Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

By accident or design—or designed accident? China’s unsafe air intercepts

07/01/2022

On 26 May a J-16 fighter aircraft from the Peoples Liberational Army Air Force conducted an ‘unsafe’ interception of an Australian P-8A Poseidon routine surveillance flight above international waters. The Chinese fighter pulled alongside releasing flares, then cut in front of the Royal Australian Air Force aircraft and released ‘chaff’—aluminium fragments to decoy incoming missiles. Chaff is familiar to audiences for its frequent appearance in the movie Top Gun: Maverick.

Myanmar fighter jet enters Thai airspace prompting Thai jets to scramble

07/01/2022

Thai authorities say they scrambled fighter jets after a Myanmar fighter jet entered Thai airspace. The aircraft was said to be attacking an ethnic minority group on the Myanmar side of the border. The Thai Air Force deployed two F-16 jets for combat reconnaissance in the border area, Phob Phra District, Tak Province, after a military aircraft was detected flying over the border, the Royal Thai Airforce reports 30 June.

As Sweden's and Finland's NATO bids move forward, the alliance is already eyeing their fighter jets

07/01/2022

As Finland's and Sweden's accession to NATO moves ahead quickly, the alliance's already tight partnership with the Nordic countries was on display in the skies over Northern Europe in early June. On June 2, the Swedish and Finnish air forces drilled with their British, French, German, Norwegian, and Belgian counterparts along Norway's west coast. Some 45 aircraft participated in the exercise, which was meant to demonstrate the ability to conduct complex air operations over long distances.

NATO war summit: Germany commits tens of thousands of soldiers, combat aircraft and ships in the deployment against Russia

07/01/2022

The two-day NATO summit in Madrid, which ended yesterday, was dominated by the military alliance’s preparations for war against the nuclear powers Russia and China. NATO’s new Strategic Concept describes Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to Allies’ security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.” NATO “cannot consider the Russian Federation to be our partner” and will “significantly strengthen deterrence and defence for all allies.”

Greece to ask US for F-35 combat aircraft

07/01/2022

kai TV reported that Greece will request the deployment of twenty F-35 aircraft and another twenty on condition. Ankara has been pressuring US Congress for a long time now to approve the purchase of new F-16 fighters and set it as a condition before Turkey green-lights the accession of Finland and Sweden into NATO.

Air Force Initiates New Next-Gen Tanker ‘Family’ With Request for Information

06/30/2022

The Air Force has pounded another nail into the coffin of a potential bridge tanker competition with the launch of the Advanced Aerial Refueling Family of Systems (AAR FoS) program. In a request for information by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, the service informed the aviation industry that it’s seeking significant improvements to existing tankers while looking to define a far more capable future system.

New F-16s give Jordan’s air force a boost, but what comes next?

06/30/2022

As Jordan’s leader publicly raised the idea of a Middle East NATO-like alliance, his Air Force has marked a significant upgrade with the signing of a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for eight F-16 Block 70 aircraft from Lockheed Martin. The LOA was signed June 17 with a Lockheed spokesperson telling Breaking Defense “We anticipate the production contract for this LOA will be complete in the next year,” with deliveries expected to start in 2027.

175th Wing demonstrates warfighting capabilities in Europe

06/30/2022

Approximately 170 Airmen assigned to the 175th Wing, Maryland Air National Guard and A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft have returned from Europe, where they supported Exercises Swift Response and Defender Europe 22. The 10 Maryland A-10s, assigned to the 104th Fighter Squadron, flew more than 240 sorties and operated in 10 countries throughout Europe to execute Agile Combat Employment. ACE is the Air Force concept of quickly mobilizing and deploying aircraft, personnel and equipment across a theater

S. Korea's defense procurement subpanel approves new F-35A purchase proposal: officials

06/29/2022

A subcommittee of South Korea's state defense procurement committee has endorsed a basic proposal to purchase some 20 F-35A radar-evading fighters, Seoul officials said Wednesday. The Defense Project Promotion Committee's subcommittee approved it on June 9 in a push for a 3.9 trillion won ($3 billion) project to introduce the fighters, manufactured by the US defense giant Lockheed Martin from 2023 through the mid to late 2020s.

It’s Time to Base Fifth-Gen Fighter Jets on Guam, INDOPACOM Chief Says

06/27/2022

The U.S. should permanently station fifth-generation combat jets on Guam to counter China’s increasing military capability, the leader of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said Friday. “What we are seeing, from my seat, is the largest military buildup in history since WWII,” Adm. John Aquilino said at a Foundation for Defense of Democracies event Friday.

Russia loses 150 troops, 21 tanks and 14 armoured combat vehicles during the past 24-hours

06/27/2022

The Russian army has lost about 150 military personnel, 21 tanks, 14 armoured combat vehicles, 2 multiple-launch rocket systems and 4 drones in battles in Ukraine in the previous 24 hours.

France Retires ‘Legacy’ Mirage 2000C RDI Fighter Jets

06/27/2022

The Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace bid its farewell to the last Mirage 2000C in service during a ceremony at the Air Base 115 in Orange on June 23, 2022. The aircraft, which entered service in 1984, was the “legacy” version of the Mirage 2000, which was becoming increasingly obsolete after more than 235,000 flight hours and almost 40 years of service.

India offers to set up production facilities for light combat aircraft, copters in Egypt

06/27/2022

India has offered to set up production facilities for the manufacturing of light combat aircraft (LCA) as well as helicopters in Egypt as it pursues export opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Spanish Air Force has ordered another 20 Eurofighter fighter jets to replace part of its legacy F-18 fleet

06/26/2022

According to Eurofighter Typhoon website news release, the Halcón agreement, announced at the ILA air show in Berlin, will see Spain receive 16 single-seater and 4 twin-seater fighters equipped with electronic (e-scan) radar which will replace part of the legacy F-18 fleet. It will increase the Spanish Eurofighter fleet to 90 aircraft.

China condemns flight of US military plane through Taiwan Strait

06/26/2022

A United States P-8A military plane flew over the Taiwan Strait, the Chinese Army reported Saturday on its official Weibo social media account. Command spokesman Shi Yi wrote about the army’s “firm opposition” to the Friday flight and said forces in the area “remain on high alert at all times” to defend China’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Shi said the army organized “ground and air forces” to monitor “all operations” of the US aircraft, an anti-submarine maritime patrol plane.

Ukraine Army Claims To Have Killed About 34,700 Russian Enemies, Destroyed 1,511 Tanks

06/26/2022

As the ravaging war in Eastern Europe entered its 122nd day on Saturday, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry claimed that Russia has incurred heavy casualties over the last four months. In its latest operational update, the ministry claimed that Russia has lost nearly 34,700 soldiers, 3,645 Armored Personnel Vehicles (APV), 1,511 tanks, 764 artillery systems and 241 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), and at least 99 anti-aircraft warfare.

Air Force selects future aircrew helmet

06/26/2022

The Air Force selected LIFT Airborne Technologies to continue with prototype development of a new helmet for Air Force fixed-wing aircrew. The helmet prototype was chosen after Air Combat Command initiated the search for a next-generation helmet to address issues with long-term neck and back injuries, optimize aircraft technology, improve pilot longevity, and provide better fitment to diverse aircrews.

Meet the ‘Wizzo’ — The secret sauce to one of the Air Force’s deadliest fighter jets

06/26/2022

Whether it’s doubles tennis, beach volleyball or two-seat bobsled, some sports are awesome when there are two people working together. The same rings true for flying jets like the Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle, a two-seat fighter with a pilot sitting in front and a weapon systems officer, a.k.a. ‘wizzo,’ in the back. The ‘wizzos’ are often unsung heroes, but they enjoyed a rare shout-out on Facebook last week, when a lifelong Wizzo broke down their vital role in the air.

Chinese, Russian Warships Continue to Circle Japan, Defense Minister Says

06/25/2022

An uptick in Russian and Chinese warship movements near Japan are a part of an ongoing military demonstration toward Tokyo, Japan’s Defense Minister Nobou Kishi said this week. The People’s Liberation Army Navy and the Russian Pacific fleet have, since mid-June, sent two separate surface action groups around the Japanese home islands.

Having visited Pakistan and China, is Argentina ready to buy the JF-17 jet?

06/25/2022

The recent visit to Pakistan by the head of Argentina’s joint military staff has fed speculation that a JF-17 fighter jet deal is on the horizon following more than a decade of interest by the South American nation. But despite China’s willingness to help fund an acquisition program, its unclear if any major progress was made.

Air Force A-10s are still needed and the Russia-Ukraine war proves it

06/25/2022

Our military-industrial complex recently convinced an aviation expert at The Aviationist to take a swing at the A-10 once again. Instead of relying on that author’s poorly researched piece, let’s take a more thorough look into battlefield realities.

Czech Republic mulls order of 24 F-35A fighters

06/24/2022

The Czech Ministry of Defense is considering the replacement of the 14 JAS-39 Gripen C/D fighters currently on lease from the Swedish manufacturer Saab until 2027 by acquiring at least 24 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters. Following a study carried out to assess the needs of its combat aviation, the Czech Air Force “has already passed on to the ministry its idea of which aircraft should protect the Czech airspace in the coming years,” said the local daily Echo24 on June 20, 2022.

Move Over Osprey: The Army's New Tiltrotor Chopper Is Ready for Combat

06/24/2022

Years ago, the U.S. Army’s vision for its fleet of Future Vertical Lift helicopters and aircraft was intended to engineer platforms that could operate in a dangerous threat environment in the 2030s and not focus on the near term when it comes to the development of paradigm-changing new aircraft.

Slovakia offers Poland, Czechia a scheme to provide MiG-29s to Ukraine: report

06/24/2022

Slovakia will transfer its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in exchange for temporary airspace protection from Poland and Czechia, reports suggest. Talks to implement the scheme have been happening in the context of a similar exchange which could see Slovakia receive German-made Leopard 2 tanks in exchange for delivering Soviet-era T-72s to Ukraine, according to a report by Business Insider.

US lawmakers push to train Ukrainian pilots on US-made jets

06/24/2022

Two lawmakers in Washington want to start training Ukrainian pilots to fly US-made military aircraft, signalling at least some members of Congress support the US playing a more-direct role in Ukraine’s air war against Russia. Despite such support, however, the US government has signalled no intention of pursuing such a strategy.