Military Aviation News Archive
04/16/2022
The sinking of Russia’s ‘Moskva’ cruiser is a big symbolic win for Ukraine, but does very little to change the course of the war. Experts NatSec Daily spoke to since the Kremlin confirmed the news say the Slava-class ship had minimal land-attack capability and was fitted with dated systems. Its main utility was gunning Ukrainian lands like Snake Island — a replaceable capability — taking on carrier strike groups, and protecting nearby Russian ships with its air defenses.
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04/16/2022
As they watch Russia unleash total war against a European neighbor, Sweden and Finland seem to agree: It’s finally time to join NATO. With public opinion turning strongly in favor, both countries are inching closer toward formally joining the Alliance. Just this week, their prime ministers publicly telegraphed their strong support for such a move, though Finland appears more certain than Sweden and likely to move first.
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04/16/2022
Russia’s mounting losses of conventional equipment in the Ukraine war—and its likely inability to replace that hardware anytime soon, due to economic sanctions—won’t substantively change how the U.S. views the threat from that country, according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. That’s because the threats posed by Russia’s nuclear, chemical, and biological capabilities remain unchanged.
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04/16/2022
Ukraine's frantic hunt for more fighter aircraft continues as Russia's invasion rolls into its eighth week. Deals to replenish the Ukrainian Air Force with Soviet-era aircraft that are familiar to operate and easy to maintain have come and gone. While there is still hope that the embattled country can get additional MiG-29s from a NATO neighbor, progress toward such an arrangement has been slow and has been dogged by military readiness and geopolitical issues.
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04/16/2022
Tired of the wait, Ukrainians have begun the #buymeafighterjet campaign to crowdfund the restocking of the nation’s fighter force. A video began circulating on April 14 featuring a Ukrainian Pilot wearing a helmet with the visor down and begins with the pilot walking in front of a MiG-29 that appears to be damaged, after which he appeals to the viewers for donations so that Ukraine can procure operational fighter jets.
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04/15/2022
Powerful explosions were heard in Kyiv early on Friday, and air raid sirens blared across Ukraine as residents braced for new Russian attacks after Moscow's lead warship in the Black Sea sank following a fire. The explosions appeared to be among the most significant in Ukraine's capital region since Russian troops pulled back from the area earlier this month in preparation for battles in the south and east.
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04/15/2022
These days, Finland—which shares an 800-mile border with Russia—has collectively proved itself such a brave soldier that NATO is expected to receive its membership application with open arms. As Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced this week, Finland will decide whether to apply within weeks.
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04/15/2022
The latest move came after US Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kenneth Wilsbach revealed in mid-March that US F-35 stealth fighter jets had a close encounter with China’s J-20 stealth fighter jets over the East China Sea. The Global Times reported that the J-20 has been conducting combat patrols in the East China Sea and alert patrols in the South China Sea after switching to domestically made engines.
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04/15/2022
Russia is increasingly harassing NATO aircraft near Polish air space, reinforcing the need for both Polish and NATO air policing, including various U.S. Air Force assets, a senior Polish Air Force official told Air Force Magazine. “The current situation brings more tension—more risk—and it’s definitely more serious for the whole NATO community,” Polish Chief of the Air Force Directorate Brig. Gen. Ireneusz Nowak said via videoconference.
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04/15/2022
With two major nuclear programs ramping up, the Air Force had to make hard choices on fighter procurement in fiscal 2023, the Air Force’s top officer said. After three budgets where Air Force fighter buying soared to heights of more than 60 aircraft per year, the service requested 33 Lockheed Martin F-35As and 24 Boeing F-15EXs in FY23, for a total of 57 jets.
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04/15/2022
Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, was being towed to port when "stormy seas" caused it to sink, according to a ministry message. The 510-crew missile cruiser was a symbol of Russia's military power, leading its naval assault on Ukraine. Kyiv says its missiles hit the warship. Moscow has not reported any attack. It says the vessel sank after a fire.
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04/14/2022
Next door to Ukraine, Poland has become a key player in Russia's war. As a member of the European Union and NATO, it is a strategic center of gravity for military and humanitarian aid, and it has welcomed Ukrainians who have fled. Yesterday, I sat down with Poland's ambassador to the United States. Marek Magieroweski said Poland is trying to integrate about 2.7 million refugees as quickly as possible.
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04/14/2022
Ukraine officials met with General Atomics to negotiate the potential acquisition of Reaper and Predator armed drones. As the country continues to defend itself from Russia’s invasion, members of the Ukrainian government appeal to foreign partners to receive more equipment and ammunition. Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, detailed on Twitter the needs of the armed forces: air defense systems, unmanned aircraft, tanks, artillery, combat aircraft, and anti-ship missiles.
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04/14/2022
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration has awarded a $53 million contract to conglomerate Saab to modernize the country’s JAS 39 Gripen C/D fighter aircraft. As part of the agreement, the company will provide capability improvements to the aircraft and maintain its operational relevance until the mid-2030s. Saab will also provide cost-effective solutions to help sustain the Gripen for a longer period.
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04/13/2022
The Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have downed 300 enemy air targets since the Russian invasion started. The relevant statement was made by the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. On April 12, 2022, in eastern and southern Ukraine, most affected by Russia’s air strikes, the weather was rather unsafe for completing air tasks and, thus, the intensity of enemy aircraft operations was low.
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04/13/2022
The Royal Air Force awarded a six-year contract to Draken to provide aggressor aircraft to support the training of Typhoon and F-35B pilots, replicating the tactics, techniques and procedures of potential adversaries. This is the first such contract placed in the United Kingdom, although a similar service is currently being delivered by Draken International and other contractors to the United States Air Force.
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04/13/2022
The U.S. government has no objections to Slovakia transferring its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets to Ukraine, a senior American defense official said today. This comes after a previous plan to give Poland's MiG-29s to the Ukrainian Air Force collapsed after authorities in the United States said they would not directly facilitate the delivery of the fighters via an American base in Germany.
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04/13/2022
The Air Force is asking Congress for more than $100 million in additional R&D funding for autonomous drones and networked weapon systems as the Pentagon pursues more cost-effective ways to match up against China. The technology is a top priority for Air Force leaders as they look toward the future operating environment and fiscal constraints that will limit the number of manned planes that the service can buy for Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) and other programs.
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04/13/2022
At the end of February 2022, the German chancellor announced a new way ahead with regard to German defense and the immediacy required for upgrading German defense capabilities.
Relatively shortly after that the German government announced a decision to acquire F-35s to replace their gaining Tornados, which provides the current nuclear option for Germany.
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04/12/2022
In the fall of 2010, the Indiana Air National Guard took on the task of replacing its old, 1990s-era F-16 Fighting Falcons at the Fort Wayne airfield with a fresh fleet of A-10 Warthogs.The A-10, a larger aircraft at 53 feet, 4 inches long with a 57 foot, 6-inch wingspan, has been in service with the U.S. military since the 1970s. It was used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing close-air support for troops as it lumbered above at a max speed of 420 miles per hour.
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04/12/2022
Military exercises are held regularly by armed forces throughout the world. An exercise can be seen as an act of diplomacy, a direct threat, a demonstration of military capability for deterrence or – in the case of Nato – an expression of unity. In purely military terms, exercises allow different nations’ armed forces to act in cooperation. They are useful for testing plans for deployment, reinforcement and logistics. New weapon systems and doctrines can be tried out in the field in as close to
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04/12/2022
The Navy and Marine Corps demonstrated a key capability when they operated 20 F-35B Lightning II jets from America-class amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli March 30 through April 8, fully exercising the Marine Corps’ “lightning carrier” concept for the first time in naval history on an amphibious assault ship.
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04/12/2022
NATO fighter jets based at a Romanian air base have intercepted Russian fighters nearing NATO territory at least four times in the span of 20 days, according to a report released Friday.
During the incidents, the Crimea-based Russian fighters flew along the Black Sea toward NATO territory before turning away, reported Air Force Magazine.
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04/12/2022
The announcement came in response to a request from the Ukrainian President for the MiG-29 fighter jets, some of which are in service with the Air Force of the war-torn country. As part of an elaborate drama that followed, the US contemplated transferring its F-16 fighter jets to Poland as backfill for MiG-29 aircraft.
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04/11/2022
The newly appointed general in command of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine is likely to usher in a fresh round of “crimes and brutality” against civilians, the US has said. Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser in Washington, said the appointment of Alexander Dvornikov as theatre commander of Russian forces in Ukraine could not disguise the strategic failure of Vladimir Putin’s war so far. “Ukraine will never be subjugated to Russia; it doesn’t matter which general President Putin tr
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