Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Rafale attacks on Turkish targets in al-Watiya airbase: Egyptian or French?

07/07/2020

Informed sources told The Arab Weekly that the warplanes that targeted al-Watiya airbase in western Libya were Rafale jets, which limits the identity of the attacking power to France and Egypt, the two countries within the range of the base that possess this type of aircraft. The sources considered the attack a quick response to Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar’s visit to Tripoli, which reflected the extent of Turkish persistence in western Libya.

Italian F-35As Perform First Alert Scramble From Iceland To Monitor Activity Of Three Russian Tu-142 Bear F/J Aircraft

07/07/2020

Several NATO aircraft were scrambled to intercept or monitor the Russian Naval Aviation activity. Among them, the Italian Air Force F-35A jets currently deployed to Iceland, for Operation Northern Lighting II, their second tour of duty in support of NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. According to NATO, the Italian 5th generation aircraft, belonging to th Task Group “Falco” of the Task Force Air 32nd Wing, in QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) at Keflavik, were scrambled to intercept the Russian airc

PLA Su-30 fighter jets edge near Taiwan as US military aircraft flies through the island

07/06/2020

The island of Taiwan‘s defense authority said fighter jets of the Chinese People‘s Liberation Army (PLA) approached the island on Tuesday, the day a US military aircraft flew over the island that‘s bound to further raise cross-Straits tensions following a series of US arms sales to the island, and a US warship transit through the Taiwan Straits.

The Australian Air Force Can Send Just Two Fighters Into Battle With China

07/06/2020

With China’s armed forces growing bigger and more sophisticated by the year, Western and allied militaries are scrambling to keep up. The Australian military, for one, has a plan for taking the fight to China. As part of a $400 billion defense-wide plan stretching out to 2030, the Royal Australian Air Force intends to arm its growing fleet of American-made fighters with long-range cruise missiles.

KF-X: South Korea Wants to Build Its Very Own Fighter Jet (And It's No F-35)

07/06/2020

In opting to domestically produce a fighter that they could almost certainly import for less, South Korea’s defense industry anticipates that the KF-X program will mark the beginning of a profitable fighter business to propel them as a leading military hardware exporter in the Southeast Asia region.

Indian Air Force geared up for combat role in China border area

07/05/2020

The frontline fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force are flying consistently in and out of this airbase near the border with China, including the Russian-origin mighty Su-30MKIs and the MiG-29s. When the ANI team visited the forward airbase, it could see transport aircraft including the American C-17 and the C-130J along with their Russian counterparts Ilyushin-76 and the Antonov-32.

The Forgotten Reason Why Israel Isn't Flying Stealth F-22 Raptors

07/04/2020

Congressman David Obey was worried that some of the sensitive and secretive technologies that went into developing the F-22 could be discovered and reverse-engineered by enemies of the United States if the U.S. were to export the airframe. In particular, the stealth characteristics unique to the plane.

Boris Johnson's rebranded RAF jet in Russian plane alert

07/04/2020

The Voyager was rebranded with the Union flag to "better represent" the UK abroad at a cost of £900,000 last month, sparking a political row. The aircraft has a military role in refuelling jets while in the air. It was scrambled along with RAF Lossiemouth Typhoons to intercept Russian military aircraft.

In the Future, Top Gun’s Wingman is a Drone

07/04/2020

The United States Air Force has posted a video about its Skyborg program. First revealed in March 2019, Skyborg was borne of an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) notion that drones outfitted with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities could give fighter pilots an advantage.

Russia Feels Threatened by Bigger US Presence in Poland

07/03/2020

Russia and the United States, since the end of the Cold War, have had confrontations on many issues, and it is highly unlikely if both will ever find something in common. There have been differences on regional issues from the Middle East and North Africa through Asia to Europe. Now the latest, that has drawn both global leaders into sharp antagonism is the proposed [re]deployment of US military forces from Germany to Poland.

Su-30SM fighter jets put on combat duty at Baranovichi airbase

07/02/2020

A ceremony to put Su-30SM fighter jets on standby posture to protect Belarus' borders took place at the 61st fighter airbase on 1 July, BelTA has learned. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin noted: “Today is a remarkable day for the personnel of the 61st airbase: the latest aircraft – Su-30SM – are put on standby posture to defend the skies. It is symbolical that the event took place on the eve of Independence Day and in the year of the 75th anniversary of the Victory.

Australia is getting the long-range missiles needed for a contested Indo-Pacific

07/02/2020

For the first time since the retirement of the F-111C bomber in 2010, the government looks set to restore a long-range deterrence and strike capability to the Australian Defence Force. This is a very sensible move.

Congress Questions Need for New Armed Overwatch Planes for SOCOM

07/02/2020

Congress wants to pump the brakes on U.S. Special Operations Command’s effort to buy a new plane for armed overwatch in remote areas, after many lawmakers recently supported a similar Air Force program. SOCOM wants a relatively uncomplicated, affordable aircraft that can offer airstrike backup as well as keep an eye on the battleground below to coordinate combat action and watch adversary movements.

F-35 simulators can now team up with other fighter sims for virtual combat

07/02/2020

U.S. Air Force F-35 pilots at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, will now be able to step into a simulator and train alongside virtual F-16s, F-15s and other aircraft, a Lockheed Martin executive said Wednesday. Air Combat Command formally accepted Lockheed’s Distributed Mission Training system on June 22 after a final test on June 18. During that test, four F-35 simulators at Nellis carried out a virtual mission with pilots in F-22, F-16 and E-3 AWACs simulators at other bases.

Lockheed Martin to build four new F-35C carrier-based combat jets and avionics for U.S. Navy operations

07/02/2020

The U.S. Navy is ordering four F-35C carrier-based fighter-bomber jet aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corp. under terms of a $360.8 million deal announced Monday. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics segment in Fort Worth, Texas, to build four F-35C Carrier Variant Lot 14 aircraft. The F-35C, which has a tail hook, folding wings, and structural reinforcement, is designed to take off and land on aircraft car

[Updated] USAF F-16CM from 20th Fighter Wing Crashes at Shaw AFB in South Carolina. Pilot Reported Dead.

07/01/2020

Reports Suggest the Aircraft Could Not Lower Its Landing Gear, Crashed on Landing. A USAF F-16CM Fighting Falcon has crashed at Shaw AFB near Sumter, South Carolina in the southeastern United States at approximately 23:30 local time. Images and video from the crash scene posted on Facebook showed smoke and flames coming from the base after sundown.

Pilot Killed in Fighter Jet Crash at Shaw Air Force Base, Officials Say

07/01/2020

The pilot of a fighter jet was killed in a crash late Tuesday night, Air Force officials said. The F-16CM Fighting Falcon was on a routine training mission from Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter when it went down at about 11:30 p.m., officials said in a news release.

India-China standoff: Why both sides cannot use military capability along LAC

07/01/2020

The India-China 1996 agreement lays down that neither side shall open fire, conduct blast operations or hunt with guns or explosives within two kilometres from the LAC.

Australia's defense spend to surge amid contest in Indo-Pacific

07/01/2020

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will announce an overhaul of Australia's defense strategy and force structure as the U.S. ally looks to counter an increasingly assertive China in an Indo-Pacific region he calls "the focus of the dominant global contest of our age."

Fears over vastly upgraded Iranian military if arms embargo ends

07/01/2020

Iran will significantly expand its military arsenal by buying high-grade weapons from both China and Russia once the arms embargo ends in October, leading defence analysts have said. The world’s most advanced air defence missiles – bar those from the United States – are likely to be snapped up by Tehran along with advanced jets and submarines if the United Nations ban is lifted.

US Air Force delays timeline for testing a laser on a fighter jet

07/01/2020

The U.S. Air Force’s long-planned test of an airborne laser weapon aboard a fighter jet has been delayed until 2023 due to technical challenges and complications spurred by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, its program head said.

Who’s Flying Those MiG-29s In Libya And Why Does It Matter?

06/30/2020

Even though the 14 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets and Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer bombers delivered by Russia to Libya in May have not yet been used in combat in Libya’s civil war, the question of who exactly is piloting these warplanes has already come up. A definitive answer could well shed a lot of light on the nature and purpose of this deployment.

India Deploys Israeli SPYDER Missiles Along With Akash Air Defence System Near China Border?

06/30/2020

The deployment of Akash Air Defence System comes after China reportedly increased its fighter jets and helicopter activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), de facto border of India and China.

Korea Aerospace wins W688b trainer jet deal

06/30/2020

Korea Aerospace Industries Co. (KAI), South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, said Tuesday it has received a 688 billion-won ($575 million) order to supply trainer jets for South Korea's Air Force by 2024. KAI signed the deal with the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to manufacture a total of 20 TA-50 lead-in fighter aircraft for radar tactical and combat mission training, the company said in a statement.

Middle East risks renewed arms race, US warns

06/30/2020

"Iran has not earned the trust to have the embargo lifted... The last thing this region needs is more Iranian weapons," said Brian Hook, President Donald Trump's special representative on Iran during a joint press conference in Saudi Arabia. Mr Hook stood alongside Adel Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's minister of state for foreign affairs.