Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

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.

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.