committee regarding the status of its top-secret missile project earlier this month, saying that it could be entering production sometime later this year and at an accelerated rate. This next-generation air-to-air missile program, dubbed by the service as AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, or JATM, has been tightly kept under wraps since it first emerged mid- to late-2010s. It is one, if not the most significant ongoing future weapon projec

Satellite image shows 16 strategic bombers deployed to Kola Peninsula

05/14/2023

Located only 200 km from NATO-members Finland and Norway, Olenya Air Base is closely watched by military analysts. The 3,500 m runway normally serves a small fleet of elderly Tu-22M supersonic bombers and a few An-12 military transport planes. Last autumn, however, the role of the air base as a forward deployment field for long-range aviation was activated.

USS Gerald R. Ford Deploys to Pacific for First Combat Deployment

05/14/2023

After spending over twelve years in the shipyard in Newport News, the US Navy‘s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), has recently departed from its naval homeport for its first global deployment. The lead ship of her class, the USS Gerald R. Ford, previously conducted operations and training exercises in the Atlantic Ocean following its commissioning in 2017.

Breaking: 4 Russian Aircraft, Including Su-35S ‘Shot Down’ By Ukraine After Whacking Russia With Storm Shadow Missiles

05/14/2023

In a sensational development, Ukrainian forces reportedly downed four Russian aircraft on May 13, 2023 – two Russian Mi-8 helicopters, one Su-34 fighter bomber, and one Su-35S fighter. No concrete video evidence of the Su-35S shootdown has been released till the time of posting this report.

Romanian Air Force Has Retired Its MiG-21 LanceR Jets

05/14/2023

The MiG-21 LanceR was the longest serving fighter jet in Romanian Air Force. After 61 years of career, the iconic MiG-21 LanceR, the longest-lived fighter aircraft in the history of the Romanian Air Force, successfully completed its final flight mission at Boboc, in eastern Romania. The last flight was celebrated with the traditional passage under a water tunnel.

How the US Air Force Is Preparing to Fight Under Bombardment in the Pacific

05/13/2023

The U.S. Air Force has since the early 2010s concentrated a growing portion of its investments into preparations for a potential hot war against a major state adversary in the Western Pacific. The shift followed the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia,” aimed at reorienting American military and diplomatic attentions toward countering China.

How prepared is Taiwan for a potential Chinese attack?

05/13/2023

Taiwan's air defense capabilities have come into focus in recent weeks, after the Washington Post reported that Taiwan would struggle to handle aerial offensive operations from China, citing classified documents leaked by a 21-year-old American man who was a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

TURKIYE HOSTS EXERCISE ANATOLIAN EAGLE WITH ALLIES AND PARTNERS

05/13/2023

urkiye hosted the exercise Anatolian Eagle out of 3rd main Jet Base Konya and provided the multinational participants with realistic combat training opportunities in a high-threat environment from May 5 to 12, 2023.

Tomcats To Super Flankers: Iran Might Soon Receive Its Most Advanced Fighter In Almost 50 Years

05/13/2023

Unconfirmed reports in Iran’s press suggest the country may take delivery of the first batch of Su-35 Flanker-E fighter jets it ordered from Russia in the coming weeks. In an article that has since been removed, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the jets, also known as “Super Flankers,” will soon arrive in Iran. In light of the article’s deletion and past rumors that the aircraft began arriving in April.

F-22 Raptors Begin ‘Combat Training’ In Estonia Near Russia Border Amid RuAF’s Hostile Acts Over Black Sea

05/12/2023

According to the report, 12 fighter jets were transferred from the United States to a Polish airbase for military drills in early April. Three of the fighters arrived at Estonia’s Amari airbase near Tallinn this week. The drills include the practice of quickly responding to threats in cooperation with other countries.

Storm Shadow missile latest evolution of UK support to Ukraine

05/12/2023

The UK’s decision to supply Storm Shadow air-launched land attack missiles to Ukraine, offering a long-range, stand-off strike capability with a range of more than 250km, represents that latest evolution of London’s support to Kyiv, ahead of a much-anticipated counter-offensive against Russia.

‘Our Biggest Enemy’ – Ukrainian Fighter Pilots Call Russia’s ‘Omnipresent’ Su-35 A Grave Threat Ahead Of Hypersonic-Missile Firing MiG-31

05/12/2023

A recent report published in BBC details how the Ukrainian fighter jets are forced to maneuver and fly at very low altitudes to escape an air-to-air missile fired by the Su-35 fighter jet of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS). When fired on, the fighter pilots know they must abort their mission and do whatever they can to survive.

U.S.-based Air Force mobility aircraft supporting DEFENDER 23 exercise in Europe

05/11/2023

Activities begin this month across 10 countries in Europe and continue through June as part of a U.S. Army-led exercise DEFENDER 2023, which U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa is supporting in several ways. Six C-17 Globemaster III aircraft from Air Mobility Command’s 62nd Airlift Wing based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and three C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 403rd Wing based at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, will support DEFENDER 23.