Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Pakistan buys Chengdu J-10 fighter jets from China

12/30/2021

The rumor that has been going around for a couple of years has just been confirmed. Pakistan is acquiring more than 25 Chengdu J-10 «Vigorous Dragon» multirole fighters, to face India’s purchase of the Dassault Rafale. The news was made public by Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Pakistan’s Interior Minister, during a public event.

India’s LCA Tejas Mark 2 achieves CDR acceptance

12/30/2021

India’s home grown light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark 2 has achieved a milestone with the Deputy Chief of Air Staff (DCAS) accepting its comprehensive design review (CDR). DCAS air marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari accepted the CDR for Tejas Mark 2 last month, reported Business Standard.

NATO jets scrambled hundreds of times in 2021 to guard Allied airspace

12/29/2021

NATO fighter jets scrambled around 370 times across Europe in 2021, mostly to check aircraft flying unannounced near Allied air space. Around 80 percent of the missions, 290 in total, were in response to flights by Russian military aircraft.

Austria To Replace Alouette IIIs with Leonardo AW169s

12/29/2021

The government of Austria signed a deal with Italy on December 20 to procure 18 Leonardo AW169/169M helicopters, plus spares, training, and support, with an option for a further 18. The decision to buy the militarized version of the AW169 was announced in September 2020 by Austrian defense minister Klaudia Tanner.

Russian and British naval forces raced to find a downed jet with top secret tech

12/29/2021

The crash of a Royal Navy F-35B Lighting II sparked a race to find the jet’s remnants in November 2021. In the aftermath of the crash, the United Kingdom’s Navy scrambled to get to the site before the Russians could reach it and the potentially billions of dollars worth of top secret technology that went down with it.

Turkey Needs To Follow UAE’s Lead And Acquire A 4.5-Generation Stopgap Fighter

12/29/2021

The United Arab Emirates' landmark deal to procure 80 cutting-edge Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets from France gives the Emirati Air Force a highly formidable interim solution until it finally takes delivery of F-35 Lightning IIs or another fifth-generation fighter. Turkey, on the other hand, still needs a similar stopgap solution and may find itself in a bind if the U.S. refuses to sell the advanced F-16s and modernization kits Ankara recently requested.

Royal Netherlands Air Force achieves IOC for its F-35A fleet

12/29/2021

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence has declared initial operational capability (IOC) for the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF) F-35A fleet. The latest announcement makes the Netherlands the eighth nation and RNLAF the 12th military service to acheive IOC for their F-35 fleet of aircraft. Lockheed Martin F-35 Program vice-president and general manager Bridget Lauderdale said: “The declaration of IOC ushers in a new era of air power that gives the RNLAF transformational capabilities.

The United States Navy’s Unmanned Aerial Refueler is Wrapping Up Trials

12/28/2021

The Navy is further developing their MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling drone, an odd-looking unmanned vehicle with a unique set of capabilities. The Navy explains that the “MQ-25 will be the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is integral to the future carrier air wing (CVW),” and that the MQ-25 “will provide an aerial refueling capability that extends the range, operational capability, and lethality of the CVW (carrier air wing) and carrier strike group (CSG).”

Robins’ 4 JSTARS Aircraft Set for Fiscal 2022 Retirement

12/28/2021

The U.S. Air Force has approved the divestment of four E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia throughout the fiscal year 2022. Airmen attached to the E-8 JSTARS fleet will be repurposed for new missions aligned with the future Air Force force design at Robins and other military bases as part of the changes, the Air Combat Command said Tuesday.

Japan Approves Record Defense Budget for Fiscal Year 2022

12/28/2021

On December 24, the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio approved 5.4 trillion yen ($47.2 billion) defense spending in fiscal year 2022, starting in April, amid the increasingly tense security environment in east Asia. Including U.S. Forces realignment-related expenses allocated for mitigating impacts on local communities, this marked another record figure for the eighth year in a row in the history of Japan’s national defense budget.

A Bigger Defense Budget Is Nothing to Celebrate

12/28/2021

In some ways, the passage of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act counts as a significant achievement. Leaders in the House and Senate overcame grandstanding and obstruction by lawmakers on both sides to pass a bill with broad bipartisan support. In doing so, they addressed a range of critical issues, from reforming how sexual-assault cases are handled to combating hunger among military families.

Indonesia Drops Russian Fighter Acquisition Plans

12/28/2021

The Indonesian National Defense-Air Force (TNI-AU) has given up its quest to acquire Russian combat aircraft. Instead, the service will shift its focus to two Western alternatives, the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II and the French Dassault Rafale. The TNI-AU continues to plan and execute a long-term strategy aimed at modernizing its fighter fleet by upgrading existing assets and expanding capabilities, an effort that dates back to phase one of the Minimum Essential Force program undertaken from 2009 thr

Saudi and US air forces conclude joint combat readiness exercise

12/27/2021

The Royal Saudi Air Force and their US counterparts concluded a bilateral exercise in western Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom’s defense ministry said on Sunday. The combat readiness maneuvers were held at King Abdullah Air Base and are part of a number of joint exercises between both countries’ air forces to enhance military cooperation, coordination and exchange of expertise.

End Of Year 2021 F-35 Milestones

12/27/2021

Naval News reached out to the Joint Strike Fighter Program Office in December 2021 for an update on the F-35 and how the U.S. Defense Department views the latest developments in peer nations copying this single-engine, single pilot stealth fighter that has entered operational service with the U.S. Armed Forces and U.S. allies around the world.

MiG-21 crashes in Rajasthan, Indian Air Force pilot killed

12/26/2021

A MiG-21 Bison of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Rajasthan on Friday evening, killing the pilot, Wing Commander Harshit Sinha. This is the fifth crash involving a Bison jet this year. “This evening, around 8:30 pm, a MiG-21 aircraft of IAF met with a flying accident in the western sector during a training sortie...,” the IAF said in a statement.

Japan Cabinet OKs record defense budget amid Taiwan concerns

12/25/2021

Japan’s Cabinet approved a record 5.4 trillion yen ($47 billion) defense budget for fiscal 2022 on Friday that includes funding for research and development of a new fighter jet and other “game-changing” weapons as Japan bolsters its defense capabilities in response to China’s growing military might and its tensions with Taiwan.

Russia’s CMD receives five MiG-31BM interceptor fighters

12/25/2021

Russia’s Central Military District (CMD) has received five MiG-31BM high-altitude interceptor fighters as per the basic weapons and military equipment supply plan of 2021. According to a Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation statement, a batch of five interceptor jets entered service with CMD’s fighter aviation regiment.

USS Gerald R. Ford Passes Combat Tests: Deployment Next?

12/25/2021

The carrier is armed with the Phalanx CIWS, which can be used to destroy incoming threats such as small boats, surface torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, and helicopters. It functions as part of an integrated, layered defense system in order to intercept closest-in threats.

The World's Fastest Plane's Successor Will Reach Over 4,600 Miles

12/25/2021

The Lockheed Martin SR-72, which is rumored to be the world’s fastest plane, is expected to make a test flight in 2025, eight years after its private proposal in 2013. SR-72 will be the successor of the SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest manned aircraft which smashed speed records in 1974 and was retired by the U.S. Air Force back in 1998.

Indonesia excludes Su-35 from fighter aircraft acquisition plans

12/25/2021

The Indonesian government has announced that it will not proceed with the acquisition of Sukhoi Su-35 ‘Flanker-E' multirole combat aircraft. It has instead shortlisted the Dassault Rafale and the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II for the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU), Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo said on 22 December.

Chinese Carrier Group Drills in Pacific Ocean; Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group Wraps Up Exercise with Australia

12/23/2021

A six-ship People’s Liberation Army Navy carrier group led by aircraft carrier Liaoning (16) is currently operating in the Pacific Ocean, according to releases from the Japanese military. The PLAN carrier group featuring Liaoning, destroyer Nanchang (101), a Luyang III-class destroyer, frigate Rizhao (598) and another Type 54A Jiangkai II frigate, along with a Type 901 replenishment ship, was in the vicinity of the waters off the uninhabited Oki Daito Island, 315 kilometers, or about 196 miles.

Round-Up 2021: The year Indian Air Force bolstered its combat firepower

12/23/2021

The year 2021 has been eventful for the Indian Air Force with the induction of the Rafale fighter aircraft, deployment of the S-400 air defence system and contract signing for the procurement of transport aircraft C295. The Narendra Modi government, ever since it came to power in 2014, has prioritised the modernisation of armed forces. This year, the government undertook several measures to modernise the Indian Air Force and equip it to be battle-ready. Let's take a look.

Bell delivers Huey II to Bosnia and Herzegovina

12/22/2021

Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced the delivery of four Bell Huey II aircraft to the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) on Dec. 4. The aircraft are part of a Foreign Military Sale signed in December 2019.

Baltic air space defenders intercept Russian military aircraft

12/22/2021

The ministry reported on Monday, December 20, that in the week from December 13 to 19, the fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states intercepted one Antonov AN-12 aircraft flying from Russian mainland to the Kaliningrad Oblast. Its its onboard data transponder had been switched on, but the flight took place without a pre-filed flight plan and without maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.

The F-35’s Cyber Reliance Makes It Powerful—But Also Vulnerable to Attack

12/22/2021

This kind of cyber-reliant modernization trajectory for the F-35, intended to ensure the stealth jet retains its performance edge well into the 2070s and beyond, also needs to ensure that computer systems are sufficiently “hardened” against cyberattacks and intruders.