Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Northrop Grumman modernises E-2D Advanced Hawkeye ISR aircraft

10/05/2023

The US Navy (USN) has contracted the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, Northrop Grumman (NG), to evolve the platform’s cockpit and digital architecture. Operating from an altitude more than 25,000ft, the Hawkeye alerts the naval task force to approaching air threats, while also providing threat identification and positional data to fighter aircraft.

Turkey Takes to the Skies with the Groundbreaking KAAN Fighter Jet

10/05/2023

In a determined bid to modernize its Air Force and achieve self-sufficiency in military capabilities, Turkey has embarked on a groundbreaking journey with the development of the Turkish Fighter jet. This fifth-generation marvel represents a significant milestone in Turkey’s aerospace industry. Not only does it signify the nation’s technological prowess but also its resolve to carve its own path in the elite club of fifth-generation fighter aircraft developers.

New Acquisition Report: F-15EX Unit Cost Will Be $94 Million

10/05/2023

The F-15EX Eagle II unit cost will be $93.95 million per plane in then-year dollars, assuming the Air Force sticks with its plan to buy 104 of the fighters and Congress concurs, the service said in its most recent annual Selected Acquisition Report.

Wittman says patience wearing thin on F-35 sustainment plan

10/04/2023

A leading House lawmaker wants to see some hard details — and soon — from the F-35 Joint Program Office about how it plans to fix the jet fighter’s long-lagging availability rates. And Rep. Rob Wittman’s patience with the JPO on the fighter’s low readiness is starting to wear thin, he said in an interview.

Polish Armed Forces Adding Saab Surveillance Aircraft to Fleet

10/04/2023

Officials from Poland’s Armed Forces were presented with the first of two Saab 340 airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft in a ceremony in Linköping, Sweden, on Friday. The surveillance aircraft, which were unveiled two months after an order was placed, will provide Poland “a national asset to reinforce territorial integrity and national security,” the aircraft manufacturer said.

Italy's Leonardo wants stronger role in GCAP jet fighter project

10/04/2023

Italy's Leonardo group (LDOF.MI) wants a bigger role in a next-generation fighter jet program to put it on an equal footing with its British and Japanese partners, company CEO Roberto Cingolani said on Tuesday. The three nations agreed in December 2022 to collaborate to build an advanced front-line fighter to enter service around the middle of the next decade. The Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) has Britain's BAE Systems and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as its lead contractors.

Historic moment as Croatia receives its first Rafale fighter aircraft

10/04/2023

In a historic event at the Mont-de-Marsan Air Base, Croatia officially acquired its first Rafale multirole combat aircraft, marking a milestone in its capabilities. The acquisition of 12 Nato-compatible aircraft is expected to secure Croatia’s air combat requirement for the next three decades.

China's September incursions into Taiwan ADIZ up by 42% from August

10/03/2023

Intrusions by Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in September spiked by 42% from August. In September, 225 Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) military planes breached Taiwan's ADIZ, a 42.2% increase from the 130 reported by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in August. Overall, there were 565 Chinese military aircraft tracked around Taiwan in September, according to Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence researcher.

JSTARS Flies Its Last Operational Mission Ahead of November Retirement

10/03/2023

A crew of Airmen at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, flew the final operational sortie of the E-8C JSTARS aircraft on Sept. 21, paving the way for the last of the fleet to be retired early next month. Members of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing flew the very last of more than 14,000 sorties for the JSTARS, which is used for targeting, battle management, and command and control.

Lockheed Martin flies first F-16 for Slovakia

10/03/2023

Lockheed Martin flew the first F-16C Block 70 Fighting Falcon multirole combat aircraft for Slovakia at its Greenville production facility in South Carolina on 29 September. The first of 12 single-seat F-16C and two twin-seat F-16D Block 70 aircraft for the Slovak Air Force made its maiden flight about three weeks after being officially presented to the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic on 6 September.

Croatia receives first Rafale fighter from France

10/03/2023

Croatia received the first of 12 Dassault Rafale combat aircraft from France on 2 October, the Croatian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced. Aircraft tail number 170 was officially handed over to the Croatian MoD during a ceremony at the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace: AAE) base at Mont-de-Marsan.

China’s J-20 Stealth Fighter, Flying Under AWACS Cover, Very Dangerous; Best Avoided By India’s Rafale: OPED

10/03/2023

To use a cliche, comparing the J-20 and the Rafale is like comparing oranges and apples. The two fighters were conceived and developed for entirely different roles. However, the adversarial deployment of the two fighters in the context of the simmering India-China border dispute has fanned nationalist fervor and clamor for comparison to such an extent that comparing oranges and apples seems perfectly logical.

RAF Fighter jets deploy to Poland for joint exercises ahead of Warsaw Security Forum

10/02/2023

Four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets have deployed to Poland to conduct joint training exercises alongside allied aircraft from Poland, Spain, and Italy. The deployment will provide an opportunity for RAF pilots to practice dogfighting against different types of aircraft, and develop tactics to exploit their weaknesses.

Royal Danish Air Force And Lockheed Martin Celebrate Arrival Of First Four Danish F-35 Aircraft

10/02/2023

The Kingdom of Denmark officially celebrated the in-country arrival of its first four permanently based F-35A Lightning II aircraft at Skrydstrup Air Base, Denmark. During the ceremony, Lockheed Martin officially handed over the certificate of ownership of Denmark's F-35s to the Danish Ministry of Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization. More than 450 Danish and allied government, military and industry leaders gathered to commemorate the milestone, and over 10,000 local citizens participa

Last F-18 training squadron is decommissioned at Miramar marking the end of an era

10/01/2023

An air squadron that for 50 years has been training pilots to fly F/A-18 Hornets was decommissioned at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar during a “sundowner ceremony” on Friday, marking the end of an era for the Department of the Navy.

Watch, Read: CSAF Brown on ‘The State of the Air Force’

09/30/2023

In his last major speech before ascending to the role of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown delivered a keynote address on “The State of the Air Force,” at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 11, 2023. Watch the video or read the transcript below.

NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania

09/30/2023

This July, the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, was yet another historical gathering for Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. After facing years of dilemmas with regard to Russia, the allies agreed to bolster NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) battlegroups and established brand-new defense plans. An agreement was reached on Sweden’s path to NATO, and Finland was welcomed as the Alliance’s 31st member.

F-35 program completes key combat simulations, could pave way for full-rate production

09/30/2023

A series of delayed simulated combat trials for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have been completed, a key step toward wrapping up the fighter’s initial operational testing phase and approving it for full-rate production (FRP).

Russian Su-35 Fighter Jet Downed by Own Air Defense, Video Appears to Show

09/30/2023

Russian air defenses close to the frontlines in Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region have shot down one of Moscow's own advanced fighter jets, footage circulating online appears to show. Russian air defense systems took out a Russian Su-35 multirole fighter jet around the occupied Ukrainian city of Tokmak, Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers as well as open-source intelligence accounts reported on Friday.

Russia has lost 90 aircraft in combat since war started – British intel report

09/29/2023

“The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) have lost approximately 90 fixed-wing aircraft in combat since February 2022. It has also been flying some of its combat aircraft types far more intensively than in peace time,” the UK Ministry of Defence posted on X, referring to intelligence data. Analysts note that all aircraft have a projected lifespan, in flying hours, so Russia is highly likely eating into many of its airframes’ lifespans far more quickly with extra wartime use.

Ukraine asks France for Rafale or Mirage and radars for Su-27s

09/29/2023

Opex360 reports that French MP Julien Bayou made the comment on the sidelines of the French Parliament. “There is a pressing request that we are asked to pass on: supply of Rafale and/or Mirage 2000D, as well as radars to equip Sukhoi and Ukrainian MiGs,” opex360 wrote, quoting Bayu as saying.

Czech gov’t plans to buy 24 F-35 stealth fighters in $6.5bn defence spend

09/29/2023

The Czech government has approved a plan to buy 24 US-made F-35 advanced fighter jets in a deal valued at approximately $6.5bn, the largest defence contract ever signed by the Czech Republic that will see the country significantly boost its military capabilities and integration with NATO.

Weekly Frontline Update: Ukrainian attacks paralyze Russian army command

09/27/2023

Last week, the Ukrainian Army advanced further on the southern front and continued to decimate Russian military targets in Crimea and other occupied territories of Ukraine. According to Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, the Ukrainian missile attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in occupied Sevastopol (Crimea, southern Ukraine) allegedly eliminated 34 Russian officers.

Another Ukraine’s MiG-29 Parked Fighter Jet ‘Falls Prey’ To Russian Lancet-3 Kamikaze Drone

09/27/2023

Around a week after a Russian Lancet-3 loitering munition destroyed a parked Ukrainian Air Force (UAF) fighter, another MiG-29 jet was hit in the same way and, coincidentally, in the same region where the UAF air bases are located. The attacks are another landmark moment for drone warfare in general and Russian and Iranian kamikaze UAVs like the Lancet and the Shahed-136 in particular, that have consistently redefined warfare throughout multiple stages in the war.

Romania Begins Largest Ever Arms Deal with Request to Buy F-35 Jets

09/27/2023

Romania has begun the process for the most expensive purchase in the history of the armed forces by officially requesting legislative approval in a document sent to the parliament’s leadership to launch the program to buy 32 F-35 fighter jets worth 6.5 billion dollars. The Supreme Council of Defence of the Country, CSAT, decided in April that Romania would purchase the stealth multirole combat aircraft from the US in a government-to-government deal.