Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

26 Chinese military aircraft, 4 naval vessels tracked around Taiwan

03/20/2023

According to the MND, 15 of the 26 People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft were observed in Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ). Four Chengdu J-10 fighters, four Shenyang J-16 fighters, one CH-4 reconnaissance drone, and one Harbin BZK-005 reconnaissance drone crossed the Taiwan Strait median line. Another reconnaissance drone from Harbin flew along the southern edge of Taiwan's ADIZ.

RAF and German fighter jets scrambled to intercept four Russian military aircraft close to Nato airspace

03/19/2023

Royal Air Force and German Air Force Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled for a second time in recent days, after four Russian military aircraft were spotted near Nato airspace. The German and British Typhoon jets are currently operating from Ämari Air Base in Estonia and conducting Nato Air Policing missions in the region. After four Russian military aircraft were identified, Nato fighter jets were then scrambled to intercept.

Boeing secures multi-year contract to build 184 AH-64E helicopters

03/19/2023

As noted by the company, this $1.9 billion award brings the total current funded value of the contract to $2.1 billion, and has the potential to increase to more than $3.8 billion with future obligations.

Germany to buy Airbus civil helicopter and convert for combat, Business Insider reports

03/19/2023

Germany's Defence Ministry wants to buy 82 Airbus (AIR.PA) H-145M civilian helicopters and convert some of them into combat helicopters to replace its Tiger combat fleet, Business Insider reported, citing military internal documents. Germany last year shifted its defence policy after Russia invaded Ukraine, committing 100 billion euros ($107 billion) to modernize the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces.

U.S. Air Force Decides on Engine Core Upgrade for F-35 Fighter

03/18/2023

The U.S. Air Force has decided to move forward on Raytheon Technologies‘ Pratt & Whitney Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) for the F-35 fighter and end the service’s Advanced Engine Transition Program (AETP), which received the Air Force-requested amount of $286 million last year. The Air Force’s fiscal 2024 budget requests $245 million for ECU and increases research and development funding for an advanced engine for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) manned fighter.

All you need to know about India's upgraded Mirage 2000 fighter jet

03/18/2023

Forces News has been checking out the Indian air force's upgraded Mirage 2000 fighter jets. The French-made multi-role Mirage aircraft was first flown in 1978 and has been exported to various countries, including Brazil, the United Arabic Emirates, Egypt, Greece, Peru, Qatar, and India. More than 500 of these powerful aircraft, manufactured by Dassault Aviation, are operational across the world today.

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.