Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Air Force makes last call to develop enabling technologies for secure airborne networking for combat jets

11/12/2021

U.S. Air Force researchers are making last call for a four-year $50 million project to develop the next generation of directional low-probability-of-intercept networked aerial layer communications for high-performance combat jets. Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y., re-issued a broad agency announcement (FA875020S7003) on Monday for the Next-Generation Airborne Directional Networking project.

Biden administration wrestles with selling armed drones to Indonesia

11/12/2021

The State Department is mulling the sale of armed drones to Indonesia, but concerns over human rights abuses and the country’s past purchases of Russian equipment have set off a debate inside the Biden administration over approving the move, according to government and defense industry officials.

Russia unveils prototype of its Su-75 Checkmate fighter at Dubai Air Show

11/12/2021

State-owned technology company Rostec said that a prototype of the latest generation of Russian single-engine fighters Checkmate was delivered on board the An-124 “Ruslan” freighter to the United Arab Emirates for display at the Dubai Airshow. In fact, a prototype of the new Checkmate single-engine combat aircraft has arrived in the UAE for its participation in the Dubai International Airshow. The state-owned company said the plane was delivered to the Dubai World Central complex by an An-124.

Spain Reported to be Eyeing F-35 Stealth Fighter Purchase

11/10/2021

The F-35 fighter jet could be the plane that flies over the plain in Spain as the NATO country looks to become the latest European nation to acquire the fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. If the European nation gets the greenlight to buy the weapon, then it will join the ranks of the UK, Belgium, Poland and Italy. Greece and the Czech Republic have expressed interest in the Joint Strike Fighter too.

China conducts combat readiness patrol as U.S. lawmakers visit Taiwan

11/10/2021

China's military said on Tuesday it had conducted a combat readiness patrol in the direction of the Taiwan Strait, after its defence ministry condemned a visit to Taiwan by a U.S. congressional delegation it said had arrived on a military aircraft. The patrol was aimed at the "seriously wrong" words and actions of "relevant countries" on the Taiwan issue and the activities of pro-independence forces in Taiwan, a Chinese military spokesperson said in a statement.

Satellite images expose China practising blowing up US warships

11/09/2021

Satellite photos have revealed China’s is so concerned with being able to destroy the United States’ enormous 100,000-ton aircraft carriers that it has built a mobile mock-up target in the middle of a desert. The US Naval Institute has published images based on a report from AllSource Analysis identifying a new use for an old ballistic missile live-fire testing range in the Taklamakan Desert, near the town of Ruoqiang in Xinjiang.

KAI wins $360 mln deal from Iraq to provide follow-up support for light attack aircraft

11/09/2021

South Korea's sole aircraft maker has secured a deal worth $360 million from the Iraqi government to provide logistics support, pilot flight training and maintenance education for light attack and training aircraft.

Airbus unveils jet trainer with eyes on Spain

11/09/2021

By the end of this decade, the Spanish Air Force will replace its half-century-old fighter trainers with data-centric aircraft to train its pilots to fly fifth- and sixth-generation jets. And even though a contract isn’t yet on the horizon, Airbus is ready to start building.

Spain considers an F-35 order. Is the FCAS threatened?

11/08/2021

Spain reportedly considers an order for a total of 50 F-35 stealth fighter jets. The order would comprise 25 F-35B and 25 F-35A, a Lockheed-Martin official told Jane’s on the sideline of a Royal Institute of International Affairs session. The F-35A would come as a replacement for the aging F/A-18 Hornets of the Ejército del Aire, the Spanish Air Force. As for the F-35B, it would allow the Spanish Navy to retire its antique AV-8 Harrier II, operating from the Juan Carlos I aircraft carrier.

Saudi Arabia and Israel Tiptoe Toward Overt Security Cooperation

11/07/2021

Israeli and Saudi fighter jets participated in the same patrol mission (albeit at different times) on Oct. 30, accompanying a U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber circumnavigating the Arabian Peninsula and attempting to send a deterrence message to Tehran. Riyadh's willingness to join a military mission involving Israel is the latest indication that the actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran are incentivizing some Arab capitals to tiptoe toward overt security cooperation with Israel.

Saudis Cleared To Buy Hundreds More AMRAAM Missiles They've Been Using To Shoot Down Drones

11/06/2021

Saudi Arabia plans on topping up its stocks of AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAMs, with a batch of no fewer than 280 examples, worth $650 million, with which to arm its fighter jets. The planned missile spending spree comes as the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) continues its relentless campaign to shoot down drones launched against its territory by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen.

Next-Generation Power for Air Force Fighters

11/06/2021

After nearly 15 years in development and a $4 billion Air Force investment, two brand-new fighter engines are in test, promising game-changing improvement in range and thrust. Which airplane they will equip first—and when—is suddenly a hot debate in Washington.

Meet the Saab 'Gripen': A Powerful Fighter Jet You've Never Heard Of

11/06/2021

First flown in December of 1988, the venerable SAAB JAS 39 "Gripen" (Griffon) might actually be one of the most capable non-stealth jet fighters ever built. Designed to replace the SAAB 35 "Viggen" and SAAB 37 "Draken", the JAS 39 officially entered service in 1997.

S. Korea seeks to sell 10 fighter jets to Slovakia

11/04/2021

Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, is in talks with the Slovakian government to sell 10 FA-50 homegrown trainer jets in a $500 million deal, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Wednesday. KAI is set to sign a deal with Slovakian aircraft repair company LOTN on Wednesday in Hungary upon President Moon Jae-in’s European tour this week.

Sikorsky considers developing new communications links to connect future combat helicopters and jet fighters

11/04/2021

Avionics designers at Lockheed Martin Corp. are exploring ways to connect Sikorsky’s next-generation helicopters with combat aircraft such as F-35 jet fighters. American Military News reports. Continue reading original article

The A-10 that landed without a canopy or landing gear is back flying after 3 years of repairs

11/04/2021

It was July 20, 2017, and Capt. Brett DeVries was in trouble. The Michigan Air National Guard pilot was flying an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane on a training mission over Michigan’s Grayling Air Gunnery Range when the aircraft’s 30mm cannon malfunctioned, blowing off the A-10’s canopy and sending his maps and checklists flying.

Northrop Grumman Might Have Previewed Its Newest Fighter

11/04/2021

In a just-released advertisement, Northrop Grumman drops a hint at what might be their entry into the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, an effort to field a sixth-generation combat aircraft.

Russia to feature cutting-edge Checkmate fighter at Dubai Airshow

11/03/2021

Russia’s state tech corporation Rostec will for the first time demonstrate the Checkmate fifth-generation single-engine fighter at the Dubai Airshow 2021 that will run in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on November 14-18, a source in the aircraft-building industry told TASS on Tuesday.

Air Force Awarded F-15EX Engine Contract to General Electric

11/03/2021

Last month the United States Air Force awarded a $1,579,662,187 contract to General Electric, GE Edison Works, Cincinnati, for the purchase of twenty-nine engines—installs and spares—in support of the production of 12 Boeing F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. Initial deliveries of the engines will begin in October 2023.

Hundreds Of South Korean And U.S. Warplanes Are Conducting A Secretive Exercise In Korea

11/03/2021

Amid a simmering ‘missile race’ on the Korean peninsula, South Korea and the United States are running a large-scale air exercise in the region, with around 200 aircraft reportedly involved. The maneuvers represent a return to the large-scale collaboration of this kind between the two nations that was scaled back dramatically as Washington attempted to negotiate with North Korea about its nuclear weapons program.

Russian fighter jets spotted at base in ‘super close proximity’ to US forces for first time

10/31/2021

A possible larger deployment may be on the horizon as Moscow hopes to increase its presence in the northeastern part of Syria. An undated photo apparently shows a Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35S at the Qamishli Airport. The picture was posted on Twitter with geolocation. The photo also features a medium-range R-77 and a short-range R-73. The Su-35S has been a regular flanker in Syria since Moscow launched it back in September 2015.

Pictures of China’s Controversial New Jet Have Emerged

10/31/2021

The first images of the much anticipated two-seat Chengdu J-20 have emerged in various news reports, a development which for the first time shines a light on new dimensions of Chinese fifth-generation stealth fighter modernization.

Japanese Fighter Pilots To Be Trained At Italy’s International Flight Training School

10/31/2021

The new International Flight Training School (IFTS), a joint venture between the Italian Air Force and Leonardo, currently located at Lecce-Galatina Air Base, in southeastern Italy, but about to relocate to Decimomannu Air Base, Sardinia, continues to attract the interest of foreign air forces. After the two Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF) pilots, who have already reached the final stage of the LIFT (Lead In to Fighter Training) course.

After Rejecting Dassault Rafale, Brazil Set To Receive The ‘Most-Advanced’ Variant Of SAAB Gripen Fighter Jet

10/31/2021

Saab currently has nine jets ready in its assembly line and the number will rise by the end of December 2021. Four of these Gripens will be sent to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) early next year. This delivery is part of a contract for 36 Gripen E signed years ago.

US Navy reveals more details on future F/A-XX fighter

10/31/2021

The US Navy brought more details about the NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) program, which will give rise to the 6th gen fighter still known only by the provisional designation of the F/A-XX. The new fighter jet will replace the Boeing F/A-18E/F as air defense and attack aircraft on US nuclear carriers in the mid-2030s. And its role will be quite different from the Super Hornet, as a document shows of the Navy recently released, the “Navy Aviation Vision, 2030-2035”.