Military Aviation News Archive

UOTT pushes boundaries of F-35 operational testing

06/30/2021

A team of engineers, analysts, and pilots are pushing the boundaries of F-35 combat aircraft operational testing. The United States Operational Test Team is partnered with Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 6.

Did Russia Test Hypersonic Missile From Syria? Israel May Know

06/29/2021

Some Israeli observers say the missile test is part of Moscow's effort to gain a very strong presence in the Mediterranean. For example, they say that in recent days the Russian Air Force and the Russian Navy performed a joint combat drill just 30 km from the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, is currently in the eastern Mediterranean near Cyprus.

Green Light for 'Too Expensive' Philippines' F-16 Purchase

06/29/2021

On June 24 the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of 12 F-16 Block 70/72 fighters to the Philippines, following a request from the government in Manila as its searches for a Multi-Role Fighter (MRF) to defend the nation's airspace and surrounding seas. However, a day later the Philippine defense secretary, Delfin Lorenzano, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the F-16 package was too expensive, and that the Philippine Air Force (PAF) was examining other options.

AS ALLIES DESIGN FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, THE UNITED STATES FACES A DECISION

06/29/2021

The United States has a long history of urging its closest allies to spend more on defense, and over the past few years Europe and Japan have started to respond. But there’s a catch: Rather than content themselves with procuring capabilities that complement U.S. forces, they are about to drop some very expensive investments into the development of their own next-generation fighter aircraft.

US jets strike Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and Syria in response to ongoing drone, rocket attacks

06/28/2021

After three months of drone and rocket attacks on facilities in Iraq housing U.S. and coalition personnel, President Joe Biden ordered airstrikes Sunday on three Iran-backed militia facilities in Iraq and Syria. “At President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces earlier this evening conducted defensive precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

Pentagon report says UFOs can’t be explained, and this admission is a big dea

06/28/2021

A report from the US task force dedicated to investigating UFOs — or, in the official jargon, UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) — has neither confirmed nor rejected the idea such sightings could indicate alien visits to Earth. On Friday June 25, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released its eagerly awaited unclassified intelligence report, titled “Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena”.

Russia and China make war games fashionable again in the West

06/28/2021

Even as Russia massed over 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders in April, Andriy Zagorodnyuk felt sure President Vladimir Putin wouldn’t go to war. The former defense minister in Kyiv, who’d also spent years on projects to modernize Ukraine’s military, reasoned that Putin knew an invasion would be no walk in the park for Russia this time.

Europe’s Biggest Fighter Jet Deal On Stake As Stealth F-35 Jets Compete With Rafales & Typhoons

06/28/2021

The Nordic country is set to replace its older fleet of F-18 Hornet aircraft, in what is being considered as Europe’s largest fighter procurement in a decade. The winner of the bid is likely to be announced by the end of the year, reported AP News. The Defence Ministry of Finland stated that the winner will be picked after due consideration on four major parameters including the fighter’s military capability, the security of supply, the cost and proposed industrial cooperation with the country.

End Of Road For Indian Air Forces’ Nuclear-Capable Ground Attack Fighter Jet – The SEPECAT Jaguar?

06/28/2021

The Cold War Jaguar fighter-bombers have been modified by India to deliver nuclear gravity bombs, constituting a critical part of India’s nuclear triad. The Anglo-French fleet of the Sepecat Jaguar aircraft was initially purchased in 1978 after India felt the need to have a dedicated deep strike aircraft. Other prominent ground attack fighters with the IAF have been the Russian MiG-27 fighters.

‘Super-Rafales’: Dassault Plans To Produce F5 Variant Of Rafale Jets Amid Rising Global Demand & Competition

06/27/2021

Dassault Aviation is set to bring an F5 standard of the existing aircraft, “endowed with an impressive number of capabilities”. “At the start of the 2030s, the F5 standard will allow us to further improve the Rafale’s first entry capacity, with new sensors and armaments, but also capacities to communicate, collaborate and be interoperable,” French magazine Zone Militaire quoted Frédéric Parisot, Vice Chief of the French Air and Space Force, as saying.

Germany Signs Off Funding for FCAS and Poseidon

06/27/2021

Germany’s parliamentary budget committee this week approved the defense ministry’s requested €50.3 billion (€60 billion) budget for 2022 in Berlin. The budget includes crucial funding for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) that is being developed jointly with France and Spain for service entry around 2040.

The F-16 Viper: Why America's 1970s Fighter Continues to Punch Above its Weight

06/27/2021

The F-16 Fighting Falcon has proven itself to be one of the world’s most successful combat aircraft, having now flown over 400,000 combat sorties and a combined 19 million flight hours. There are roughly 3,000 operational F-16s today in service with the air services of 25 different countries, and the United States Air Force operates more F-16s than it does any other fighter model in its fleet.

Army soldiers get involved in helicopter design process

06/26/2021

Members of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade got a look at development of the SB-1 Defiant vertical lift helicopter, the Army said on Friday. The active duty and National Guard soldiers of the brigade, headquartered at Fort Campbell, Ky., visited the Sikorsky Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., to learn about the design of the medium-lift helicopter destined to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk, which first saw service in 1974.

Five Ways The Air Force’s F-35A Fighter Is Becoming More Affordable To Operate

06/26/2021

In the two decades since Lockheed Martin was awarded the contract to develop the F-35 fighter, the industrial team it formed has had to overcome many engineering challenges. Each of the three variants—for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps—had to be nearly invisible to enemy radar.

Russia launches Mediterranean drills amid rift with Britain

06/26/2021

The Russian military on Friday launched sweeping maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea featuring warplanes armed with state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles, a show of force amid a surge in tensions following an incident with a British destroyer in the Black Sea. Moscow said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender on Wednesday to force her out of an area near Crimea that Russia claims as its territorial waters.

Guns and Diplomacy: Philippines’ F-16 FMS Request Approved by U.S.

06/26/2021

The U.S. State Department has approved a Philippines government-to-government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) request for F-16 Block 70/72 combat aircraft, with notification of the proposal delivered to Congress on June 24. The request covers 10 F-16Cs and two F-16D two-seaters, plus associated engines, subsystems and armaments.

Royal Navy warship sailing in Black Sea ‘entirely right’, says Johnson

06/25/2021

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has stood by the decision to sail a warship through Black Sea waters claimed by Russia after Moscow threatened it would bomb British ships in the event of further “provocative steps” in the region.

Satellite imagery suggests ongoing expansion of N. Korean airbase for larger aircraft

06/25/2021

Satellite imagery has shown ongoing work at a North Korean airbase that will result in modernization and expansion to house larger and more heavily armed aircraft, a U.S. think tank said Thursday. Citing satellite imagery dated June 12, Beyond Parallel, a project of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the maintenance and expansion project at North Korea's Sunchon Airbase will improve the conditions of the runway and also provide a smoother environment.

Air Force Picks Langley to Host F-22 Formal Training Unit

06/25/2021

The U.S. Air Force notified lawmakers that it has approved Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, to host its F-22 Raptor formal training unit, a move three years in the making. But don't expect to see more fifth-generation jets there just yet. The service last week told Congress it had completed the necessary environmental analysis and signed a record of decision approving the base as its top pick to host the formal training unit, or FTU, Air Combat Command spokeswoman Alexi Worley told Military.

Cuts to Flight Hours Necessary as Aircraft Sustainment Costs Surge, Air Force General Says

06/24/2021

The U.S. Air Force can't provide its pilots with additional flight hours in part because aircraft sustainment costs have surged to roughly $1 billion, top service leaders told lawmakers Tuesday. While flying hours do not directly equate to how experienced or proficient a pilot is, there have been concerns about declining cockpit time for years, as this is crucial to maintaining aircraft skills.

After unwanted flights over the South China Sea, Malaysia looks for new aircraft

06/24/2021

Malaysia has released a long-awaited tender for a new light combat aircraft and advanced fighter trainer, three weeks after accusing China of sending 16 military aircraft over the South China Sea near Malaysian airspace The Southeast Asian country’s defense ministry has issued a notice seeking 18 Fighter Lead In Trainer-Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA) to replace its aging fleet of aircraft currently serving in both roles.

US warplanes fly first combat missions off foreign aircraft carrier since World War II

06/24/2021

United States Marine Corps fighter jets aboard a British aircraft carrier flew combat missions over the Middle East this week -- the first time US warplanes have gone into combat from a foreign warship since World War II, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.

North Korea’s Warplanes Scattered, Granting Analysts A Rare Chance To Count Them

06/23/2021

The North Korean People’s Air Force hasn’t acquired a new combat aircraft in more than 30 years. Foreign sanctions and the slow collapse of North Korea’s economy mean the air force has little choice but to maintain, for as long as it can, the planes it already has. How many planes are we talking about? Joseph Dempsey, an analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, scrutinized recent satellite imagery and made an educated guess.

Nigerian Military Aircraft Bombard Terrorists, Kill Many, Destroy Gun Trucks

06/22/2021

"Of the eight terrorist gun trucks sighted by our surveillance team, the aircraft successfully took out six of the trucks." Fighter aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday eliminated scores of ISWAP-Boko Haram terrorists including their commanders in Lamboa in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State. PRNigeria gathered that the multiple airstrikes conducted by a mix of aircraft including Alpha-Jets, L-39 and MI-35 helicopters, might have also killed the notorious ISWAP Logistic Comm

China once again increases military activity against Taiwan

06/22/2021

Twenty-eight combat aircraft probed Taiwan’s defences earlier this week. It was the most powerful force to do so yet. Is this Chairman Xi Jinping’s new “trustworthy, loveable and humble” China? The June 15 foray into airspace claimed by Taiwan represents a significant step-up in firepower.