Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Singapore military aircraft that flew over Johor were taking part in exercise: Mindef

10/20/2021

Singapore military aircraft that flew over southern Johor earlier this month were taking part in a multilateral exercise and had obtained the requisite approvals to enter Malaysian territorial airspace, said the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) on Tuesday (Oct 19).

Right on Cue, North Korea Testing Ballistic Missiles, as Predicted by DIA

10/20/2021

No sooner had the Defense Intelligence Agency issued its North Korean Military Power report, in which it predicted Pyongyang would resume ballistic missile tests, than North Korea did exactly that, lofting a submarine-launched ballistic missile Oct. 19. The test, in which an SLBM launched from the port of Sinpo into the Sea of Japan, was detected and characterized by South Korea, which said the missile attained an altitude of about 40 miles, traveling about 280 miles downrange.

Lockheed Martin to manufacture training system to help protect combat jet aircrews from radar-guided enemy missiles

10/20/2021

Radar experts at Lockheed Martin Corp. will build a mobile advanced radar system to help pilots of the F-35 joint strike fighter learn to operate safely in hostile areas guarded by modern radar-guided surface-to-air missiles.

Six companies bidding for RMAF LCA contract

10/19/2021

SIX companies are understood to have submitted bids to supply 18 light combat aircraft (LCA) to the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) in a tender that closed last week, sources say. While the details were not readily available, the contract for one squadron (18 planes) of LCA is said to be valued at around RM4 billion, with half of the amount, or RM2 billion, to be paid via counter trade involving crude palm oil or palm oil products.

Israel Requests Refueling Aircraft ASAP From Boeing

10/19/2021

In what appears to be a response to the growing tensions with Iran, Israel’s Ministry of Defense has requested the US hasten delivery of eight Boeing KC-46 refueling airplanes ordered earlier this year but expected to arrive only in two years.

Namibian F-7 fighter badly damaged in runway overshoot

10/19/2021

A Namibia Defence Force (NDF) F-7 fighter jet has been badly damaged in a runway excursion at Ondangwa’s Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport. The aircraft (0315) suffered the incident on 15 October. The Chief of the Namibia Defence Force, Air Marshal Martin Pinehas, told Informante that the aircraft had landed normally but its brake parachute failed to deploy, causing it to overshoot the runway. As Ondangwa is now a commercial airport, it does not have arresting systems, he said.

Air Force to start annual defense drills Monday

10/18/2021

The Air Force will hold its annual Tien Lung drills from Monday until Oct. 29, with the bulk of the exercises taking place in Jiadong, Pingtung County, according to military sources. The source told CNA that Air Force F-16Vs, Mirage-2000s, and Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDFs) will take part in the annual maneuvers, which will also include competitive testing of the Air Force's air-to-ground, air-to-sea, air-to-air, and land-based combat skills.

German military planes fly over Jerusalem for 1st time since WWI in show of ties

10/18/2021

Israeli Air Force and German Luftwaffe aircraft performed a flyby over the Knesset in Jerusalem on Sunday afternoon as a display of the close cooperation between the two countries and their militaries, the Israel Defense Forces said. This was the first time that German aircraft have flown over Jerusalem since World War I.

Turkey 'continuing talks' with US over F-35 payment, F-16 purchase

10/18/2021

Negotiations between Turkey and the United States have been continuing on Ankara’s purchase of Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits to upgrade its existing warplanes, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday. The statements by the president came as a confirmation on earlier reports that claimed Turkey is set to acquire 40 new F-16V Block 70 aircraft and nearly 80 kits to modernize its F-16 fighters.

French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Back at Sea After A Hiatus

10/17/2021

The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, flagship of the Marine Nationale, returned to service late in September after completing a three-month-long maintenance period. The recent maintenance focused on the modernization of the carrier’s combat system. Living conditions for the crew were also improved. The vessel conducted sea trials in September.

Sukhoi Says More Than 70 Su-57 to be Delivered by 2027

10/17/2021

Moscow has touted the capabilities of its fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 multirole fighter for nearly a decade. While the development of the aircraft actually began in 2002, progress was slowed due to financial constraints in Russia and it wasn’t until January 2010 that the combat aircraft even made its maiden flight.

Air force to kick off multi-national Blue Flag drill over Israel next week

10/15/2021

The Israeli Air Force will host a massive, multi-national aerial exercise beginning next week and lasting through the end of the month, which will include fly-bys over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the military said Thursday. Teams from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Greece and India will participate in the fifth biennial Blue Flag exercise, the Israel Defense Forces said.

Low-boom supersonic aircraft wins US Air Force funding

10/15/2021

The Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract will fund the development of a supersonic uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) demonstrator. Awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s AFWERX, the contract is in partnership with Air Combat Command and the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate.

Bangladesh Looks To Buy Eurofighter Typhoons, Sideline Rafale Fighter Jets Due To India Factor – Expert

10/15/2021

With its economy booming, Bangladesh is embarking on a modernization plan, which includes acquiring Western combat aircraft for the first time in its history. Eurofighter Typhoon is believed to be the front-runner while Dassault Rafale is seen as the second favorite, as per experts.

Pilot lost control of wobbling F-22 that spiraled to the ground in secretive crash last year

10/14/2021

Newly obtained documents offer a clearer picture of an F-22 Raptor’s demise in Florida last year when it crashed near Eglin Air Force Base during training with other fighter jets. The F-22 grew increasingly wobbly upon takeoff, refused to turn left and shortly barrel-rolled into the ground after its pilot safely ejected, according to the Air Force’s investigation into the May 15, 2020, incident that was not previously made public.

New Air Force Trainer Jet Supports ‘Reforge’ Concept

10/14/2021

The Air Force’s just-announced program to buy a new jet trainer is meant to support the “Reforge” overhaul of the fighter training enterprise put forward by Air Combat Command last year, but the program is in its earliest stage, and no timing for acquiring the airplane has been set, according to ACC.

Israel Air Force asks to swap four KC-46 tanker aircraft instead of two

10/13/2021

The Israeli Air Force has asked the US Air Force to advance the acquisition of four out of eight tankers that are required for long-range missions, with two of them asked to be delivered immediately. The US State Department approved the possible sale of up to eight KC-46 tanker aircraft and related equipment to Israel for an estimated cost of $2.4 billion last March, marking the first time that Washington has allowed Jerusalem to buy new tankers.

Biden administration reportedly backs Turkey’s $6B F-16 deal request

10/13/2021

Turkey’s request for Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits to upgrade its existing warplanes is valued at $6 billion (TL 54.02 billion), according to Turkish sources who spoke to two different media organizations Tuesday. Considering U.S. Congress' opposition to Ankara purchasing arms due to several lingering issues, it was thought that it would be difficult to win approval for the deal, however, reports have said that the new U.S. administration supports it.

LMXT: The Future of the U.S. Air Force and Nightmare for China?

10/13/2021

Harry J. Kazianis, Senior Director at the Center for the National Interest and Executive Editor of the National Interest, spoke with Ken Moss, LMXT Capture Manager at Lockheed Martin, on the new LMXT program. Here is a lightly edited version of the conversation:

Air Force Wants Up to 400 Advanced Fighter Trainers Like T-7s

10/13/2021

The Air Force is seeking “at least 100” and as many as 400 Advanced Tactical Trainer aircraft both to train fighter pilots and to serve as adversary aircraft in training, a role similar to that now performed by the AT-38. While the Air Force seems likely to be looking at adding to the role of the T-7A, the service did not mention that airplane or its maker, Boeing, in the request for information published Oct. 12.

A Tale of 2 Navies: India and China’s Carrier Airwing Development

10/12/2021

Despite the Indian Navy’s head start in the 1990s, China’s carrier capabilities and virtually all carrier-relevant industries have overtaken India’s in scale and sophistication.

India’s $18B Aircraft Deal: Did US Offer Its F-35 Stealth Fighter Jets To Indian Air Force For Dumping Russian S-400s?

10/12/2021

The IAF had in April 2019 issued a Request for Information (RFI) to acquire 114 jets at an estimated cost of $18 billion. The contract was promoted as one of the world’s biggest military procurement programs. The speculation about Washington’s desire to sell its fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets to India for both the Airforce and Navy took rounds on the internet and became an instant topic of discussion among military analysts in 2018.

Three Times The Speed Of Sound, How India’s Trisonic Fighter Aircraft Left Pakistan’s F-16s, Chinese Defenses ‘High & Dry’

10/11/2021

But an equally glorious, intriguing, and daring mission happened 24 years ago when an IAF reconnaissance aircraft made its presence heard over Islamabad, the capital of neighboring Pakistan, by unleashing a sonic boom in broad daylight.

China fumes over reports of U.S. Special Ops training force in Taiwan

10/09/2021

New reports that the U.S. has secretly sent teams of special operations soldiers and Marines to Taiwan to train military forces there has added fresh fuel to rising tensions with an increasingly bellicose China. About two dozen troops have been conducting training missions with Taiwan‘s ground forces for at least a year, in an effort to shore up the island’s defenses against a possible invasion by Beijing, according to a report this week from The Wall Street Journal.

US Air Force receives prototype combat laser for ground attack aircraft

10/09/2021

Lockheed Martin has delivered to the US Air Force an airborne high-energy laser prototype called AHEL, which will be tested next year on a ground-attack aircraft, the military technology manufacturer reported in release. The laser must first be integrated with other systems for ground testing and later the complete weapons system can be incorporated into an AC-130J Ghostrider aircraft to evaluate its performance in the air.