Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Spain orders 20 Eurofighter jets to modernise its combat aircraft fleet

06/24/2022

The NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) has signed a landmark contract for the acquisition of 20 latest-generation Eurofighter jets. Known as the Halcon programme, the order will cover the delivery of a fleet of E-Scan (Electronically Scanned) radar-equipped fighter aircraft consisting of 16 single-seaters and 4 twin-seaters to replace the F-18 fleet operated by the Spanish Air Force on the Canary Islands.

RAAF sent second jet into South China Sea hours after Chinese air force's 'dangerous' interception

06/23/2022

A second Australian military aircraft was dispatched over contested waters in the South China Sea last month, just hours after the Chinese air force conducted a "dangerous interception" of another RAAF plane. Defence is refusing to discuss the May 26 incident further, but flight data obtained by the ABC reveals new details of the dramatic flight as well as other recent Defence Force maritime surveillance missions being flown out of the Clark Air Base in the Philippines.

Six NATO Nations Agree To Cooperate on Next-Gen Helicopter

06/23/2022

Six countries in the NATO alliance recently signed a memorandum of mutual understanding to cooperate on new concepts for a next-generation helicopter. At the June 16 meeting of alliance defense ministers, in Brussels, Italy, France, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have agreed to jointly commit 26.7 million Euro to develop the Next-Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) project. This is equivalent to $28 million.

India emerges frontrunner for Malaysian fighter jet order

06/23/2022

India has emerged as the frontrunner for a Malaysian requirement of light combat aircraft, with a package deal on the table that would include maintenance and spares for the nation's Russian origin Su 30 fighter jets.

USAF Doesn’t Expect New Aggressor F-35s’ Camo to Interfere With Stealth

06/22/2022

The new “Splinter” camouflage on aggressor F-35s at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., shouldn’t negate or interfere with their low observability, meaning they can truly play the role of a stealthy sparring partner for USAF fighters, according to a Nellis spokesperson. The first two F-35s to appear in camouflage were revealed June 9 at a Nellis ceremony to reactivate the 65th Aggressor Squadron, wearing a paint scheme reminiscent of both the Russian Su-57 Felon and Chinese J-20 fighters.

The fighting in Ukraine shows the vulnerability of one of modern militaries' most important weapons

06/22/2022

Instead of the quick Russian victory that Moscow and much of the world expected, the war in Ukraine has dragged on for nearly four months, with both sides losing thousands of troops and hundreds of aircraft and vehicles.

Could Artificial Intelligence Prepare U.S. Pilots for War Against China and Russia?

06/22/2022

The U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force are working on a new generation of training technologies to prepare their fighter aircraft for new Russian and Chinese air threats posed by the Su-57 fighter and J-20 fifth-generation stealth aircraft, respectively.

Taiwan scrambles jets to warn away Chinese planes in its air defence zone

06/22/2022

Taiwan scrambled jets on Tuesday to warn away 29 Chinese aircraft in its air defence zone, including bombers that flew south of the island and into the Pacific, in the latest uptick in tensions and largest incursion since late May.

U.S. may let Tajikistan hold on to fleeing Afghan aircraft

06/21/2022

The United States may let Tajikistan hold on to Afghan military aircraft donated by the U.S. that sought shelter in the Central Asian country following the U.S. withdrawal from Kabul last August, a U.S. military commander said. U.S.-trained Afghan pilots flew dozens of military planes and helicopters to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as they fled the Islamist Taliban who took over the country as foreign forces withdrew.

South Korean Air Force conducts large-scale exercise to counter ‘enemy provocations’

06/21/2022

The South Korean Air Force on Monday kicked off a large-scale aerial military exercise to enhance combat readiness and prepare for possible “enemy provocations,” including a surprise invasion. The theater-level “Soaring Eagle” combat training exercise is being staged over five days through Friday at the 29th Tactical Fighter Weapons Group located at an air base in the central city of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province.

House Moves to Upgrade, Not Retire, Oldest F-22s

06/21/2022

The Air Force’s plans to divest its oldest 33 F-22 Raptor fighters met with a sharp rebuke from the House Armed Services Committee, which moved instead to mandate the Air Force maintain the full Raptor fleet and upgrade the older planes to the newest configuration in its version of the 2023 National Defense Authorization bill.

Russian pilots still use non-military navigation equipment

06/21/2022

Russian military pilots are still actively using insecure, non-military navigation equipment due to the low quality of Russian own navigation systems. Ukraine has shared abundant evidence that Russians have added off-the-shelf GPS systems, such as Garmin, to the cockpit of its combat aircraft. During the interrogation of the Russian pilot captured on June 18, it turned out that he had with him a Garmin navigator and a smartphone with the ‘Pronebo’ soft in order to have more accurate navigation.

China completes third aircraft carrier, first with a catapult launch system

06/21/2022

China has launched its third aircraft carrier and the first to feature a catapult aircraft launch system. The ship designed and built in China was christened as “Fujian” named after the Chinese province opposite Taiwan, according to state-run news agency Xinhua. According to Defense News, “Fujian” was launched at the Shanghai shipyard where it had undergone construction since 2018.

RAF’s F-35Bs participate in exercise Ocean Hit in Bay of Biscay

06/21/2022

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has deployed four F-35B Lightning II aircraft to participate in the air combat training exercise, Ocean Hit. The exercise was conducted in the Bay of Biscay, a gulf of the north-east Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. As part of the exercise, the F-35B aircraft trained with Nato and European partner nations in a combat scenario.

NATO Aims to Bolster Eastern Flank With Stealth Aircraft

06/20/2022

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken the foundation of European security to its core and generated a host of sweeping future plans to expand, strengthen, and improve NATO. n close coordination with NATO allies, the Pentagon will pre-position equipment, pursue “scalable” forward formations, streamline multinational command and control, and emphasize rapid deployment ability to respond to future contingencies.

3 Chinese military aircraft intrudes on Taiwan's ADIZ

06/20/2022

Three Chinese military aircraft on Saturday (local time) breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ). Two People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-16 fighter jets and one Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine warfare plane were tracked in the southwest corner of Taiwan's ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND), reported Taiwan News.

Air Force's first fifth-generation fighter combat instructors

06/20/2022

Each Air Warfare Instructor Course (AWIC) includes a Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI) course, which debuted for the F-35A Lightning II this year. Commanding Officer of No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit, Wing Commander Jordan Sander, spoke to Squadron Leader Eamon Hamilton about bringing a fifth-generation fighter capability into AWIC.

Ukraine Army destroys about 33,350 enemy troops and 1,456 tanks

06/19/2022

Russia has already lost about 33,350 troops in Ukraine (+200 over the past day). The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Jordan buys 8 F-16 Block 70 fighters, but the US stopped production

06/19/2022

Another country has wanted to acquire the latest version of the 4 ++ generation F-16 Block 70 fighter, and this is the Kingdom of Jordan. The Middle East country has ordered eight fighter jets, but there is a problem: orders from Bahrain, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Morocco, and Taiwan are waiting in the production line.

Iranian F-14 fighter jet crashes, pilots survive

06/19/2022

Iranian F-14 fighter jet crashed on Saturday, causing injury to one of its crew members, media in I mentioned the Islamic Republic. He added, “The plane experienced a technical malfunction… the pilot and his co-pilot landed with “Umbrellas”, the ministry’s spokesperson said for The military in Isfahan province where crash Event.

Russian Aircraft Crashes Amid Aggressive Ukrainian Retaliation; Fighter Pilot Ejects Safely — Reports

06/18/2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently made an emotional pitch begging for military aid that could help strike enemy positions amid relentless Russian shelling on Ukrainian positions in the Luhansk region. Reports suggest that a Russian Su-25 fighter jet crashed near the Ukrainian border. A video showed the fighter’s charred wreckage near Russia’s Belgorod region, which shares borders with Ukraine’s Luhansk, Kharkiv, and Sumy provinces.

Raytheon selected for key project to modernise USAF’s A-10 aircraft

06/18/2022

Raytheon Technologies’ company Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) has been selected for a $46.2m project-level agreement to modernise the US Air Force’s (USAF) A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft. The firm-fixed-price contract falls under the System of Systems Consortium’s (SOSSEC) Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) consortium initiative Other Transaction Authority (OTA).

Air Force selects future aircrew helmet

06/18/2022

The Air Force selected LIFT Airborne Technologies in April 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.

Why Ukraine’s wins against Russian aircraft should worry the US Air Force

06/18/2022

There’s an old sports cliché that offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships — and the U.S. Air Force may learn a thing or two from seeing it play out in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That’s because Ukraine, despite having a smaller, lower-tech air force than Russia, has managed to keep Russian aircraft largely out of the country through the clever use of mobile anti-aircraft missile launchers and their knowledge of the terrain, according to a recently-published essay by airpower e

China unveils cutting-edge aircraft carrier, first to be locally designed

06/18/2022

China unveiled its first homegrown aircraft carrier on Friday, a vessel with advanced aircraft launch technology similar to its U.S. counterparts, in an event designed to symbolize the country’s expanding military might. In a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, officials unveiled the Type 003 warship, called “Fujian” according to the country’s defense ministry and state media.