Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

The RAF’s Typhoon fighter jet got its first air-to-air kill over Syria

12/22/2021

The Eurofighter Typhoon is an air superiority fighter aircraft manufactured by a consortium of Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo. As its name implies, the Typhoon is a multinational collaboration among the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Its combat debut came in 2011 during the military intervention in Libya with the UK’s RAF and the Italian Air Force. Although it proved itself to be a capable ground-attack aircraft, the Typhoon was designed to be a dogfighter.

DOD Has Increased Its Use of Contracts to Meet Training Requirements

12/22/2021

The Department of Defense hires private companies to provide "enemy" aircraft for U.S. military training. DOD awarded almost $8.4 billion for these air support contracts in FY 2015 through 2020. We found contract awards for air support have increased since FY 2015. For example, the Air Force awarded an air support contract for $83 million in 2015 and awarded a $6.4 billion contract in 2020.

Greece Has Sky High-Hopes of Getting US F-35 Fighter Jets

12/21/2021

After Turkey was barred from acquiring them, Greece’s Air Force wants to get US-made F-35 fighter jets to bolster the country’s arsenal, hopes rising after an amendment in the American Senate tied to the defense budget. That was co-authored by New Jersey Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez and Florida Republican Marco Rubio in an increasingly rare bipartisan move in the US Senate that has split over ideological lines.

Inside China’s rapidly growing naval force and what this means for Australia

12/20/2021

Expect to see these soon: Chinese social media is boasting of its rapidly growing naval strength, with comprehensive and powerful battle groups soon to begin roaming the world’s seas. A set of graphic representations of Beijing’s next-generation aircraft carrier, only known as Type 003 at this point, is capitalising upon a rapidly looming shift in the world’s balance of power.

China's 2nd aircraft carrier conducts exercises in South China Sea

12/20/2021

The Shandong, the second aircraft carrier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, recently set out for realistic combat-oriented drills in the South China Sea, in a move experts said on Sunday will enhance its capabilities.

Turkey to train its pilots on Qatar’s French-made jets to counter Greece’s Rafale fleet

12/20/2021

The Turkish Air Force is set to train with Qatar’s French-made Dassault Rafale jets to counter the Greek military, which has increased its air force capabilities with newly acquired Rafale fighter aircraft from its ally France, Nordic Monitor has learned.

Revived hopes for buying the F-35 aircraft

12/20/2021

The passage by the US Senate of the country’s defense budget, including the Menendez-Rubio amendment enhancing defense cooperation with Greece, has revived talk about Greece’s possible acquisition of the fifth-generation F-35 stealth multirole combat aircraft.

USAF F-15C pilot who became TOPGUN instructor explains how he helped the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School to develop tactics to counter the MiG-23 Flogger

12/19/2021

The history of air combat has seen one recurring theme—new tactics are learned in battle, forgotten or discarded when battle concludes, and relearned at great cost during the next war. This cycle continued into the 1960s, when America was drawn into the Vietnam War. Despite having a skill and equipment advantage, US Navy aircrews were faring poorly against North Vietnamese fighters.

The end of the US combat mission in Iraq: A meaningful change?

12/19/2021

Earlier this month, the US military announced it had ended its combat role in Iraq. The move comes just a few months after a July meeting between Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and US President Joe Biden. Afterwards, the leaders issued a statement announcing that "there will be no US forces with a combat role in Iraq by December 31, 2021."

Turkey, Azerbaijan could start production of combat aircraft

12/19/2021

Turkey has reportedly offered Azerbaijan and Pakistan to join the production of national combat aircraft. "Our doors for the joint production of national combat aircraft are open to countries that want to cooperate with us," President of Turkey's Defense Industries Ismail Demir said in an interview with CNN Turk on Friday, December 17.

Brazilian Air Force receives new batch of Meteor missiles

12/19/2021

The Brazilian Air Force (FAB) received the second batch of the Meteor missile, which will equip the F-39 Gripen fighter, the first four units of which were delivered by Saab on November 24. The first batch, of a few units, had been purchased for development, integration and qualification of the aircraft. With the new armament, Brazil will make a leap in air combat capability, significantly increasing the Air Force’s deterrent capacity.

The US confirms its commitment to the sale of F-35 aircraft to the United Arab Emirates

12/19/2021

The US Government remains “very committed” to the sale of 50 F-35 combat aircraft to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as part of an agreement for the supply of $ 23.37 billion worth of military equipment to one of its main allies in the Middle East. This was indicated in a telephone call with journalists by a senior official in the Administration of President Joe Biden, who admitted, however, that it is a “very complicated sale.”

Loyal wingmen could be used to break open enemy defences

12/17/2021

Boeing didn’t mention it, but Christopher Pyne did: the company’s Airpower Teaming System could be armed. Australia’s then defence minister, speaking at the unveiling of the ATS in February 2019, omitted details of kinetic missions that might be undertaken by the aircraft, a ‘loyal wingman’ drone. But they’re not hard to guess. Most obviously, they would be attacks on relatively easy surface targets but also, quite possibly, shooting down low-performance aircraft.

RAF Lakenheath Has Become The First Base in Europe To Receive U.S. Air Force F-35s

12/17/2021

Four F-35A aircraft departed from Fort Worth, Texas, arrived at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, on Dec. 15, 2021, marking the arrival of the first Europe-based USAF’s Lightning II 5th generation. Flying as RETRO 31-34 and supported by BLUE81, a KC-135R #59-1495, and BLUE82, a KC-10A Extender #84-0189, the four aircraft (#19-5473, #19-5474, #19-5475 and #19-5476) approached RAF Lakenheath as a 4 ship at 13.50L before braking off and then all of them landing on RWY24.

British Typhoon Fighter Downed A Drone Over Syria For Its First Air-To-Air Kill

12/17/2021

The U.K. Ministry of Defense has confirmed that a Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon FGR4 fighter jet shot down a hostile drone over Syria earlier this week, in what is the first confirmed air-to-air engagement for this type in British service. The event was also the first time that the RAF has fired an air-to-air missile during Operation Shader, the British contribution to the U.S.-led campaign against ISIS in the Middle East.

Lockheed to Offer ‘Competitive Pricing’ on T-50-Derived Advanced Fighter Trainer

12/17/2021

Lockheed Martin will offer a variant of its T-50A in the competition to build the Air Force’s new tactical fighter trainer rather than a clean-sheet design, the company said Dec. 14, insisting it will achieve “competitive pricing” with the aircraft. The jet was second in the T-X competition that Boeing won with a fresh design three years ago.

Utah Air National Guard Selected as the KC-135 Test Detachment for the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center

12/16/2021

On November 2nd, 2021, Lt. Gen. Michael Loh, director of the Air National Guard, announced the selection of the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing as the KC-135 Test Detachment for the Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Test Center (AATC). This announcement officially formalizes an arrangement between the Utah Air National Guard and AATC to continue providing operational test capabilities to the KC-135 community.

Air Force Wants Combat Drones Controlled by Piloted Aircraft

12/16/2021

The U.S. Air Force wants to soon add to its arsenal remotely piloted air combat vehicles that may be networked and controlled by piloted aircraft, according to the service’s top official. The news comes days after USAF Secretary Frank Kendall also confirmed that the Air Force will ask for funding for two classified remotely piloted air combat vehicles in the next defense budget, according to reports.

UAE suspends discussions for purchase of U.S. F-35 fighter jets

12/15/2021

The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday announced it was suspending discussions with the United States over the purchase of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet. A UAE official told CNN the country made the decision after "technical requirements, sovereign operational restrictions and cost/benefit analysis led to the re-assessment."

What If The Advanced Tactical Trainer The USAF Says It Wants Already Exists As A Fighter?

12/15/2021

The U.S. Air Force says it wants a more realistic, cost effective way to transition advanced student pilots to the 5th generation strike fighter aircraft it envisions filling its fleet with. It’s looking at modified trainer-based platforms to meet that goal but what if a ready-made option already in exists in the form of Sweden’s oft-shunned Gripen?

Latest AMRAAM Air-To-Air Missile Aims To Keep Pace With China

12/14/2021

The venerable AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, which got its first kill back in 1992, is set to get another major boost in capability. Although the U.S. military has a designated successor now in the works, the West’s most popular radar-guided air-to-air missile is about to be fielded in a new iteration, known as F3R.

Romania wants to acquire 32 second-hand F-16 for US$ 514 million

12/14/2021

The aircraft would come from Norway, which is replacing its current fleet of F-16 with F-35 Lightning IIs. Draken recently took delivery of a dozen of these fighters, and Romania intends to acquire the remainder. According to the Romanian media Digi24, of the 454 million euros (USS 514 million approx.) that the operation would cost, 354 are for the purchase of the F-16s and 100 million are for the logistics support package and modernization work.

Alaska-based F-35As are employing Air Force’s agile combat strategy in Japan

12/14/2021

A group of Air Force fifth-generation fighter jets from Alaska are in Japan to train alongside Marine Corps and Japanese aircraft and demonstrate their ability to disperse and fight far from home. F-35A Lightning IIs from Eielson Air Force Base’s 354th Fighter Wing arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on Dec. 3 for Operation Iron Dagger, according to a Thursday news release from Pacific Air Forces.

As evacuations from Afghanistan slow to a trickle, some ‘at risk’ allies may face long road to the United States

12/13/2021

When desperate Afghans fought their way into Kabul’s international airport during the last two weeks of August, most of those lucky enough to get past Taliban checkpoints, the crush of their panicked compatriots, and U.S. military and diplomatic gatekeepers found a spot on a departing airplane.

The first six Rafale jets of the Hellenic Air Force arrive in Greece on January 19

12/13/2021

Rafale is a twin-jet combat aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of short and long-range missions, including ground and sea attacks. Rafale is a twin-jet combat aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation and is capable of carrying out a wide range of short and long-range missions. It can be used to perform ground and sea attacks, reconnaissance, high-accuracy strikes and nuclear strike deterrence.