Special Purpose

Military Aviation News Archive

Taiwan to test indigenous advanced jet trainer in two weeks

06/09/2020

Taiwan's Air Force is set to test the first locally developed advanced jet trainer (AJT) on June 22 at Taichung Air Base weather permitting, with President Tsai Ing-wen expected to attend, a military official told CNA on Monday. The test will be moved to a later date should the weather be bad, said the official who asked not to be named.

IAF will soon add 29 Netra AWE&C platform to combat two-front war

06/09/2020

India is facing constant threat from its neighbors on both eastern and western front of the country’s border. India has fought 5 wars in the short span of time on both the fronts and already facing continuous insurgency and malpractices sponsored by the nations around its border.

Meet Flight Lieutenant Quentin, a French fighter pilot protecting the Baltic skies

06/09/2020

“I am part of the air policing mission, which consists in scrambling fighter jets whenever a suspicious aircraft is spotted and visuals checks are required to assess the situation”, explains Quentin. His work also consists in regular air combat training to be able to quickly take action if required.

RAAF’s F-35A completes 1,000 flying hours

06/09/2020

The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F-35A aircraft has completed 1,000 flying hours over the skies of Arizona, US. In 2014, the aircraft was manufactured by Lockheed Martin in Texas, US. Currently, the aircraft A35-001 is operated by the international Pilot Training Centre (PTC) at Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in the US.

South Korea receives engines for future fighter jet

06/09/2020

The development of South Korea’s indigenous KF-X fighter jet has taken another step forward with GE Aviation delivering the first engine for program, although development partner Indonesia continues to rack up overdue payments for its share.

If China Invades Taiwan, This Is What The Fleet Could Look Like

06/08/2020

Scenarios involving China taking military action against Taiwan have been a hot topic for decades. The most dramatic one would be a full-blown invasion involving amphibious landings. Back in the 1990s it was derided as the ‘million man swim’ because it was not believed that China had the naval means to pull it off. Some may still make that joke, but it may no longer reflect reality.

Here Are The Basic Fighter Maneuvers Fundamentals You Need To Understand Dogfights, Explained By A Fighter Pilot

06/08/2020

Today we will try to bring you inside the mind of a fighter pilot engaging an adversary aircraft during a dogfight. And we will do that through a bit of the theory behind WVR aerial combat, explaining the so-called BFM (Basic Fighter Maneuvers), the tactical movements performed by a fighter during an aerial engagement to gain a positional advantage over the opponent. BFM are based on aerodynamic, physics, kinematics, energy and geometry concepts.

Air Force plans to pit autonomous fighter drone against human pilot in dogfight to test AI warfare

06/07/2020

The Air Force plans to test an autonomous fighter drone controlled by artificial intelligence against a human pilot in war games, it has been revealed. Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, head of the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said on Thursday that the Air Force Research Laboratory hope to conduct the test in July 2021.

Failure in Libya, Yemen costs UAE billions of dollars

06/07/2020

The failure of illegitimate forces in Libya and Yemen cost its supporter UAE billions of dollars, which provided weapons, ammunition and mercenaries to the militias in the two countries. Supporting warlord Khalifa Haftar in Libya, the UAE clashed in Yemen even with the coalition it is part of and backs the separatist forces in the south.

New Zealand military buys 5 Lockheed Hercules planes for $1B

06/06/2020

New Zealand's military said Friday it will buy five Super Hercules transport planes from Lockheed Martin for $1 billion. The planes will replace the military's existing fleet of Hercules, all of which are more than 50 years old and have been involved in a series of embarrassing breakdowns over recent years.

Beijing’s plot to claim South China Sea revealed

06/06/2020

Although the Communist nation is reportedly years away from controlling the highly disputed region, Taiwanese officials warned of the threat posed by the Chinese air defence identification zone (ADIZ). Beijing is working to establish a framework to assert control. Military news site US Navy Institute (USNI) reports China has hinted at an ADIZ over the South China Sea for years.

Russia’s New Okhotnik Stealth Drone Is Closer to Being Ready for Combat

06/06/2020

Russia is pursuing additional tests, demonstrations and “familiarization flights” of its emerging Okhotnik stealthy heavy attack drone. These tests are intended to bring surveillance technology and stealthy assault mission options to this 5th generation aircraft.

AS A RESPONSE TO RUSSIA’S MOVE IN LIBYA, US MILITARY CONSIDERS TROOPS IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRY

06/06/2020

In light of the recent Russian move of sending advanced MiG-29 fighter and SU-34 ground attack jets to Libya, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), is in talks with neighboring Tunisia to bolster ties between the two nations. U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, the Commander of AFRICOM, spoke via phone with Imed Hazgui, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Tunisia.

More Than Half Of Finland's F-18 Hornets Take Part In An "Elephant Walk" Readiness Drill

06/06/2020

So-called 'elephant walks,' air readiness exercises that involve large numbers of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft that are meant to demonstrate the ability to rapidly get significant numbers of planes and helicopters into the air during a major contingency, have become increasingly common within the U.S. military in recent years.

Syrian forces start flying Russian-supplied Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29s

06/05/2020

Syrian forces have started to carry out missions on the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 fighters which they received from Russia a few days ago. Confirming the delivery of the MiG-29s, the Russian Embassy in Syria on Wednesday (June 3, 2020) tweeted that the second batch of the combat aircraft had joined the Arab country's military.

Kongsberg to supply air-to-air pylons for F-35 programme

06/05/2020

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (Kongsberg) has signed a contract with Marvin Engineering to supply air-to-air pylons for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter programme. The $14.3m (Nkr136m) agreement covers production lot 14 for all types of the fighter jet.

Royal Navy F-35Bs impress Navy, Air Force top brass

06/04/2020

The head of the Royal Navy, First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin, has visited the Lightning Force for the first time since the appointment of a new “Senior Service” commanding officer to an F-35B squadron.

“F-117s Had An Air-To-Air Capability With Secondary Mission To Shoot Down Soviet AWACS” Former Stealth Pilot Says

06/04/2020

A former Stealth Jet pilot provided some details about a previously unknown role of the F-117 during a recent interview at the Fighter Pilot Podcast. And here are some comments.

Five Reasons The Air Force’s B-52 Bomber Will Be The First Jet Ever To Stay In Service For 100 Years

06/03/2020

This coming Friday, June 5, marks the anniversary of the day in 1946 when the Air Force announced that Boeing BA had won the competition to build the plane that would become the B-52 Stratofortress. That event unfolded so long ago that the Air Force was not yet an independent service, and the plane Boeing initially proposed was propeller-driven. It isn’t likely anybody at the time imagined the new bomber would become the most iconic military aircraft in history.

Video: China’s Aircraft Carrier ‘Shandong’ Conducting Sea Trials In Yellow Sea

06/03/2020

According to The South China Morning Post, which first reported on Shandong’s sea trials, at-sea training of Shandong‘s crew was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but the vessel is now carrying out its first exercises at sea since being commissioned with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese navy) last year.

Russia delivers Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 to Syria to tackle Israel's F-16 Fighting Falcons

06/03/2020

Russia delivered a batch of Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 combat aircraft to Syria on May 30, 2020, to counter the threat posed by Israel's F-16 Fighting Falcons. The MiG-29 fighters, the most advanced versions of the legendary jets, were handed over to the Syrian Arab Air Force at the Hmeimim base in Lattakia.

US Navy upgrades more ships for the F-35 as the future of carriers remains in flux

06/02/2020

Former acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly hadn’t been out of the job more than a month before the Navy canceled an ongoing study he’d launched into the future of aircraft carriers — a review he optimistically termed “Future Carrier 2030.”

Chinese fighter jets 'visible on Indian air defence radar' as border dispute escalates

06/02/2020

India is keeping a close eye on Chinese jets after aircraft flew extremely close to the hostile border between the two nations. The Indian Air Force has been keeping strict aerial surveillance in the disputed region. Referring to the build-up of aircraft capability in the area, Defence Editor at The Economist, Shashank Joshi tweeted: "10 to 12 Chinese fighter aircraft have been stationed at the PLA Air Force bases in Hotan and Gargunsa.

US commander suggests sending military trainers to Tunisia after Russia sends aircraft to Libya

06/02/2020

Backed by military contractors, Russia deployed military fighter jets to Al Jufra Airfield in Libya, prompting the US Army to consider sending military training personnel to neighboring Tunisia.

Beijing’s plans for South China Sea air defence identification zone cover Pratas, Paracel and Spratly islands, PLA source says

06/01/2020

Beijing has been making plans for an air defence identification zone (ADIZ) in the South China Sea since 2010, the same year it said it was considering the introduction of similar airspace controls over the East China Sea in a move that was widely criticised around the world, a military insider said.