Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

Pakistan Inducts JF-17 Block 3 Fighter Jets Into Its ‘Black Panthers’ Squadron After Acquiring ‘Cutting-Edge’ J-10C – Reports

03/05/2023

Less than a year after Pakistan Air Force (PAF) took a giant leap and inducted China’s cutting-edge J-10C fighter jets into service, it reportedly commissioned a highly upgraded and advanced version of the JF-17, called the JF-17 Block III. Earlier this week, some reports on social media indicated that Pakistan’s most famous air squadron – 16 Squadron nicknamed ‘Black Panthers’ had received the first batch of JF-17 Block III aircraft.

Latvian prime minister: Delivery of Western fighter jets to Ukraine 'a matter of time'

03/05/2023

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins told the Spiegel on March 4 that he was sure that combat aircraft would be delivered to Ukraine by Western countries, calling it “a matter of time” before the decision is made. “If the Ukrainians need fighter jets, they should get them,” he said, adding that Ukrainians have repeatedly proven that they quickly learn to operate new equipment.

Russian Su-34 Fighter ‘Shot Down’ By S-300 Air Defense Missile; Ukraine, Russia Debate ‘Who Downed The Fullback’

03/05/2023

A Russian Su-34 Fullback fighter jet was shot down on March 3 in the Donbas region in east Ukraine. While both sides agree that the Fullback was shot down, there is a dispute on how exactly the aircraft went down. The images and videos of the Russian strike aircraft crashing to the ground have been doing the rounds on social media. An air defense missile shot down the fighter.

Air Force chief insists Australian drones already part of 'kill chain'

03/04/2023

Unmanned surveillance aircraft flown by the Australian Defence Force are already being used as part of the "kill chain", according to the RAAF chief, who has stopped short of saying when he believes this country will get its first armed drones. Australia last year cancelled plans to acquire its first lethal drone technology known as SkyGuardian, more than 20 years after the United States military first deployed the killer Predator drone in Afghanistan.

Boeing, US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopters Achieve 5 Million Flight Hours, Equivalent to Flying nonstop for more than 208,333 Days or 570 Years and Nine Months

03/04/2023

Boeing and the AH-64 team are observing a unique milestone as the US Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopters have officially reached five million flight hours. The accomplishment is equivalent to flying nonstop for more than 208,333 days or 570 years and nine months. Additionally, 1.3 million of those five million flight hours were accomplished during combat.

Sweden to investigate C-130H replacement options after ‘quotation from industry’ thrown out

03/04/2023

Sweden will reassess options to replace a fleet of six Lockheed Martin C-130H Hercules tactical airlifters after an attempt to acquire used C-130J Super Hercules aircraft unexpectedly failed to meet requirements. The acquisition “needs to be reviewed after completed analysis of quotation from industry,” stated a translated version of the Swedish Armed Forces Budget 2024.

S Korea, US to hold joint military drills despite N Korea warning

03/04/2023

South Korea and the United States will press ahead with large-scale military drills later this month despite North Korea threatening to take “unprecedentedly” strong action against such exercises. The South Korean and US militaries will conduct military exercises from March 13 to 23 to strengthen their combined defensive capabilities, the two militaries said in a statement on Friday.

Slovakia Considering Transferring Almost All Its MiG-29 Aircraft To Ukraine

03/03/2023

Slovakia is considering transferring 10 of its 11 Soviet-made MiG-29 aircraft to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which were withdrawn from service last year. Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad announced this in an interview with AP, Ukrainian News Agency reports. A decision can be made within the coming days or weeks. "We will never use the MiGs anymore. They have no real value for us. If we give them to Ukraine, they can help save their lives,” he said.

US Deploys F-22 Raptors From Japan To Mariana Islands As USAF Trains For Battle In Contested Environment

03/03/2023

For the first time, an unspecified number of F-22 fighters from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base in Japan have been stationed in the Northern Mariana Islands, a strategically important location close to China. The Raptors are positioned there to participate in Exercise Agile Reaper 23-1 (AR 23-1). The information regarding the deployment was published on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service website on March 1.

The Air Force’s upcoming radar aircraft is already a combat veteran

03/03/2023

The jet which the U.S. Air Force will soon use to coordinate air battles has already earned its stripes helping the Royal Australian Air Force fight the Islamic State. The E-7A Wedgetail, which is based on the Boeing Next Generation 737-700 commercial jet, is an airborne early warning and control aircraft, meaning it has a large multi-role electronically scanned array radar mounted to the fuselage which helps the crew see hundreds of miles in all directions.

Video Shows Drone Landing On Russian A-50 Radar Jet That Was Supposedly Attacked

03/03/2023

A video has emerged showing a drone that is claimed to have been launched by a Belarusian partisan group, landing on the radar dome of a Russian A-50 Mainstay airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft at Machulishchy Air Base, Belarus. The video was released by BYPOL, the organization of Belarusian military dissidents opposed to the Lukashenko government that claims it struck the A-50, damaging it in two critical places its radome and its upper forward fuselage area on February 26.

Fleet Readiness Center Southeast innovates to support fleet need for air combat training aircraft

03/03/2023

Since Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) inducted its first F-5N Tiger II, the depot has forged forward despite the challenges associated with standing up a new product line. The F-5s were initially purchased in the 1970s by the Air Force and then sold through foreign military sales to Switzerland. In 2002, the Department of Defense decided to repatriate many of these aircraft back to the Navy. The F-5 is a twin-engine tactical fighter aircraft that provides air-to-air combat training.

US Approves ‘Big Batch’ Of HARMs, AMRAAMs For Taiwan’s F-16 Vipers Amid Boiling Tensions With China

03/03/2023

The Biden administration formally notified the US Congress of the proposed sales of F-16 missiles and associated equipment on March 1, 2023. The announcement comes days after Pentagon’s top China official, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Michael Chase, visited Taiwan, drawing sharp criticism from China.

Taiwan sees second Chinese air incursion as US agrees arms sale

03/03/2023

Taiwan has reported a large-scale Chinese air force incursion into its air defence zone for a second day running, just as the United States approved the potential sale of $619m in weapons to the island – including hi-tech missiles for Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets. Taiwan’s defence ministry said a total of 21 Chinese combat planes – 17 Chengdu J-10 multirole fighters and four advanced Shenyang J-16 strike fighters – had flown into the southwestern corner of the island’s ADIZ on Thursday.

Russian Il-76 military aircraft reportedly delivers spare parts for damaged A-50 plane in Belarus

03/01/2023

The monitoring group stated that a Russian Air Force Il-76 (RF-86843) and an An-26 military transport aircraft arrived at the Machulishchy airfield late on Feb. 26. Early on Feb. 27, the Il-76 flew to Russia’s Ivanovo Severny airfield. The planes arrived on the day a Russian Air Force A-50U AEW aircraft was reported to have been attacked and damaged.

Australia requests sale of AARGM-ER missiles from US

03/01/2023

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale (FMS) of AGM-88E extended-range anti-radiation missiles to Australia. Valued at approximately $506m, the proposed deal has already been approved by the US State Department.

US Navy prioritizes sustaining and modernizing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet for future combat readiness

03/01/2023

As the backbone of the US Navy’s carrier air wing, the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet remains a top priority for Naval Aviation. The Navy expects the final delivery of new Super Hornets to occur in 2025, ensuring the strike fighter’s capabilities remain at the nation’s service for decades to come.

Singapore to buy eight more F-35B jetsSingapore to buy eight more F-35B jets

02/28/2023

Singapore will exercise a contractual option to acquire eight more F-35B fighter jets, bringing it fleet to 12 aircraft that manufacturer Lockheed Martin will deliver by the end of the decade. Speaking to lawmakers during a budget hearing, Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the decision came after a “full evaluation” of the F-35, which followed increased access to the aircraft program thanks to the country’s initial order.

Russia ‘Shot Down’ Several Of Its Own Fighter Jets; Now Faces Severe Shortage Of Experienced Pilots – New Reports

02/28/2023

In the initial stages of its invasion of Ukraine, Moscow shot down several of its own military aircraft, leading to a shortage of experienced pilots required for Russia to establish air superiority over Ukraine, The Financial Times recently reported. Despite having a large fleet of fourth-generation fighters and cutting-edge aircraft like the Su-57, which British intelligence earlier claimed had not yet been used for operations within Ukraine’s airspace, Moscow has struggled to maintain control