Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Buhari inducts 3 JF-17 aircraft at NAF 57th celebration

05/21/2021

President Muhammadu Buhari has inducted three brand new JF-17 Thunder Multi-role fighter aircraft into the inventory of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to boost its operation. Performing the ceremony on Thursday in Makurdi during NAF 57 celebration grand finale, Buhari said that the Service has fulfilled its constitutional mandate of defending the nation’s territorial integrity.

China’s J-15 Carrierborne Fighter: Sizing up the Competition

05/21/2021

Having reviewed the J-15’s payload and reliability in context in Part 1 last month, it is finally possible to consider the J-15 on basis of its own merits and flaws. The physical dimensions and characteristics of the J-15 are virtually identical to that of the Su-33 with the same addition of canards, shortened tailsting, folding wing and tail modifications, tailhook and undercarriage strengthening, and corrosion alterations to facilitate carrier operations.

Industry asked to weigh-in on Navy plan to upgrade combat aircraft avionics software to enhance pilot safety

05/21/2021

U.S. Navy avionics experts are asking industry to weigh-in on a plan to upgrade flight-control software in Navy attack jets to reduce the risk of pilots crashing into the ground on difficult missions. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., issued a request for information on Wednesday (223201-21_AGCA) for the upcoming Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS) Flight Control Computer (FCC) Upgrade.

Chinese military plane enters Taiwan’s ADIZ

05/20/2021

A Chinese military plane entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Wednesday morning (May 19), marking the 11th such incident this month. A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shaanxi anti-submarine warfare plane flew into the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). In response, Taiwan sent aircraft, issued radio warnings, and deployed air defense missile systems to track the PLAAF turboprop.

The F-35’s Painful Lessons Must Inform Future Programs

05/20/2021

The F-35 program will turn 20 years old this fall. That’s longer than the entire service life of many legendary aircraft programs. The B-36, for example, was retired 13 years after its first flight in 1946. The F-86 went from first flight to retirement in 18 years.

A Super F-22 Raptor: The Sixth-Generation Fighter the Air Force Needs?

05/20/2021

The Air Force’s now airborne sixth-generation aircraft may indeed incorporate several unprecedented technological breakthroughs in the areas of speed, stealth, maneuverability, weapons and artificial-intelligence-enabled sensing, some of which may surpass the limits of current F-35 performance. While early in development and as of yet unproven, program acceleration, rapid progress and high enthusiasm for the Air Force’s sixth-generation next-generation air dominance platform.

127th Wing Airmen receive real-world training at Green Flag

05/20/2021

Approximately 130 Airmen and 11 aircraft from the 127th Wing traveled to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada last month to participate in Green Flag-West 21-03, a realistic air-land combat, close air-support training exercise, designed to give Airmen the experience of working in a deployed environment. Approximately 130 pilots and maintainers from both the 127th Operations and 127th Maintenance Groups, participated in the exercise that spanned three weeks and included around-the-clock flying missions.

Russia’s Mi-28NM “Breakthrough” Gunship Can Launch Drones

05/19/2021

Russia’s Mil Mi-28NM attack helicopter armed with next-generation missiles and rockets is capable launching UAVs including Kamikaze drones. “The latest Mi-28NM attack helicopter is capable of interacting with kamikaze drones. The inclusion of kamikaze drones in the gunship’s airborne armament is one of the areas of interaction between Mi-28NMs and UAVs,” Vitaly Shcherbina, Chief Designer of the Combat Helicopters Program at the Mil and Kamov National Helicopter Center.

US to Turn Romanian Airbase into NATO Black Sea Hub

05/19/2021

The US Air Force will this month start awarding contracts for construction work to upgrade the Campia Turzii base, enabling it to support heavy cargo aircraft and host fighter jets, boosting NATO’s capacities in the Black Sea area.

RAAF's new F-35 fighter soars over Top End

05/19/2021

The Australian Defence Force's new Joint Strike Fighter has taken to the skies above the Northern Territory for the first large-scale air combat training exercise since the COVID pandemic hit. About a dozen Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters made the trek to the Top End, along with 40 other aircraft and over 500 Defence personnel, for the month-long exercise.

China Makes Tenth Incursion Into Taiwan ADIZ in May

05/19/2021

A People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) on Monday morning, China’s tenth incursion this month. According to a Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense post on Twitter, a Chinese Shaanxi Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft was spotted entering the southwest corner of Taiwan’s ADIZ. This marks the tenth time a Chinese military aircraft has entered Taiwan’s ADIZ in May.

SOCOM is looking at these 5 aircraft to keep an eye on its special operators

05/19/2021

US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, announced Friday it has awarded contracts totaling $19.2 million to five companies to produce prototype aircraft for its Armed Overwatch program. In a notice published on the US federal contracting website, SOCOM said that the awards will go to Leidos Inc. of Reston, Virginia; MAG Aerospace of Fairfax, Virginia; Textron Aviation Defense of Wichita, Kansas; L-3 Communications Integrated Systems of Waco, Texas; and Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nevada.

Russia's MiG-35 fighter jet is almost ready for battle

05/19/2021

Just as the United States is moving forward with its Boeing F-15EX to complement the F-35, Russia is taking a similar course with its Mikoyan MiG-35 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum-F), an all-weather combat attack aircraft that was developed to be capable of destroying enemy targets day or night, including moving and stationary ground and surface targets.

Two Navy T-45 Trainer Aircraft Collide in Texas; One Pilot Treated for Minor Injuries

05/18/2021

A pilot sustained minor injuries after two U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawk training aircraft from Training Squadron 22 at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, collided in mid-flight Monday morning, The incident happened in Ricardo, about eight miles from the base, at approximately 11 a.m. local time, the Naval Air Training Command announced on its official Facebook page.

Two RAF Typhoons bomb ISIS jihadis in Iraq: MoD confirms fighter jets used precision missiles to take-out heavily-armed militants dug-in near Mosul

05/18/2021

Two RAF Typhoons have successfully bombed a group of Islamic State jihadis in Iraq, according to UK militarily chiefs. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the fighter jets used precision-guided bombs to take-out heavily armed IS militants who were dug-in at a site near to the city of Mosul. The Typhoons were called in to support an Iraqi security force after it came under heavy small arms fire from the terrorists on May 11.

Su-57 = Next-gen Eurofighter

05/18/2021

As I have demonstrated on other occasions, the “best” US combat aircraft for export, the F-35, is basically worthless. The decades old F-16 and F-18 in updated configurations are better. F-22 is truly remarkable but is in limited numbers, will not be built anymore (tools destroyed), and is not for export. The EU Eurofighter is behind in the generation race for modern combat aircraft. The French too. The West is losing out.

Turkey to Go Ahead with Russian Weapons Purchases Despite US Objections

05/18/2021

Turkey is threatening to go ahead with Russian military purchases despite warnings from Washington. The threat comes as the impasse between the NATO members deepens over Ankara's purchase of a Russian missile system. With Washington stepping up its pressure on Ankara to reverse its purchase of the Russian S 400 missile defense systems, Turkish defense minister Hulusi Akar this month defended its intentions, dismissing American concerns.

France, Germany and Spain strike deal over joint combat jet

05/18/2021

France, Germany and Spain said on Monday they had reached a deal over the next steps of the development of a new fighter jet, Europe's largest defence project at an estimated cost of more than 100 billion euros ($121.4 billion). France in particular has billed the combat jet project -- which includes a next-generation manned and unmanned aircraft -- as crucial for Europe to strengthen its defence autonomy and face competition from China, Russia and the United States.

AFIMSC Det. 4, AFCEC upgrade infrastructure at Air Base Campia Turzii, Romania

05/17/2021

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center and the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's Detachment 4 are leading $152 million construction projects to upgrade infrastructure at Air Base Campia Turzii, Romania, in support of NATO operations.

S-400 or Rafale Jets: Which Military Equipment Will Be A Game-Changer For India In A Potential Clash With China, Pakistan?

05/17/2021

India is also in the process of establishing two squadrons of French-made Rafale fighters, which are being inducted under a deal worth €7.8 billion with Dassault. The Rafale jets just like the S-400s are dubbed as a game-changer for India against its two key adversaries – China and Pakistan.

Who Will Win HX Fighter Jet Program As Dassault Rafale Competes With F-35, Gripen, Typhoon & Super Hornets?

05/17/2021

Finland has received final quotations from aerospace giants for its HX fighter competition where Dassault Rafale, Saab Gripen, Stealth F-35 Jets, F/18 Super Hornets aim to replace the country’s aging F-18C/D Hornets. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Saab, Dassault and Eurofighter are all pitching their fighter jets, making it a truly western aircraft supremacy contest.

Russia Is Upgrading Its Supersonic Su-34 ‘Hellduck’ Bombers

05/16/2021

In May 2021 an article in Izvestia reported that the 2nd Aviation Regiment in Chelyabinsk had received the first delivery of a refitted model of its beefy Su-34 supersonic bombers, codenamed the Fullback by NATO and nicknamed the Platypus or ‘Hellduck” due to its distinctive broad, flattened nose.

General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle controlled via tablet on ground

05/15/2021

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems demonstrated a soldier on the ground using a tablet computer to control an MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The demonstration, which occurred on 23 April at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, showed a Joint Terminal Attack Controller using a tablet to control the electro-optical/infrared camera on the aircraft, the company says on 13 May. Joint Terminal Attack Controllers are military service members trained to call in air strikes clo

MacDill AFB finalist for KC-46A tanker aircraft headquarters

05/15/2021

MacDiill Air Force Base could be home to a new tanker aircraft. The base was named one of two finalists under consideration for KC-46A jets, according to the Air Force Times. If selected, 24 of the new aircraft will replace KC-135 Stratotankers at the base now. The only other active duty base in competition for the jets is Fairfield Air Force Base in Spokane County, Washington. One of the two will house the KC-46 Main Operating Base.

Boeing T-7A Red Hawk Comes Together in Record Time as Next USAF Trainer

05/15/2021

Some of you may already be aware that Boeing is presently working on a trainer aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. It’s called T-7A Red Hawk, an evolution of the Boeing T-X concept developed by Boeing together with Swedish company Saab. And by developed, we don’t only mean designed. The aircraft, expected to enter service shortly, was not only penned by the two companies but it is also being put together in different parts of the world.