Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

US Military Confirms First Combat Use of F-35C Fighter Jets in Yemen

11/26/2024

The US military has announced the first official combat use of its F-35C Lightning II fighter aircraft, targeting Houthi positions in Yemen. The fifth-generation aircraft was deployed by the US Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) earlier this month to strike weapons storage facilities, which housed anti-ship missiles used to target military and cargo vessels in the Red Sea.

1st Russian Fighter Jet ‘Shot Down’ By A NATO Country! When F-16 Fighting Falcon Downed RuAF Jet 9 Years Ago

11/26/2024

The tensions between Russia and NATO have reached a tipping point, with the Western allies now discussing their next course of action against Moscow. In the wake of this chaos, it has been nine years since a NATO country shot down a Russian fighter jet for the first time on November 24. The incident goes back to 2015, when tensions were running high between Russia and Turkey, a NATO state, due to the alleged repeated violations of Turkish airspace by Russian warplanes.

Musk targets Trump’s favorite fighter jet

11/26/2024

Elon Musk is tearing into the F-35, the most expensive weapons program in history and a favorite of his new best friend, President-elect Donald Trump. In a series of posts on X, the world’s richest man and proponent of driverless cars targeted the tri-service fighter jet program while coming out in favor of uncrewed aircraft.

Taiwan detects 8 Chinese military aircraft, 7 vessels near its border

11/25/2024

The Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) on Sunday reported the presence of Chinese military forces near Taiwan, detecting eight People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, and seven PLAN vessels. Notably, four of the detected aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, entering Taiwan's Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) in both the northern and southwestern regions.

‘Designed To Kill Sukhois’ – Sweden Hints At Arming Ukraine With 14 JAS-39 Gripens: All You Need To Know!

11/24/2024

Sweden’s defense minister, Pal Jonson, told reporters on November 22 that his country had included spare parts for 14 Saab JAS 39 Gripen combat aircraft in the aid package for Ukraine, hinting at a potential donation of the jets to Kyiv. He was speaking in Stockholm at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov.

Dassault Aviation delivers seventh Rafale fighter jet to Croatian Air Force

11/24/2024

On 21 November 2024, Croatia took delivery of its seventh Rafale fighter jet from Dassault Aviation, marking another milestone in the country’s ongoing defence modernisation programme. The aircraft landed at 15:45 at the “Colonel Marko Živkovic” barracks in Pleso, with monthly deliveries set to continue until April 2025, when the full squadron of 12 jets will be complete.

Brazil and India could swap C-390s for Tejas fighters – report

11/23/2024

Brazil and India are reportedly in negotiations for an agreement that would involve the exchange of HAL Tejas MK-1A fighters for the Embraer C-390 Millennium multirole aircraft. The talks were revealed by the Indian outlet IDRW, but without citing sources. The possible strategic partnership between the two countries would focus on strengthening military capabilities and stimulating the domestic defense industry.

Japan, Britain, Italy eye Saudi Arabia in fighter jet project

11/22/2024

The leaders of Japan, Britain and Italy met in Brazil to discuss bringing Saudi Arabia on board in the development of a next-generation fighter aircraft, according to sources close to the Japanese government. The move is part of a multinational initiative dubbed the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) to jointly develop a sixth-generation stealth fighter.

The F-15 fighter jet is having a second spring in Asia

11/22/2024

Boeing’s F-15 jet is undergoing a renaissance in Asia, as two countries implement modernization programs on legacy fleets, and another customer eyes the latest F-15EX version. South Korea is the second Asian nation to announce F-15 upgrades. On Nov. 19, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) approved a $6.2 billion upgrade for all 59 Korean F-15K fighters.

NATO member Romania signs deal with US to buy F-35 jets

11/22/2024

NATO member Romania on Thursday signed a deal with Washington to buy 32 F-35 jets, citing an “acute need for credible deterrent and defensive capabilities” as war rages on in neighboring Ukraine. With an estimated cost of $6.5 billion approved by Romania’s parliament, it is the most expensive military purchase by the poor eastern European country, which has gained in strategic importance since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Draken signs ‘Red Air’ letter of intent with Royal Netherlands Air Force

11/22/2024

Draken Europe signed a Letter of Intent with the Royal Netherlands Air Force force to deliver its unique brand of commercially contracted Adversary Air training throughout 2025 and 2026. The LoI was signed at the NEDS (Netherlands Industries for Defence & Security) exhibition in Rotterdam, and will see Draken provide advanced threat replication services using Aero Vodochody Aerospace (AVA) L-159E Honey Badger aircraft.

Commentary: Zhuhai Reveals Evolution Of Chinese Military Aircraft

11/22/2024

Bands of heavy rain and a layer of smog hung over the 600,000 visitors to Zhuhai International Airport in mid-November for the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition. But soaking, murky weather could not obscure another stunning display of progress by China’s aerospace industry.

Japan says it will watch China’s military activity after Beijing admits violating Japanese airspace

11/21/2024

Japanese officials said Wednesday they are closely watching to see if China keeps its promise to prevent further violations of Japan’s airspace after explaining that an incursion by a Chinese military aircraft nearly three months ago was unintentional and caused by turbulence. Tokyo protested and sought an explanation from Beijing after a Chinese Y-9 reconnaissance plane briefly entered Japanese airspace off the southern main island of Kyushu on Aug. 26.

The Slow Death of the A-10 Warthog Has Started

11/21/2024

The A-10 Thunderbolt II, or Warthog, is approaching retirement as the U.S. Air Force shifts focus toward modernizing its fighter fleet for the Indo-Pacific. By the end of FY2025, the 25th Fighter Squadron's A-10s at South Korea's Osan Air Base will be phased out.

US approves $6 billion sale of F-15K upgrades and support to South Korea

11/21/2024

The State Department this week approved the possible sale of a host of U.S.-made upgrades to South Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle fighter aircraft. The possible $6.2 billion sale includes high-speed mission system computers; Active Electronically Scanned Arrays, or AESA, radars; missile-warning systems and continued maintenance and software support, according to a news release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Tuesday.

Denmark commits to delivering 13 more F-16s to Ukraine soon

11/20/2024

Danish F-16s have begun arriving in Ukraine, with the Royal Danish Air Force delivering the first batch of six advanced fighters. This was confirmed by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during a joint press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Frederiksen also revealed that an additional 13 F-16s are slated for delivery in the near future, underscoring Denmark’s continued commitment to bolstering Ukraine’s aerial defense capabilities amidst the ongoing conflict.

Peru may close order for South Korean KF-21 and FA-50 fighter jets

11/20/2024

Relations between the governments of Peru and South Korea have taken another decisive step toward supplying new fighter jets to the South American country’s air force. New agreement signed by manufacturer KAI and Peruvian SEMAN paves the way for jets to replace aging Su-25 and MiG-29 aircraft.

Vietnam receives first US military aircraft

11/20/2024

A batch of five Beechcraft T-6C Texan II - the first military aircraft provided by the U.S. to Vietnam - has arrived in Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, witnesses told Radio Free Asia. One witness, who didn’t want to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said he saw five training aircraft, all painted with Vietnamese air force markings, at the civilian airport in the southern hub but was told they’d be moved to a military airbase soon.

Airbus delivers first of up to 82 H145M helicopters to the German Armed Forces

11/19/2024

Less than a year after the contract was signed, Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first of up to 82 H145M helicopters ordered by Germany at its Donauwörth site. The Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) have named their new H145Ms “Leichter Kampfhubschrauber” (light combat helicopter), or LKH for short. The helicopter’s missions include training, reconnaissance, special forces operations and light attack.

Carrier air wing arrives in Japan as USS George Washington steams toward new homeport

11/19/2024

Carrier Air Wing 5, the aviation arm of the USS George Washington, arrived home Sunday at this air base with a new addition, a squadron of advanced F-35C Lightning II multirole fighters. Strike Fighter Squadron 147, the Argonauts, is the first unit of F-35C aircraft stationed in Japan, although other variants of the Lightning II are well-known here, squadron commander Cmdr. Christopher Case told Stars and Stripes during a flightline briefing.

Peru seeks to advance in the production of components for the manufacture of the new KAI KF-2

11/19/2024

Industrial relations in defense production between Peru and South Korea are undergoing a process of deepening, consolidation, and sustained expansion. One of the most recent milestones achieved by both nations, aimed at opening doors to new development and manufacturing programs, is Peru’s confirmation of its intent to join the KF-21 Program of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) through the production of various components for the new fighter jet.

Ukrainian F-16s shot down about ten air targets during a massive Russian attack

11/18/2024

F-16 multi-role fighter jets of the Ukrainian Air Force shot down about ten air targets while repelling a massive air attack on Ukraine in the morning of November 17. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reported on this. “Today, our F-16 pilots shot down about ten air targets. The aftermath of the combined attack on our infrastructure in the Rivne, Lviv, Dnipro, Volyn, and Odesa regions are being eliminated,” the statement reads.

Poland scrambles fighter jets due to large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine

11/18/2024

The Polish military emphasises that "regular pairs of fighter jets have been scrambled, and ground-based air defence and radar systems have been placed on high alert". "Attention, Polish and allied aircraft have begun operating in our airspace due to a large-scale attack by the Russian Federation, which has launched cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles against targets located, in particular, in western Ukraine," Operational Command said.

U.S. Navy’s 6th-Gen Program Gets ‘Roaring Success’! Operates First MQ-20 Avenger UAV From A Supercarrier

11/18/2024

At a time when budget considerations are holding back the US’s big-ticket aviation modernization plan under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, the US Navy inched closer to its ambition of teaming crewed aircraft with unmanned aircraft operating from aircraft carriers. The US Navy successfully operated an uncrewed aircraft for the first time using a drone control system, which is now being installed on its Nimitz and Ford-class supercarriers.

J-10C Fighter: After Iran, Azerbaijan Shows Interest In Chinese Vigorous Dragons; Has Already Inducted JF-17s

11/17/2024

Despite China unveiling its latest stealth aircraft, the J-35A, at the ongoing Zhuhai Air Show, the J-10C ‘Vigorous Dragon’ fighter jet has evoked significant interest from prospective buyers. The Azerbaijani Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Namig Islamzade, was photographed on November 15 examining the export variant of the J-10C fighter jet—known as the J-10CE—at the Zhuhai Air Show 2024.