Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

We go on board as Lightning jets launch first combat missions from flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier

06/22/2021

Like scenes out of Top Gun, The Sun cheered Navy and RAF jets as they roared off the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth to target IS in Iraq. It was the first time British warplanes have launched combat sorties from an aircraft carrier since Harriers bombed the Balkans in the ’90s. The £3.2billion, 65,000-ton vessel has eight UK and ten US F-35Bs on board as she leads the most powerful Naval flotilla to set sail from Britain since the Falklands War.

Navy conducts drills near Hawaii as Russian spy ship cruises north of Oahu

06/22/2021

The San Diego-based aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson — the first to support newer F-35C stealth fighters — arrived in the Hawaiian Islands operating area last week for drills that coincided with a Russian spy ship shifting from a spot off Kauai to international waters north of Oahu.

Reports Emerge About Sukhoi’s First International Customer Of Su-57 Stealth Jets In Asia

06/22/2021

The Russian jet – Su-57 is the world’s fourth operational fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft after the American duo F-22 and F-35, and the Chinese J-20. According to reports in the Vietnamese portal Soha, Vietnam wishes to acquire 12-14 Su-57 stealth jets keeping in mind the budget dynamics. The delivery of “affordable” Russian jets is likely to take place between 2030 and 2035.

China once again increases military activity against Taiwan

06/21/2021

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. It comprised the most modern of China’s combat aircraft. It represented a complete “strike package” containing command, surveillance, strategic strike and long-range fighter aircraft.

China Admits Its Top Air Force Pilots Defeated By ‘Adversaries’ In Fighter Jet Dogfight

06/21/2021

China’s state media Global Times cited a report by PLA Daily, Army’s official newsletter, on the simulation exercise. It does not mention which aircraft was used in this exercise though. There has been an increasing application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in military combat training with major powers including the US, China, and Russia joining the race.

As Afghanistan war nears end, details emerge on how Predator drone revolutionized warfare

06/21/2021

“We’ve got him! Mission accomplished!”. Alec Bierbauer could hardly believe his eyes as he stood before a floor-to-ceiling TV at CIA Headquarters in Virginia, watching live video stream from an outpost in Afghanistan. He was transfixed by footage of a tall man in a white robe. A fragile, camera-toting surveillance drone built by San Diego’s General Atomics was stalking Osama bin Laden as it quietly looped over his compound near Kandahar on Sept. 28, 2000.

North Korea's Generals Are Scared: South Korea Wants an Aircraft Carrier

06/21/2021

An aircraft carrier would more significantly increase South Korea’s ability to contribute to regional security alliances or multi-national expeditions, both symbolically and materially. Carrier aviation has seen a renaissance of sorts among Washington’s military allies due in large part to the advent of the F-35B stealth jump jet, which can operate from affordable amphibious carriers.

Chinese anti-submarine plane intrudes into Taiwan's ADIZ

06/20/2021

A single People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) maritime patrol plane flew into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Friday (June 18), marking the seventh such intrusion this month. The aircraft, a Y-8 anti-submarine turboprop, entered the southwest corner of the nation’s identification zone, the Minister of National Defense stated. Taiwan responded by dispatching aircraft, issuing radio warnings, and deploying air defense missile systems.

Inside US Pacific plan to combat China

06/20/2021

The US says it needs a “combat-credible” presence in the South China Sea to deter Chinese aggression. And Australia will almost certainly be asked to contribute. US President Joe Biden’s nominee for assistant secretary of defence Ely Ratner told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that “a combat-credible forward posture” of forces was needed to “deter, and if necessary, deny a fait accompli scenario”.

Russia to create an export version of the 5th-gen fighter jet based on the Su-57

06/20/2021

In early June 2021, the Sukhoi corporation announced the beginning of the development of a fifth-generation single-engine tactical fighter. Such aircraft are now widely distributed abroad and this model is to become an export version of the Su-57.

Third F-35B For The Italian Navy Makes First Flight

06/19/2021

On Jun. 14, 2021, the F-35B BL-4, the fourth STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) aircraft assembled in Italy, at the FACO (Final Assembly and Check Out) facility, in Cameri, carried out its maiden flight. The aircraft, coded “4-03” and serialled MM7454, is the third aircraft destined to the Marina Militare (Italian Navy).

Vinson Carrier Strike Group Drilling Near Hawaii Ahead of First Deployment With F-35Cs

06/19/2021

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is drilling near Hawaii this week as it prepares for an upcoming deployment later this summer. After a maintenance period in which the Navy updated the carrier so it could accommodate the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter and the CMV-22B Osprey, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is expected to deploy later this summer to the Indo-Pacific region, USNI News understands.

The ‘gaping gap’ in Ireland’s airspace defence

06/19/2021

It was the second week in March last year and the world was focused on the worsening Covid-19 pandemic, as it raged around the globe. Off the northwest coast of Ireland, however, another drama was taking place. Three pairs of British Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters raced to intercept Russian long-range aircraft heading south down the Atlantic, the third time that week the same Cold War-style, airborne cat-and-mouse encounters had played out.

German defense ministry seeks $5.3 billion for next FCAS research phase

06/19/2021

The German defense ministry has forwarded a request to lawmakers seeking approval for almost 4,5 billion euros, or $5.3 billion, that would pay for the country’s contributions to the next stage of the Future Combat Air System.

Turkey’s TAI builds Europe’s 2nd-largest subsonic wind tunnel

06/19/2021

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) is building Europe's second-largest subsonic wind tunnel for testing the country's fighter jets. "The wind tunnel is intended to be used in the development of indigenous, rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, especially the Turkish Fighter," a press release read Friday. The tunnel, including three different sections – large, small and open – will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology measurement and sensing devices for advanced testing.

French Warplanes To Train With US Military In Hawaii As Allies Solidify Ties

06/17/2021

The French military is coming to Oahu to train as the United States and France revamp their strategies in the Pacific amid tensions with China. U.S. Pacific Air Force spokeswoman 1st. Lt. Amber Kelly-Herrard said French pilots will arrive on June 29 for several days of training. French forces will be flying a variety of warplanes, including Rafale fighter jets, A400M Atlas transport planes and A330 refueling planes, according to a tweet from France Pacific Command.

USAF demos converting commercial-grade jet fuel into military fuel for ‘Agile’ operations

06/17/2021

The US Air Force (USAF) recently demonstrated a process for converting commercial-grade jet fuel to military-grade fuel, an ability that could give commanders greater flexibility in planning combat operations. The process could let US military aircraft refuel at commercial airports, allowing US military aircraft to operate from more locations. That could make it difficult for adversaries to predict from where aircraft might land and take off.

WATCH-Two Russian Tu-160 Bombers Intercepted By NATO F-35, F-16 And Gripen Fighters Over Baltic Region

06/17/2021

This comes days after a Russian Sukhoi Su 30-SM fighter jet had its first encounter with an Italian F-35A Lightning II aircraft. According to The Aviationist, two Blackjacks were escorted by two Su-27 fighters of the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation and two Su-35 aircraft of the Aerospace Force, in an eight-hour long-range aviation (LRA) mission in the Baltic region.

Russian Air Force To Receive Four Stealth, 5th-Gen Su-57 Fighter Jets This Year – Reports

06/17/2021

“This year: [KNAAZ] is to deliver 15 combat aircraft to the customer under export contracts. As you know, the Ministry of Defense signed a long-term contract for the Su-57, this year the supply of four production aircraft,” Borisov told reporters.

Tracking China's Sudden Airpower Expansion On Its Western Border

06/17/2021

China's bewilderingly quick construction of airfields atop man-made islands in the South China Sea, as well as its extra-territorial claims over that body of water, have grabbed headlines for years and the issue remains one of the most significant strategic and geopolitical problems of our time. Yet another far less discussed, but similar strategic expansion is underway in the western reaches of the Chinese mainland, which has gotten much less attention, yet it isn't all that less concerning.

F-16s, C-130s, KC-135s Training in Morocco for Exercise African Lion

06/17/2021

Several U.S. Air Force aircraft including F-16s, C-130s, and KC-135s have deployed to northern Africa for the continent’s largest exercise, African Lion. The exercise drew 7,000 participants from nine nations and wraps up June 18 with USAF aircraft flying alongside Moroccan aircraft for close air support training and C-130s airdropping personnel.

NATO jets scrambled twice over Russian military aircraft last week

06/16/2021

NATO fighter jets policing the Baltic airspace were scrambled twice last week to identify and escort Russian military aircraft flying in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

After 'years of work,' Eglin Air Force Base is getting a second F-35A squadron

06/16/2021

A second squadron of F-35A fighter jets is coming to Eglin Air Force Base, according to a Monday announcement from U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. While details were scarce, that news was confirmed Tuesday by public affairs personnel from the 33rd Fighter Wing, the Eglin-headquartered wing to which the new squadron will be assigned, and the 96th Test Wing, the base's host unit.

China Sends A Record 28 Military Planes Into Airspace Controlled By Taiwan

06/16/2021

China has flown 28 warplanes into Taiwan-controlled airspace, the biggest sortie of its kind since the Taiwanese government began publishing information about the frequent incursions last year. The flights are widely seen as part of an effort by Beijing to dial up pressure on Taiwan, a self-governed democracy of about 24 million people off the Chinese coast that the Chinese government considers a part of China.

CENTCOM Chief Says US Won't Use Airstrikes to Support Afghan Forces After Withdrawal: Report

06/15/2021

The United States will not conduct airstrikes to support Afghan security forces after it withdraws its remaining troops from Afghanistan, the head of U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, told Voice of America. In an interview published by VOA on Monday, Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie said the U.S. will conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan only when plans to conduct terrorist attacks against the American homeland, or those of its allies, have been uncovered.