Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

NATO Press conference

01/27/2022

Good evening. We face a critical moment for Euro-Atlantic security. Russia’s military build-up in and around Ukraine continues, with more than 100,000 troops in position, and more on the way, including significant deployments in Belarus. We call on Russia once again to immediately de-escalate the situation. NATO firmly believes that tensions and disagreements must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Not through force or the threat of force.

140 Russian Navy Warships Drilling Across Europe, Middle East as Ukraine Tensions Simmer

01/27/2022

The Russian Navy is kicking off several simultaneous exercises, with ships from the Baltic and Black seas and its Northern Fleet sortieing from their homeports across Europe, the Kremlin has announced. More than 140 warships and support vessels, along with 60 aircraft and a total of 10,000 personnel, will participate in the drills, according to the Russian MoD.

Russian Su-35S multirole fighter jets deploy to Belarus for joint drills

01/27/2022

Sukhoi Su-35S multirole fighters of Russia’s Aerospace Force are deploying to Belarus for an inspection of the Union State’s response forces, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday. "The crews of Su-35S multirole fighter aircraft of the Eastern Military District involved in an inspection of the Union State’s response forces continue deploying to Belarusian airfields," the ministry said in a statement.

Lockheed’s F-35s get a flawed $20b software upgrade

01/27/2022

A $US14 billion ($19.5 billion) Pentagon software upgrade for F-35 jets is being installed on planes that are already deployed even though it’s “immature, deficient and insufficiently tested”, according to a new assessment by the military’s testing office.

The Air Force Wants Laser Communication Pods To Securely Link Fighter Aircraft With Satellites

01/27/2022

The United States Air Force’s AFWERX program is funding the development of a pod to enable beyond-line-of-sight laser communications between aircraft and satellites in orbit. Such a concept is not new, but recent developments in optical technologies could make it more feasible to deploy such a system across a large force.

NATO chief: Still a 'diplomatic way out' of Ukraine conflict, as military alliance prepares written proposal for Russia

01/26/2022

NATO will send a written proposal to the Kremlin later this week to "try to find a way forward" amid growing tensions over Russia's troop build-up on Ukraine's border, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday.

Rafale Fighters: Dassault Aviation On-Course To Grab Another Massive Deal As Indonesia Awaits ‘Contract Activation’ — Minister

01/26/2022

Indonesia is moving ahead with its plan to procure 36 Rafale multirole fighter aircraft, Janes reported. Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto told reporters on January 20 that discussions for the program had already been finished and that the contract was now “awaiting activation”.

US combat jet crashes in South China Sea exercise, 7 hurt

01/25/2022

A U.S. Navy F35C Lightning II combat jet conducting exercises in the South China Sea crashed while trying to land on the deck of an American aircraft carrier, injuring seven sailors, the military said Tuesday. The pilot was able to eject before the aircraft slammed into the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson on Monday and then fell into the water. The pilot was safely recovered by a helicopter, said Lt. Mark Langford, a spokesman for the U.S. 7th Fleet.

US, Turkey To Negotiate Over Possibility Of Reacquisition Of F-35 Jets In January: Reports

01/25/2022

The United States has agreed to hold negotiations on the F-35 fighter jet deal with Turkic counterparts in later January or early February, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said on Sunday. The meeting comes after Akar earlier this month informed that the preparations were underway to resolved the issues pertaining to the deal.

China flies 39 warplanes, breaches Taiwanese airspace

01/25/2022

In the largest sortie of the new year, China flew 39 warplanes toward Taiwan on Sunday. The Associated Press reports Taiwan’s defense ministry says the Sunday night People's Liberation Army sortie included 24 J-16 fighter jets and 10 J-10 jets along with support aircraft. In response, Taiwan scrambled its own jets and tracked China's planes on defense radar systems, AP reports Taiwan's ministry saying.

US could send Europe-based reinforcements to allies near Russia amid invasion fears in Ukraine

01/25/2022

Up to 5,000 U.S. troops along with aircraft and warships could be deployed to central and Eastern Europe in anticipation of a new Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a news report. President Joe Biden could decide on the plan as early as this week, with the potential to increase troop numbers substantially should the security situation deteriorate further, The New York Times reported Sunday, citing White House officials speaking on condition of anonymity.

RAF personnel arrive in US to participate in Exercise Red Flag

01/25/2022

The British Royal Air Force (RAF) has sent more than 300 personnel to the US for Exercise Red Flag. During the exercise, the RAF detachment will participate in ‘complex’ combat air operations, including operating against simulated ground-based air defence systems and cyber and space-based threats.

NATO Allies send more ships, jets to enhance deterrence and defence in eastern Europe

01/25/2022

NATO Allies are putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to NATO deployments in eastern Europe, reinforcing Allied deterrence and defence as Russia continues its military build-up in and around Ukraine.

German Air Force stocking up on additional Rafael Litening Pods

01/24/2022

The Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the German Army (BAAINBw) has agreed with the Israeli company Rafael on the supplementary procurement of Litening systems, target designation tools used by attack aircraft for identifying targets and guiding Precision-guided munition (PGM).

The Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 Frogfoot of the 299 Tactical Aviation Brigade

01/24/2022

At the end of 2021 we went to Ukraine to have a close look at the Kiev military aviation Su-25 Frogfoot, combat aircraft that in the event of a conflict with Russia would be called to attack the Moscow armored formations. The Ukrainian Air Force (Povitryani Syly) operates a range charismatics jets such as Su 24, Su 25, Su 27 and MiG 29. All Ukrainian Su 25 are now based in Kulbakino air base, close to Mykolaiv city, in the southern of Ukraine, under the 299 Tactical Aviation Brigade.

Taiwan reports new large-scale Chinese air force incursion

01/24/2022

Taiwan on Sunday reported the largest incursion since October by China's air force in its air defence zone, with the island's defence ministry saying Taiwanese fighters scrambled to warn away 39 aircraft in the latest uptick in tensions. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for more than a year of repeated missions by China's air force near the democratically governed island, often in the southwestern part of its air defence identification zone, or ADIZ.

Alarming sign Russia is ready to start fighting war

01/23/2022

It’s a sight that immediately has the hallmarks of war: Ballistic missiles being hauled across continental Russia in open-top railcars as forces gather on the Russia-Ukraine border. But what is making military experts really sit up and take notice isn’t the missiles. It’s the little things. Mobile weather stations, latrine units, bakeries. It seems Russian President Vladimir Putin means business.

JF-17 Thunder: Argentine Ambassador Visits Chinese Aerospace Firm In Beijing, Discusses Acquisition Of Sino-Pak Jets — Reports

01/23/2022

Argentina’s ambassador to China reportedly discussed the possible acquisition of JF-17 fighter jets with officials of the China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation (CATIC) recently, an Argentinian news portal claimed.

2022 Will Be a Big Year for USAF

01/22/2022

Strategy and posture reviews coming in 2022 could significantly shape the Air Force, even as the service is slated to make major strides on programs and conduct critical tests. How the Air Force manages to pay for all that as the bills come due for major modernization efforts, particularly in the nuclear arena, will be a challenging balancing act.

Crisis in the Fighter Force

01/22/2022

Three decades of canceled, curtailed, and delayed investment in aircraft modernization has left the nation with far too few advanced fighters to meet demand. The Fiscal 2023 budget will be submitted to Congress in February 2022, and all indications are that the fighter crisis will only deepen.

At long last, the F-22 jet fighter could get the infrared search and track air-search sensor it was promised

01/21/2022

The F-22 originally was to have an infrared sensor, which is passive and immune to electronic warfare (EW) jamming, to detect and track other aircraft at long ranges. This plan ultimately was dropped on cost grounds. Now, the service is at least looking at ways to insert the capability back into the jet.

Rafale, F-15EX, BrahMos – Indonesia Looks To Withstand Chinese Military Aggression With Support Of Indo-Pacific Democracies

01/21/2022

Indonesia needs the support and goodwill of the US and other important democracies in the Indo-Pacific like never before in its recent history. As The EurAsian Times had reported earlier, on December 22, Chief of the Indonesian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, had revealed that his government abandoned its plans to acquire the Russian combat aircraft Su-35, “primarily because of its budget”.

Opinion: Biden must show that the U.S. stands ready to support Ukraine, militarily if necessary

01/21/2022

Deterrence and escalation dominance — two core ideas in strategic theory — explain why Vladimir Putin will likely soon launch a large-scale invasion of Ukraine aimed at toppling the democratic government in Kyiv. Deterrence — convincing an adversary that he cannot achieve his objectives through military action — works through two processes: denial and punishment. The likelihood that an adversary will be denied his objectives can prevent an attack.

U.S. seeks way to speed delivery of new fighter jets to Taiwan

01/21/2022

The United States is looking for ways to potentially accelerate delivery of Taiwan's next generation of new-build F-16 fighter jets, U.S. officials said, bolstering the Taiwanese air force's ability to respond to what Washington and Taipei see as increasing intimidation by China's military.

BAE Systems Australia to support RAAF’s F-35A Lightning II operations

01/20/2022

BAE Systems Australia has signed a contract to support the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F-35A Lightning II operations. Signed with the Australian Department of Defence (DoD), the five-year F-35A air vehicle support services (AVSS) contract is valued at over $57.5m (A$80m). It includes the provision of essential supplementation for the maintenance and logistics crew.