Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

KC-46A cleared for worldwide deployments following first combat refuel

09/21/2022

Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, approved the KC-46A Pegasus for worldwide deployments to meet combatant command taskings effective Sept. 14. “We are ready to use this aircraft globally in any fight, without hesitation,” Minihan said. The KC-46A recently completed an employment concept exercise in the U.S. Central Command area of operations, during which it was evaluated while filling real-world taskings in support of combat operations, supplementing other tankers.

Switzerland Signs Contract For 36 US Fighter Jets

09/20/2022

“National Armaments Director Martin Sonderegger and the Swiss F-35A Program Manager Darko Savic signed the procurement contract on 19 September 2022 at armasuisse in Bern,” said armasuisse, the country’s arms procurement agency. “With this, the procurement of 36 F-35A is contractually agreed,” it added.

L3Harris to Convert Embraer KC-390s for Aerial Refueling

09/20/2022

L3Harris Technologies has entered an agreement with Brazil’s Embraer to convert KC-390 cargo planes into aerial tankers that can refuel U.S. combat planes in flight. The goal is to create a tactical tanker that can fly closer to the front lines in a war with a peer competitor and refuel all types of U.S. military planes , according to L3Harris Chairman and CEO Chris Kubasik.

‘Dragon From The East’ – Pakistan Gets 2nd Batch Of ‘Rafale Challenger’ J-10C Fighters From China – Local Media

09/20/2022

The J-10C, also known as the J-10CE, is currently the PAF’s most sophisticated platform and is seen as a rival to India’s Dassault Rafale. The Pakistani Air Force refers to the Chinese-built aircraft as “Dragon from the East” and hails them as essential tools for maintaining the ‘security balance’ in the region.

U.S. in talks to swap former Afghan aircraft for help hunting terrorists

09/20/2022

The U.S. is negotiating with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to trade nearly 50 military aircraft flown across the border as the Afghan government collapsed last summer for help hunting terrorists in Afghanistan, according to two people with knowledge of the talks.

Colombia relaunches plan to buy fighter jets

09/20/2022

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has reactivated the process to acquire new fighter jets to replace the country’s aging Kfir fleet. Petro’s decision may come as a surprise given his stance earlier this year on the campaign trail, when he said the purchase of combat aircraft or other military hardware would not be a priority during his time in office, if elected.

Ukraine Army destroys enemy base in Luhansk region’s Svatove

09/19/2022

The Ukrainian military have launched a precision strike on a bus terminal in the Luhansk region’s Svatove, where Russian occupiers were based. The relevant statement was made by Luhansk Regional Military Administration Head Serhii Haidai on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

EC-130J Commando Solo performs final broadcast

09/19/2022

Airmen from the 193rd Special Operations Wing here, who operate the only flying military radio and TV broadcast platform in the U.S. military, transmitted their final broadcast today to spectators at the Community Days Air Show at Lancaster Airport, Lititz, Pa., bringing to close a 54-year chapter in unit history.

Russia’s underperforming military capability may be key to its downfall

09/19/2022

Viewed purely in terms of the size of their formations and equipment, Russian ground forces in Ukraine still pose a serious threat on a number of axes. In practice, however, it is highly unlikely the Russian military can recover from its increasingly terminal trajectory on the battlefield, though its defeat will take time and bitter fighting. To understand why, it is necessary to examine the force beyond its equipment and personnel.

Why Russia failed to dominate the skies over Ukraine

09/19/2022

In the run up to the Russian invasion in February airpower analysts, including this author, were gloomy about Ukraine’s ability to defend its airspace. Even the more optimistic assessments assumed that Russia would mount a significant air campaign to destroy the Ukrainian Air Force on its airbases, coupled with large-scale strikes with stand-off cruise and ballistic missiles to blind Ukrainian long range early warning and surface-to-air missile (SAM) system radars.

Russian Su-35 Fighters ‘Challenge’ Rafales, Eurofighter Typhoons As Turkey Struggles To Get Approval For F-16s From The US

09/18/2022

In an estimated $6 billion agreement, Turkey asked for 40 F-16 fighter jets and almost 80 modification kits in October 2021 to upgrade its aging fleet. Turkey, which has made clear that it is firmly opposed to any restrictions on the sale of the Lockheed Martin-produced F-16s, currently faces a new obstacle due to a bill recently approved by American senators.

F-15C Eagle fleet prepares to stand down after 50 years of vigilance

09/18/2022

For 24 years the F-15 Eagle has roared over the city of Klamath Falls, flying countless training missions and supplying air superiority pilots to the U.S. Air Force. This aircraft is special with an outstanding combat record and a service life dating back 50 years — a remarkable lifespan for a fighter aircraft. Those days are nearing their end as the retirement of the aircraft is fast approaching..

Poland wants to buy 96 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters

09/17/2022

The Polish Ministry of National Defence has sent a letter of request to the US government to buy 96 Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopters for the nation’s armed forces, Defense News reports. The planned purchase was unveiled on Sep. 8, 2022 by Deputy Prime Minister and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak following a meeting with his US counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, which took place in Ramstein, Germany.

Russian Hypersonic Missile ‘Kinzhal’ Fired From MiG-31 Fighter Reportedly Fell On Its Own Territory

09/17/2022

On September 15, a video of an unidentified flying object that crashed in Stavropol, Russia, around 350 kilometers (220 miles) from the Ukrainian border, went viral on the internet. The Russian media reports initially led people to believe it was a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Later, Twitter users noted similarities between the wreckage and the Russian Kinzhal missile.

Rafale breezes into Asia-Pacific to burnish interoperability credentials

09/17/2022

“France is a reliable and trustworthy military power, able to deploy whenever it is required,” says French air force Major General Stephane Groen, chief of staff for Air Defence and Operations Command. “And France is a nation of the Pacific through New Caledonia – we are very much engaged in the security of the region.”

USAF at 75: ANG Commanders of the Pacific reflect on their path to leadership and shared mission challenges

09/17/2022

With an old family photograph of a man he never met, Brig. Gen. Gent Welsh Jr. can trace the footprints of his military career back to his grandfather, William Gent Welsh. His impression of a determined B-25 pilot flying combat missions in China during World War II set in motion the restless curiosity of the younger Welsh. Soon after completing high school, the Vale, Oregon teenager enlisted in the Air Force, launching his own military journey in 1988.

Ukrainian aircraft hit 25 strong points and concentrations of Russians in one day Luhansk Oblast Military Administration

09/16/2022

Ukrainian combat aircraft carried out 33 strikes on amassments of Russian troops and their strong points on 9 September, in order to support the actions of ground forces.

KC-46A performs first operationally-tasked combat refueling sortie

09/16/2022

Approximately 100 Airmen and four KC-46A Pegasus aircraft conducted 24-hour operations during Air Mobility Command’s multi-week Employment Concept Exercise 22-08 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, from August 27 through mid-September, 2022. Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing and 931st Air Refueling Wing participated in the ECE, working in two teams to operate around-the-clock, testing the KC-46A’s ability to support real-world missions and assess its capabilities.

Swiss Parliament instructs Federal Council to purchase F-35A fighter jets

09/16/2022

The acquisition of the 36 F-35A combat aircraft was fiercely debated in the National Council, especially with regard to the passage providing for the signing of the purchase contract no later than the end of March 2023 (expiry date of the validity offers). The National Council’s Security Policy Commission here supports the Council of States’ proposal. Concretely, this means that the Federal Council must sign the contracts before the popular initiative “Stop F-35!”, launched on August 31, 2021 an

U.K. And Japan Team Up To Develop Next-Generation Fighter Engines

09/16/2022

Japan and the U.K. have decided to collaborate on next-generation fighter jets, pooling their technology and resources to get the greatest bang for their money. Japan's F-X program and the United Kingdom's Tempest, both of which are scheduled to fly in the early 2030s, will be the world's first sixth-generation fighters. So far that co-development includes jet engines and sensors for next-generation fighters.

Lockheed investing $100M into F-35 controlled combat drones under ‘Project Carrera’

09/16/2022

On a battlefield a decade or so in the future, a C-130 drops a pallet loaded with small, expendable drones, which break off and immediately begin flying toward a formation of F-35s. As the F-35 pilots fly toward an enemy surface-to-air missile site, they issue commands to the drones under their control: “Collect data,” “go forward and draw fire,” or “find this target.” Based on data gathered by some of the drones, the pilots are alerted to a probable threat, and an alternate route is suggested

Russian forces are demoralized and degraded — now we just have to ‘drive the enemy out,’ Ukraine says

09/15/2022

After Ukraine’s stunning successes in recapturing Russian-occupied territory in northeast and southern Ukraine over the last week, the pressure is now on Kyiv to maintain the momentum in its counteroffensive. Western governments have hailed Ukraine’s “significant progress” in the war after Kyiv announced it had reclaimed more than 8,000 square kilometers (3,088 square miles) of Russian-occupied territory since the start of September.

First F-16V Block 72 Fighters Delivered To Greece

09/15/2022

The Hellenic Air Force took delivery of the first two fully upgraded F-16V Block 72 Viper fighter jets during a ceremony at Tanagra Air Base on Sept. 12, 2022. The aircraft are the first of 83 that will be upgraded from the Block 52+ to the latest standard, with the works being done locally by the Hellenic Aerospace Industries (HAI) at Tanagra, supported by Lockheed Martin.

The US Air Force Is Turning 75: Take a Look at the Aircraft It's Flown

09/15/2022

In honor of the Air Force's 75th anniversary on Sept. 18, here are its high-flying craft, from the sound barrier-shattering X-1 to today's cutting-edge F-35 to the upcoming B-21.

Iranian minister of Defense has confirmed that IRIAF will receive the Sukhoi Su-35SE Flanker-E fighter jets originally ordered by Egypt

09/15/2022

The Iranian minister of Defense has confirmed that Iran will receive the Sukhoi Su-35SE Flanker-E fighter jet, Scramble Magazine reports. The original order of 24 Su-35SE for the Egyptian Air Force (EAF) will now be diverted to the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF).